In your first week in a Finnish apartment building, sort out five things: your name on the name board and the door, a saunavuoro if you want one, the laundry room booking system, the waste sorting rules and the house rules with their quiet hours. All of them go through the housing company (taloyhtiö) and its property manager (isännöitsijä) or maintenance company (huoltoyhtiö). Their contact details are on the notice board in the entrance hall. Below is the full list, with the paperwork that has deadlines.
Day one: the essentials
- Electricity. Each household has its own electricity contract. Make sure yours starts on your moving day.
- Home insurance. Start it on moving day too. Many landlords require it, and it covers your belongings, not the building.
- Internet. Many buildings have shared broadband included in the rent or the housing company fee (taloyhtiön laajakaista). Check before you order your own.
- Keys. Count the keys and fobs you received and note the number. You return the same number when you move out.
- Smoke alarm. Press the test button. In Finland the resident is responsible for keeping the alarm in the flat working, including the battery.
During the first week
01Your name on the board and the door
Ask the property manager or maintenance company to add your name to the name board in the entrance hall and to the mail slot. Without it, couriers and the postal service may not find you. Some housing companies charge a small fee for the name plates.
02Change of address
File the change of address (muuttoilmoitus) at dvv.fi or posti.fi no later than a week after the move, if you haven't already. Kela, the Tax Administration and banks get your new address from it automatically; your electricity company and insurer do not.
03Sauna turn
Most apartment buildings have a shared sauna. A saunavuoro is your own weekly time slot, booked through the housing company and usually paid monthly. Popular evening slots go first, so ask early. Many buildings also have shared slots for everyone.
04Laundry and drying rooms
If there is no washing machine in the flat, the building's laundry room (pyykkitupa) has shared machines booked by time slot, on a paper list or an electronic booking board. The drying room (kuivaushuone) is next to it. Clean the lint filter after you.
05Storage
Your flat usually comes with a lockable storage unit in the cellar or attic (kellarikomero or ullakkokomero). Bikes, prams and skis often have their own shared rooms. Ask which unit is yours before you fill it.
House rules and neighbours
Every building has house rules (järjestyssäännöt), usually on the notice board. Quiet hours are often from 22 to 7, so save drilling and furniture assembly for the daytime. Don't store things in the stairwell: it is an escape route. Balcony rules vary by building, so check before you grill or hang laundry outside the railing.
Faults such as a leaking tap, a blocked drain or a broken radiator are reported to the maintenance company with a fault report (vikailmoitus). The emergency number for evenings and weekends is on the notice board. In a rental flat, tell your landlord as well.
Waste sorting
Most apartment buildings in the Helsinki area have separate bins for mixed waste, bio waste, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic packaging. The waste shelter or waste room is shared, so flatten your moving boxes before they go into the cardboard bin. Old furniture and large items don't belong there: take them to a Sortti station or see old furniture disposal in Helsinki.
If you rented plastic moving boxes from us, they are collected after the move and nothing goes into the recycling. Cardboard boxes in good condition are also easy to give away on Tori.fi.
Living in a Finnish flat in winter
Finnish flats are warm and well insulated. Don't block the air vents, even when it is cold outside: ventilation keeps the humidity down. A short, wide-open airing works better than a window open for hours. If you have a car, ask whether the building has parking spaces with an engine heater socket (lämpöpaikka). More on the cold season in moving in winter.
Finishing the move
If the washing machine needs connecting, a new bed is still in its flat pack, or you need a few things from IKEA, these are short jobs. Our plumber connects washing machines from €75, and a pickup run from IKEA or another store is typically about €100 in total: see IKEA and store pickups and moving a washing machine.
Frequently asked questions
How do I book a sauna turn in my building?
Through the housing company: ask the property manager or the maintenance company, whose contact details are on the notice board. A regular weekly saunavuoro is usually paid monthly, and popular evening slots are taken first.
What are the quiet hours in Finnish apartment buildings?
They are set in each building's house rules, often from 22 to 7. Save noisy work such as drilling and furniture assembly for the daytime.
How do I get my name on the door and the name board?
Ask the property manager or the maintenance company to add it. Some housing companies charge a small fee for the name plates. Without your name, couriers and the postal service may not find you.
Who is responsible for the smoke alarm in a Finnish flat?
The resident is responsible for keeping the smoke alarm in the flat working, including testing it and changing the battery.
Need a hand with the last bits?
IKEA pickups, the washing machine connection or moving a heavy piece within the flat. Ask us in the language you prefer.