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Renting a home in Finland – the 1 October 2026 lease reform, deposits, housing allowance and buying

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

Most newcomers rent first, and the rules shift on 1 October 2026: the reformed Residential Leases Act shortens the landlord's notice and returns deposits within 14 days. Rents have barely moved in a year and flat prices have fallen. Here is what renting and buying in Finland cost, and how to sign without being cheated.

Young woman holding up a set of house keys in a bright flat
Photo: dsheremeta/Adobe Stock

Renting in Finland is where most people start – InfoFinland's advice is to begin the search early, because most newcomers live in rented homes when they arrive. Rents for non-subsidised flats rose only 0.1 per cent in the year to the second quarter of 2026 and prices of old flats fell 3.9 per cent, but the law is moving. Act 531/2026, adopted on 16 June 2026, rewrites large parts of the Residential Leases Act from 1 October 2026, and it applies to existing contracts too, with exceptions. Tenancy law and the Kela (Social Insurance Institution) housing allowance are national; what varies by city is the rent and the queue for subsidised flats.

How much is rent in Finland in 2026?

Statistics Finland's figures for April to June 2026 give the average rent per square metre for non-subsidised (free-market) flats. New contracts run higher: €17.26 nationally and €22.04 in Helsinki. Studios cost most per square metre – €26.71 in Helsinki, €21.06 in Tampere, €19.57 in Turku.

AreaNon-subsidised rent, €/m², second quarter 2026Subsidised (ARA) rent, €/m²
Whole country15.9413.47
Greater Helsinki20.1115.20
Helsinki21.3415.30
Espoo and Kauniainen18.82–
Vantaa17.80–
Tampere16.9413.83
Turku15.6313.31
Oulu14.2012.21

Source: Statistics Finland (rents of dwellings, second quarter 2026), read 24 September 2026.

In money terms, the City of Helsinki tells newcomers that a studio on the open market costs about €600–700 a month and a two-room flat about €900–1,100. Rent normally covers maintenance and central heating; you usually sign your own electricity contract and water is often charged per resident on top. Flats come with kitchen cupboards, fridge and stove but are otherwise unfurnished.

What changes in the Residential Leases Act on 1 October 2026?

The reform (bill HE 33/2026) rewrites the rules on deposits, rent increases and notice, and adds a duty for tenants to tell the landlord who else lives in the flat.

RuleUntil 30 September 2026From 1 October 2026
Maximum depositThree months' rent; a larger term is voidUnchanged
Return of the depositAfter the final inspectionWithin 14 days of the end of the tenancy, or a written reason for withholding; compensation for unjustified withholding
Landlord's noticeSix months after one year, otherwise threeFour months after two years, otherwise three (contracts signed before 1 October 2026 keep the old rule unless agreed otherwise)
Tenant's noticeOne monthUnchanged; a term delaying when notice may start is void
Rent increaseWritten notice of the new rent and its start dateAt the earliest from the rent period following one month after the notice; never retroactive; basis explained free on request

Source: Finlex (Residential Leases Act as amended by Act 531/2026), read 24 September 2026.

Notice runs from the last day of the calendar month in which it is given, unless agreed otherwise, and a fixed-term contract cannot be ended by notice at all, by either side. In practice the deposit is usually two months' rent, paid before you get the keys, and it may not be used to pay the last months' rent.

How do you sign a rental contract in Finland without being cheated?

Landlords usually want a good credit history, income or funds to pay the rent – Kela benefits count – proof of identity and often a henkilötunnus (personal identity code), a registered right of residence or a residence permit valid for at least a year; the latest payslip and tax decision are typical attachments. The contract must be in writing (an electronic one that can be stored counts). Most landlords require home insurance for the whole tenancy, and pets are allowed unless the contract forbids them.

Warning signWhat the rules say
A "reservation fee" or a payment for signingNo such fee exists in Finland – pay nothing before a written tenancy agreement; a payment for signing is illegal and possibly fraud
An agent charging you commissionOnly if you signed a written assignment agreement in advance; viewing is free
Deposit or rent before both have signedNever; view the flat yourself or send someone you trust, and check the address against the contract
Refusal because of ethnic origin, religion or nationalityProhibited discrimination; the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman can help

Source: InfoFinland and International House Helsinki, read 24 September 2026.

Subsidised housing and Kela housing allowance

State-subsidised rental housing is open to Finnish citizens and to holders of a registered right of residence, a residence card, a residence permit valid at least 12 months or a student's permit; in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa there are far more applicants than flats. The cities differ. Helsinki's company Heka has over 50,000 flats in more than 500 locations, takes no deposit and gives one month's notice; its rental advisory service is at Työpajankatu 8, tel. 09 310 13030. In Tampere you apply directly to companies such as TVA and VTS, within limits set from 1 July 2025 – assets of at most €59,000 and monthly income of at most €3,540 for a single adult. Turku runs a housing counselling service for non-Finnish speakers, and Kela can grant social assistance for a deposit as a payment commitment to the landlord.

Kela's general housing allowance is national. It covers at most 70 per cent of acceptable housing costs after a basic deductible, applies only to rental, right-of-occupancy and part-ownership homes, and is not paid if under €15 a month. The 70 per cent rate has applied since 1 April 2024, owner-occupied homes have been excluded since 1 January 2025 and assets now count. Students who come to Finland cannot get it.

Household – gross income limit per monthEspoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen, VantaaTampere, Turku, Oulu
One adult€1,844€1,612
One adult and one child€2,630–
Two adults€2,428–
Two adults and two children€3,780–

Source: Kela, read 24 September 2026.

Buying a home in Finland: prices, mortgages and transfer tax

Prices of old flats in housing companies averaged €2,465 per square metre nationally in the second quarter of 2026: €4,916 in Helsinki, €2,896 in Tampere, €2,650 in Turku and €2,172 in Oulu. Adverts show a sales price and a debt-free price; the debt-free price, including your share of the housing company's loan, is the real cost and the base for transfer tax. Owners pay a monthly maintenance charge (hoitovastike) and, if the company has debt, a financing charge (rahoitusvastike); ask the house manager about planned renovations.

ItemRule (national)
Loan-to-value cap90 per cent of the collateral's value, 95 per cent for a first home; test your budget at an interest rate of at least 6 per cent
Maximum mortgage term40 years since June 2026 (30 before); new loans in July 2026 averaged 25 years 3 months at 3.28 per cent
State guaranteeUp to 20 per cent of the loan, at most €60,000; the home itself usually covers about 70 per cent
Transfer tax (varainsiirtovero)1.5 per cent of the debt-free price for housing-company shares, 3 per cent for real estate; pay within two months; the first-time-buyer exemption ended on 1 January 2024
BidBinding; the down payment is usually about 4 per cent
Non-EU/EEA buyers of real estateMinistry of Defence permit, €210 online or €280 by invoice, within two months of the deal; not needed for housing-company shares or when buying with an EU/EEA spouse

Source: the Financial Supervisory Authority, the Bank of Finland, Vero and the Ministry of Defence, read 24 September 2026.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Start searching early; compare asking rents with the table aboveBefore you move
2Gather payslip, tax decision and passport or permit; get home insurance quotesBefore you apply
3Sign only in writing, after viewing; pay the deposit only thenAt signing
4File your notification of move with DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)Earliest one month before, latest one week after moving
5Check Kela housing allowance against the income limitsAfter signing
6Contracts signed on or after 1 October 2026 follow the new notice and deposit rulesNote the date

Source: InfoFinland, DVV and Kela, read 24 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 24 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.