Frequently asked questions for tenants
Contact the property maintenance company of your building.
You can find the contact information of your maintenance company from your buildings Apartment page.
Contact the customer service of NAL Asunnot (if you live in Helsinki, Espoo or Vantaa):
Phone service: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 2 pm
In other cities, contact the residential instructor.
In Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, they keys are returned to the customer service of NAL Asunnot. In other cities, the keys should be returned to the housing counselor. Please don’t leave any keys in the apartment.
The keys should be returned no later than at 12 noon the next business day after the end of the tenancy. For example: If the tenancy will end on Wednesday, 30th of September, the keys have to be returned at the latest on Thursday 1st of October at 12 noon. Please note that the keys can be returned to the office on the first business day of the month, even if the customer service would not be normally open on that weekday!
If possible, first discuss the issue with the neighbor and if necessary call the police. You are entitled to live safely and peacefully in your home!
If the disturbance continues, make a disturbance report.
Check here, how disturbances are handled.
Take the warning seriously. Re-read the building rules and regulations and remember to take the other residents into consideration in the future. If a tenant does not change their behavior after receiving a warning, their lease may be terminated.
You have the right to respond to a warning by providing a response in writing to the property manager (isannoitsija@nalasunnot.fi).
We take all disturbance reports very seriously and do our best to reduce disturbances. In each case, we immediately contact the residents concerned.
To address disturbances, residents must clearly identify the source. Reports may need to come from multiple people. If the tenant accused of causing the disturbance can prove they were not in the apartment at the time, we must determine that the report is unfounded. There are also times when the origin of the disturbance is unclear.
If the disturbance is verifiable and continues despite warnings, eviction is the landlord’s last resort. It is always a serious matter and a long process. Before that, the tenant will receive a warning or several warnings (depending on the seriousness of the disturbance), so the time between the first disturbance and a possible eviction can be long.
If there is a serious disturbance or if illegal drug use, sale or growing is involved, no warning is needed, and the landlord can take immediate action to terminate the rental agreement.
Eviction is a legal process, and it usually takes 4–6 months.
Yes you can!
Another person can move into the apartment if they are in a relationship with the tenant.
A friend can only move in as a subtenant. Subletting means that the actual tenant rents a part of the apartment to another person. In this case, the apartment must have a separate room for the subtenant. This means you cannot have a subtenant in a studio apartment.
If there is a subtenant in the apartment, the main tenant is still responsible for paying the rent and maintaining the condition of the apartment. If both roommates wish to make the subtenant a party to the primary rental agreement, meaning that both tenants are equally responsible, the normal tenant selection process will be followed. This means that the subtenant will be invited for an interview and asked to provide the same supporting documents as other applicants.
Anyone moving into the apartment must make a written notice of arrival to the landlord (asiakaspalvelu@nalasunnot.fi) and the maintenance company. In the event of lost keys, the maintenance company will only open the door for occupants who are officially registered as living in the apartment. The notice of arrival must include the occupant’s personal details, the address and number of the apartment and the date of moving in. All occupants must also pay a separate water fee.
Subletting always requires a permission from the landlord. Contact our customer service to discuss the situation. Renting out your apartment on AirBnb is not allowed.
Please note, that even if you sublease your apartment, you are still solely responsible for the payment of rent and the condition of the apartment.
Our apartments cannot be rented on AirBnb.
This is because we get funding for building apartments for young people under 30 years old who are either working or looking for a job, and therefore, we also need to rent the apartments to this group of people. Also when choosing the applicants, we are obliged to check the applicants need for the apartment and their wealth and income. With AirBnb, it is not possible to ensure that these qualities apply.
Permission for painting needs to be asked from NAL Asunnot. If you are interested, send an e-mail to the customer service.
Painting or making any renovations is not allowed in new buildings. If the building is over 2 years old and you want to make any changes, please contact our customer service.
Hanging paintings, shelves (excluding IKEA’s LACK shelves) and bigger mirrors is allowed but wall stickers and video projectors are not allowed, as they can leave large marks or scuffs on the walls.
You can have a dishwasher installed, if the apartment has the necessary space and hook-ups. Thus, first ensure that:
- under the kitchen sink there are necessary hook-ups,
- the kitchen has a space reserved for a dishwasher (approximately 50 centimeters wide cabinet next to the kitchen sink that can be removed).
- the flooring reaches below the cabinet (i.e. there is no recess under the cabinet).
If the flooring does not cover the floor under the cabinet, contact tekninen@nalasunnot.fi to fix the issue before the dishwasher is installed.
Please note, that the tenant is responsible for dismantling and storing the cabinet as well as reinstalling it when moving out. In case you are not able to dismantle the cabinet yourself, contact tekninen@nalasunnot.fi.
The tenant is responsible to hire a professional to install the dishwasher. The professional or the tenant needs to fill in and sign a certificate of installment and send it to the customer service of NAL Asunnot (asiakaspalvelu@nalasunnot.fi).
Please note that tenants are responsible for any damage caused by their own appliances.
During hot weather the apartments can feel hot. We understand it may feel uncomfortable inside during this weather. As most buildings in Finland, our buildings don’t have cooling systems. Therefore we are unable to cool down the incoming air.
But there are some things you can do yourself, if your apartment feels hot:
- Keep your windows and doors closed during the day when it’s hot outside.
- Ventilate the apartment during the coolest time of the day. If possible, open windows on different sides of the apartment to create a draft.
- Close your curtains and lower your blinds for the day. Close the blinds so that the plump side is left facing outwards so that they reflect more sunlight away from your apartment.
- Minimize the use of electrical devices. Electrical devices heat the air around them, so avoid using the oven, for example, and turn your TV and computer off when you don’t need them.
- As humidity makes the air feel hotter, avoid taking long showers and drying a lot of laundry inside your flat.
If the temperature of your home remains at 32 degrees despite these tips, contact our customer service and we can think about how we can help you together! Measure the temperature from the middle of the apartment, about 1,5 meters from the floor.
Please note, that during Autumn, when the outside temperature varies, the heating system cannot react to all of the changes and does not yet start to heat fully yet. When the outside temperature settles to cold, the heating starts to work slowly.
If the weather has already been cool for some time, but your apartment still feels cold, please check these:
- Measure the temperature.
People feel the temperatures differently and a cold radiator does not automatically mean that the temperature in the apartment is cold. The recommendable temperature during the colder months is approx. 20 to 22 degrees celcius. You should measure the temperature a little more than one meter above the floor, away from windows and outer walls.
- Check the radiators
If the temperature is less than 20 degrees celcius, check whether the radiators work. Make sure that the radiators are not covered by heavy curtains or furniture that prevent the circulation of heated air and thus interfere with the functioning of the thermostat. Check also that the adjustment knob is turned to its extreme position (for example, if the maximum setting is three, make sure that the knob is turned beyond three).
If the temperature in your apartment is less than 20 degrees celcius after these checks, contact Ouman-company: asiakaspalvelu@ouman.fi, 0424 840 700.
Please note! Tenants living in following buildings should contact their maintenance company instead:
- Gibraltarinaukio 4
- Ilkantie 4
- Jukolantie 15
- Kaljaasi Auroran kuja 3
- Katajalaakso 1
- Kirjanpitäjänkuja 5
- Kirstinharju 4B
- Koulukatu 11 A
- Kyöstinpolku 4
- Rantakatu 1
- Telakkatie 1
- Turumankatu 2
- Verkkosaarenkatu 7
First check that the ventilation channels are not blocked, closed or covered by dust as this can interfere with the ventilation. Also make sure that you turn the kitchen extractor fan on full speed when cooking food or taking a shower. Using the extractor fan while you are in the apartment ensures steady circulation of air. You should also close the windows when you leave the apartment as open windows can interfere with the ventilation.
You can influence the quality of air in your apartment primarily by cleaning, taking out the trash regularly, and maintaining the condition of the apartment properly. Avoid taking long showers as they can increase the moisture in the apartment. Carefully dry off the bathroom after use and avoid drying out large amounts of laundry in your apartment.
Genuine problems regarding the quality of indoor air can lead to serious long-term symptoms. If these occur, contact the property maintenance company.
Normally a tenant can live in the apartment until the age of 35. At these addresses, there are a few larger apartments available that people over 30 can apply for. In these buildings, the contracts are open-ended, so you can live there as long as you like.
In case there are continuous disturbances, the tenant breaks the rules of tenant agreement or doesn’t pay their rent, the landlord can terminate the tenancy agreement.
You typically cannot switch your apartment unless it is necessary due to changes in the size of your family or you get a new job or study place that is far away from your current apartment. Even in the cases mentioned above, moving to another apartment is case-specific and depends on the current availability of apartments. Before moving to another apartment, the tenant must have been living in the current apartment for at least one year.
If you are interested in switching your apartment, please fill out apartment application. Choose in in the application that you are already a resident and tell why you want to change apartments. We will be in contact with you if we can offer you a new apartment.
Contact the rent supervision department of NAL Asunnot to make them aware of your situation by emailing vuokravalvonta@nalasunnot.fi or calling 09 7745 3616 (Monday–Thursday at 12:00–14).
If your rent payment is delayed, you will receive a payment reminder at the midpoint of the month. You will have to pay a fee of €5 for the payment reminder.
Please note that neglecting to pay your rent may lead to the termination of your lease and a record of default in your credit history. A recorded default may cause issues in the future with getting an apartment or a job.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have trouble paying your rent! It is always better to discuss the issue with us rather than neglect it until your rent arrears are sent to a debt collection agency.
Each month, the landlord sends payment reminders to customers who have not paid their rent. If you receive a reminder, and have questions about it, please contact the rent supervision department of NAL Asunnot vuokravalvonta@nalasunnot.fi or calling 09 7745 3616 (Monday–Thursday at 12:00–14:30).
If you pay your rent and the reminder fee by the due date your tenancy will continue as usual. If you do not pay your rent, you will be sent a second payment reminder. Our rent supervision department continuously check the status of rent payments. If rent debt accumulates and we can’t reach the tenant, the matter will be handed over for collection. Please note that neglecting to pay your rent may lead to the termination of your lease and a record of default in your credit history. A recorded default may cause issues in the future with getting an apartment or a job.
If you have money trouble or need housing support, do not hesitate to contact your residential instructor who can help you with all financial and residential questions and help you apply for residential allowance if necessary. You are not alone!
We strive to keep the rents as affordable as possible, but sometimes increases are necessary.
We are a non-profit company and our rents are determined on the basis of a cost rent. This means that we charge rent only as much needed to cover the costs of construction, maintenance, repairs and administration of the apartments.
Therefore, if the costs increase, so do the rents.
The rent consist of the costs below:
- apartment and building repairs
- building costs
- waste disposal
- cleaning
- building electricity
- heating
- plot rents
- staff wages
- other administration costs.
The notice of termination is always done in writing by filling the notice of termination of tenancy with a handwritten signature. Please fill in the notice, take a picture of it and send it or scan it or bring it to the customer service of NAL Asunnot (asiakaspalvelu@nalasunnot.fi) .
You can also provide your own termination notification, in which you must include the following information:
- the address of the apartment
- the date of termination
- the date of moving out
- your contact information
- your account number if you have paid a rent security deposit
You will also have to sign the free-form termination notification and send a photo/scan of it to our customer service.
You can also send your termination notification by mail or deliver it personally to the offices of NAL Asunnot.
Always remember to notify the property maintenance company of moving out!
When a tenant terminates the lease, the termination period is one whole calendar month. In other words, the termination period is calculated from the last day of the month in which the tenant terminates the lease: for example, if the date of termination is June 15, the tenant’s liability to pay rent ends on the last of the next month, i.e. July 31. The tenant must pay the rent for the termination period.