Avaa sivuston haku
Avaa sivuston haku

Information database

Whether you are looking for beginner instructions on real estate investment, information on legal aspects of rental operations or on the pitfalls of taxation, this knowledge base provides answers to your questions. You can filter the articles by topic or use the search function to sort articles by content. While the section on real estate investment is available to everyone, other sections are restricted to members only and fully available via login on our member pages.

  • Compensation for damage in leases

    A tenant may damage the apartment or otherwise cause damages to the landlord that must be compensated for. If damages…

  • Rental listing

    Good communication between a landlord and a tenant begins with a rental listing. As a landlord, you should put some…

  • Prepaid rent

    Prepaid rent means rent that has been paid in advance. For residential apartments, any agreements regarding prepaid rent can only…

  • Housing First

    The Housing First model aims to increase housing capacity in order to fight homelessness. This model removes typical financial risks…

  • Short-term accommodation services, such as Airbnb

    Short-term accommodation services, such as Airbnb, have gained popularity around the world, including Finland. However, the rules concerning this type…

  • Privacy

    Privacy is a basic right that ensures everyone’s right to privacy in their life. Landlord is in a position where…

  • Renting a shared apartment

    Renting a shared apartment may be an attractive option for many prospective tenants, especially for students. Shared housing is a…

  • Renting out a business premise

    The Act on Commercial Leases and its provisions apply to any lease agreements by which a building or any part…

  • Tips for the tenant

    Landlords are welcome to print out this page or send a link to the tenant after a lease is signed. Landlords are…

  • Renting to a foreigner

    Renting to a foreign-born person does not differ from renting to a Finnish-born person. The Act on Residential Leases applies…

  • Renting out a parking space

    Parking spaces are rented out based on whether the space is controlled by the shareholder, i.e. the landlord, or by…

  • Renting to a company

    Business premises are typically rented to companies. However, even a residential apartment may be rented to a company. When the…

  • Credit information

    Landlord has the right to run a credit check for a prospective tenant before entering into a lease agreement. During…

  • Before the lease

  • Choosing a tenant

    A careful tenant selection may significantly improve your profitability and help you avoid issues. Some important things to consider are…

  • Renting out a vacation home

    There are over 500,000 vacation homes in Finland, and they are vacant 262 days of the year on average (Mökkibarometri…

  • Renting out a house

    Much like an apartment, a house is suitable for renting out. The same legislation applies. You should pay specific attention…

  • Residential lease

    The Act on Residential Leases and its provisions apply to any residential lease agreements by which a building or any…

  • Guardianship

    In principle, we are all legally competent individuals, fit to make various legal transactions, such as lease agreements. However, it…

  • Handing over the keys

    At the end of the lease, the tenant must hand over all keys to the apartment. The handover is acknowledged…

  • Collecting rent

    The landlord should regularly monitor that the rent is paid on time. If the tenant neglects their obligation to pay…

  • Change of ownership

    When an apartment with an existing lease is sold, the existing lease agreement is, in principle, transferred as such to…

  • Final cleanup

    The tenant must give possession of the apartment to the landlord at the end of the lease in clean condition…

  • Death of a tenant

    If a tenant dies, the lease remains in effect. However, the death does have some legal consequences which affect both…

  • Returning or retaining the security deposit

    At the end of the lease, the landlord may retain the security deposit provided by the tenant. Most common grounds…

  • Enforcement

    The landlord may begin enforcement proceedings after obtaining an enforceable decision at a district court. At the same time, the…

  • Payment reminder and penalty interest

    If the tenant neglects their obligation to pay rent, the landlord may send a payment reminder to the tenant. You…

  • Moving date

    If no specific stipulation regarding the moving date has been added in the lease agreement, it is, according to legislation,…

  • Tenant’s bankruptcy

    A lease’s validity does not automatically expire if the tenant declares bankruptcy. The tenant’s insolvency estate may continue the lease.…

  • General information

    Landlords must pay a tax on capital income. Any expenses for the production of rental income are tax-deductible. All receipts…

  • Keys

    The lease agreement should state the number of keys provided to the tenant. You should hand over the keys only…

  • Real estate investment in brief

    Residential property investment has grown more popular in recent years. An increasing number of people are considering taking up this…

  • Neglection of rent payment

    Tenant’s main obligation is to pay rent. The rent must be paid by the second day of the rent payment…

  • Rental income

    Rental income is compensation received from assigning the right of possession of an item. Typically, the leased item is an…

  • Visiting the apartment

    The landlord is entitled to visit the rental apartment at an agreed time to inspect the condition and upkeep of…

  • Articles of association

    The articles of association can be considered one of the most essential documents of a housing company. Even though the…

  • Deciding on funding

    Each year, housing companies must decide whether to enter charges for common expenses as funding. This decision is always made…

  • Temporary assignment

    The tenant is in certain situations legally entitled to assign the apartment temporarily to someone else. The landlord may not…

  • District court

    Even landlord-tenant disputes may sometimes need to be resolved in a district court. Typically, landlord-tenant disputes taken to district courts…

  • Adjustment options for housing company’s annual financial statement

    A housing company is liable for corporate tax like any other corporation. However, housing companies are granted several adjustment options…

  • Normal wear and tear

    Normal wear and tear refers to the wear and tear that gradually takes place in an apartment over time, such…

  • Transfer of leasehold

    In principle, the tenant may not transfer the leasehold without landlord consent. However, there are some situations where the tenant…

  • Renovations

    As a landlord, you should take good care of your rental apartment. This means that you should renovate the apartment…

  • Eviction

    The tenant may have to be evicted if they hold possession of the rental apartment but do not pay agreed…

  • Renting to a relative

    Your tenant may, at least temporarily, be a family member, such as your own child. It is quite typical for…

  • Pets and smoking

    You should add a condition regarding pets and smoking in the lease agreement. In principle pets are allowed but you…

  • Shareholders’ meeting

    The shareholders’ meeting is the highest decision-making body in a housing company. The shareholders’ meeting decides on all matters that…

  • Fixtures and appliances

    Acquired appliances and fixtures may be deducted from rental income either as annual expenses or by depreciation. For a furnished…

  • Rent reductions

    The tenant is entitled to reduced rent or be fully exempted from their obligation to pay rent for the time…

  • Insurances

    You should add a condition in the lease agreement that requires the tenant to have a valid home insurance with…

  • Housing company management

    The Limited Liability Housing Companies Act states that the management of a housing company, i.e. the property manager and the…

  • Rent increase

    You may increase the rent during the lease based on a condition in the agreement or by negotiation. It is…

  • Entering as income and as funding

    The possibility to deduct charges for common expenses depends on how the housing company files the charges on record. The…

  • Transfer tax

    The buyer of a property or an owner apartment must pay a transfer tax. The transfer tax rate is 3…

  • Period of lease

    Lease agreements can be fixed-term or non-fixed term contracts. A fixed-term agreement is valid for both parties for a fixed…

  • Prepaid rent

    Prepaid rent means rent that has been paid in advance. For residential apartments, any agreements regarding prepaid rent can only…

  • Alteration work

    The tenant is not entitled to alteration or repair work in the rented space without authorization from the landlord. Such…

  • Secondary lease

    A secondary lease refers to a lease where the primary tenant rents the apartment to one or more secondary tenants.…

  • Buying an investment property

    A careful selection of your investment property makes a huge difference on the profitability of your rental operation. Succeeding as…

  • Serving a notice in a legally enforceable way

    According to law, e.g. notices of termination or rescission and rescission warnings must be issued in writing and in a…

  • Guarantee

    In addition to or instead of a security deposit, you may ensure the fulfillment of contractual obligations with a guarantee…

  • Non-discrimination in renting

    In principle, private landlords are entitled to choose a tenant freely. However, the choice may not be made on a…

  • Fair rental practices

    Fair rental practices are meant to assist with creating, running, and ending a trouble-free lease. Fair rental practices guide is…

  • Security deposit

    Agree on the provision of a security deposit as you sign the lease. Both the landlord and the tenant may…

  • Housing company maintenance expenses

    Shareholders are sometimes taken aback by high maintenance expenses in a housing company, and it’s not uncommon for them to…

  • Housing company renovation projects

    Housing company renovation projects are typically long-lasting projects that require diligence, know-how, and time from particularly the property manager and…

  • Lapsed lease

    A lease agreement may lapse in unusual circumstances without any specific action to end it. A lease agreement will lapse…

  • Financing

    In residential property investment, using leveraging is easier than with other forms of investment. A real estate investor may finance…

  • Appropriate rent

    An essential part of your investment strategy is to determine the appropriate rent for your investment. Setting the rent correctly…

  • Showing

    Apart from new buildings, apartments are rarely rented without having the tenant for a visit. A showing to prospective tenants…

  • Buying an investment property that is already rented out

    When an apartment with an existing lease is sold, the existing lease agreement is, in principle, transferred as such to…

  • Amount of rent

    Rents of non-subsidized dwellings are determined by an agreement between the landlord and the tenant. The initial rent greatly affects…

  • New constructions

    Many have become landlords after inheriting an apartment or moving out of their first owner apartment. Therefore, renting older apartments…

  • Preliminary and final inspection

    Before the lease, an initial inspection should be carried out with the tenant. This inspection is for checking the condition…

  • Investing in real estate abroad

    Investing in real estate abroad may give variety to your portfolio and provide higher profits than a purely domestic operation.…

  • Flipping

    Flipping is a term used to describe the increase of an apartment’s value by means of renovation. The flipped apartment…

  • Subletting

    A sublease is a lease where the possession of a part of the apartment is given to another person’s possession…

  • Short-term accommodation services

    Some real-estate investors focus on providing short-term accommodation services by renting furnished apartments. There is demand for furnished apartments in…

  • Housing company

    Many buyers are quick to notice the interior look of the apartment. Good condition, neutral colors, and certain amenities are…

  • Rescission

    If a lease agreement is rescinded, it ends immediately. In other words, no period of notice exists. However, the landlord…

  • Apartment condition and renovations

    Attractiveness does not require luxury. However, your rental apartment should be clean and attractive enough to raise interest with as…

  • Location

    Consider the location of your residential property investment. Statistically speaking, there aren’t many cities or properties where it is possible…

  • BRRRR

    BRRRR is short for buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat. This investment strategy is based on increasing the value of the…

  • Out-of-court settlement

    Settling disputes is almost without exception the fastest, least expensive, and most convenient way to solve a disagreement concerning a…

  • Increase in value

    Increase in value has traditionally had a significant role in real estate investment. In the long term, apartments have provided…

  • Equal division

    An equal division means that costs are divided equally between all shareholders. In other words, this exceptional arrangement reduces the…

  • Notification of maintenance and alteration work

    The Limited Liability Housing Companies Act requires the shareholder to notify the board of directors or the property manager in…

  • Shareholder’s liability for damages

    Shareholder’s liability for damages may have to be reviewed if, for example, it is found that a bathroom renovation has…

  • Termination

    Typically a lease agreement ends with a termination by one party. The landlord must always have grounds for termination, while…

  • Shareholder’s alteration work

    The shareholder is entitled to perform alterations quite extensively within the owner apartment. However, before commencing the work, confirm the…

  • Compensation

    The Limited Liability Housing Companies Act includes regulations concerning situations where a shareholder may be liable for less than a…

  • Housing company renovation projects

    Housing company renovation projects are typically long-lasting projects that require diligence, know-how, and time from particularly the property manager and…

  • Report on maintenance needs

    The board of directors must present a report on maintenance needs at the ordinary shareholders’ meeting. The report must be…

  • Maintenance liability

    Responsibility for the maintenance of the housing company’s building and other facilities is divided between the shareholders and the housing…

  • Charges for common expenses

    The Limited Liability Housing Companies Act states that shareholders must pay charges for common expenses to the housing company. The…

  • Parties

    In a lease agreement, the tenant and the landlord are identified by their names and personal identity codes, and companies…

  • The Consumer Disputes Board

    The Consumer Disputes Board is a neutral and independent dispute settlement body. The Board guides consumer law and defines policies…

  • Upkeep

    The landlord is responsible for having the apartment in good condition at the start of the lease and keeping it…

  • Transfer

    During the lease there may come a time when the tenant wishes to transfer a part of the apartment or…

  • Ending a lease agreement

    There are typically three ways to end a lease. You either terminate or rescind the agreement or you jointly agree…