Housing in Finland and Helsinki - prices and features of renting and buying an apartment

Contents:

Travel Accommodation Prices
Long term rental housing in Helsinki
Buying property in Finland
How to search for housing to rent and to buy
Utility bills in Finland

Travel Accommodation Prices

Helsinki has a good selection through standard booking systems. Indicative hotel prices:

Hostel in the center costs from 18,1 - 21,3 USD = 17 - 20 EUR per bed for example Eurohostel
Hotel room 2 - 3 stars 53,3 - 85,3 USD = 50 - 80 EUR for example Hotel Finn
4-star hotel room, 96 - 138,7 USD = 90 - 130 EUR for example Radisson Blu Royal Hotel
Rent a small apartment 40m2 in the center 53,3 - 74,7 USD = 50 - 70 EUR

How to get a lower price

These are examples of prices for hotels in the city center. A way out of high prices and small rooms may be the popular rent of serviced apartments through AirBNB Plan your accommodation in advance, usually profitable options are sold out first. On the other hand, at the last moment you can find accommodation with a good discount.

You can view prices, book accommodations and read about the pros and cons of various hotel search engines in my review of hotel and apartment reservation systems

The photo shows examples of standard housing in Helsinki for a tourist

Hostel room

Hotel Finn, 3 stars

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, 4 stars

Inexpensive apartment for rent

Long term rental housing in Helsinki

Most Finns live in their own houses and apartments, about 40% rent housing, mainly subsidized state apartments. Features of long-term rental housing in Finland:

An apartment can be rented from a private individual or the state (there are special municipal houses). The second option is cheaper, but not suitable for everyone (more on that later)
Apartments are usually rented unfurnished, but kitchen furniture is always present, please note if there is a washing machine.
In summer and early autumn, the demand for apartments in Helsinki increases, as tourists and students come. It is better to plan your search for housing for another season.
Usually, the applicant is required to confirm reliability and solvency: as a standard, bank account statement, a contract from the employer. You also need a deposit of about 1-2 monthly payments
The rent usually includes utility bills, except for water (about 21,3 - 26,7 USD = 20 - 25 EUR per person per month) and electricity ( 26,7 - 32 USD = 25 - 30 EUR for a small apartment per month).
The tenant independently concludes an electricity contract on the website www.helen.fi
And so independently buys insurance "koti vakuutus", for example, on the site fennia.fi The insurance reimburses the costs of possible renovation and other costs associated with living in the apartment
Sometimes the apartment has its own sauna. Most often, there is a shared sauna in the house, in which there are general visiting hours, you can also book a private time.
For Study in Finland, there is a large selection of inexpensive student housing: dormitories and small apartments from student unions.

Rental prices in Helsinki

Renting a small apartment in the central districts of Helsinki with an area of 45-50 m2 costs 1 066,7 - 1 493,3 USD = 1000 - 1 400 EUR
Rent a large 80-90 m2 apartment in the center of 1 920 - 3 200 USD = 1 800 - 3 000 EUR
In districts of Helsinki remote from the center, the cost of renting apartments is approximately 20-30% lower

The photo shows an example of an apartment in a good area for 1 386,7 USD = 1 300 EUR per month.

House outside

room

Room

Bathroom

State (municipal) rental in Finland

Finland has municipal housing, which is subsidized by the state and is about 30-40% cheaper than similar conventional housing. Applicants must meet one of the requirements:

have Finnish citizenship
have a residence permit
have a permit to stay in the country for a year or more;
be an international student with a residence permit.

To obtain social housing, an applicant must submit an application to the city's housing office. And to be selected according to a number of criteria (need for housing, income level, ownership, etc.) Details can be found at Y-Foundation Group

In the Helsinki region, the expectation of free social housing can last for several years. In the less popular cities in Finland, housing can be free. Sites for finding municipal housing:

Buying property in Finland

Foreigners can buy real estate in Finland without restrictions, but buying Finnish real estate does not automatically give them the right to obtain a residence permit.

The price per square meter strongly depends on the area of the city:

Average price per square meter in good areas in Helsinki is about 8000 per m2
The average price per square meter in remote areas in Helsinki is about 5000 per m2

A small one-bedroom apartment 50m2-60m2 in a good central area will cost about 373 331,7 USD = 350 000 EUR in a remote area 213 332,4 USD = 200 000 EUR

There are also additional costs: Tax on the purchase of real estate, for apartments 2%, for houses 4%. and the costs of notary and transaction registration.

How to search for housing to rent and to buy

You can search for housing on your own, or with the help of agencies (or private realtors), which will offer options in accordance with the request (by price, number of rooms, area). Most Finns prefer to go to agencies. The service fee is usually 1 month of rent. On the other hand, some owners, wanting to save on paying taxes, posting ads on their own, may offer to rent an apartment unofficially. In this case, the price will be cheaper.

Websites of ads for self-rental and home purchase:

Popular Real Estate Agents:

Utility bills in Finland

Utility bills are 64 - 138,7 USD = 60 - 130 EUR per month.

For water supply and sewerage 16 - 26,7 USD = 15 - 25 EUR per month per person (most often a fixed amount per resident) in case of rent, the tenant pays
Electricity approximately 32 - 53,3 USD = 30 - 50 EUR for an average apartment per month. Tariff 0,11 - 0,15 USD = 0.1 - 0.14 EUR per 1 kW per kW /h. in the case of rent, the tenant pays
the maintenance of the local area costs about 74,7 - 106,7 USD = 70 - 100 EUR per year These payments are included in the rent the owner pays
parking space fee 5,3 - 32 USD = 5 - 30 EUR May be included in the rental fee
real estate insurance 213,3 - 320 USD = 200 - 300 EUR per year, the tenant pays
use of laundry and sauna costs 10,7 - 21,3 USD = 10 - 20 EUR per month. May be included in the rent
Heating tariff 91,7 USD = 86 EUR per 1 MWh paid by the owner
Internet and TV 32 - 42,7 USD = 30 - 40. EUR the tenant pays
In municipal buildings, the tenant pays for garbage collection, maintenance, salary of service personnel 1,6 - 3,2 USD = 1.5 - 3 EUR per square meter per month