Housing counselling

First, check the Kela calculator to see if you are eligible for housing allowance. Go to the Kela housing allowance calculator

If the calculator indicates that you are eligible for housing allowance, fill out the application on Kela’s website. See Kela’s instructions for applying for housing allowance

If you are applying for the allowance using a paper form, fill it out, print it, and mail it with the attachments to: Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. General housing allowance application form (pdf)

If your situation changes, you must notify Kela either electronically via OmaKela or using a paper form. See instructions for making a change notification on Kela’s website

If you are applying for a reassessment of your housing allowance electronically through OmaKela:

1. 1. Log in to OmaKela.
   2. Select “Report changes” on the homepage.
   3. Select “housing” and “general housing allowance – report changes” from the list.
   4. Fill out the application and submit it to Kela.

Alternatively, you can fill out and print the general housing allowance form and mail it with the attachments to: Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. General housing allowance application form (pdf)

Check the Kela calculator to see if you are eligible for basic social  assistance. Go to the Kela social assistance calculator (Only in Finnish)

See which expenses are considered in basic social assistance on Kela’s website. See expenses considered in basic social assistance on Kela’s website

If the calculator indicates that you may be eligible for social assistance, you can apply for it on Kela’s website. See Kela’s instructions for applying for social assistance

If you are applying for social assistance using a paper form, fill it out, print it, and mail it with the attachments to: Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. Basic social assistance application form (pdf)

Social assistance is a last-resort support that is always granted based on a needs assessment. Municipalities may also provide preventive and supplementary social assistance. See instructions for applying for supplementary or preventive social assistance

You can apply to Kela for basic social assistance to cover the rent deposit. The rent deposit is usually given as a payment commitment to the landlord. See instructions on how to apply for rent deposit support on Kela’s website

Non-profit landlords offer apartments to the homeless and those at risk of losing their housing. Non-profit landlords include TVT, M2-Kodit, Setlementtiasunnot, and A-Kruunu.

Regardless of your situation, it is advisable to apply for an apartment from as many different landlords as possible. In addition to non-profit landlords, there are many other landlords in Turku to whom you can submit an application.

If you have an open-ended lease agreement and you terminate it, the notice period is one full month. The notice period begins at the end of the month in which you terminated the agreement. For example, if you terminate the lease in March, the lease will end on April 30th and you must also pay the rent for April, but the landlord cannot require you to pay the rent for May.

If you have a fixed-term lease agreement, you cannot terminate it. If you must move out, you can try to negotiate with the landlord to end the lease earlier. According to the law, the landlord is not obligated to agree to terminate a fixed-term lease early.

Always make the termination notice in writing. You must be able to prove that you have made the notification to the landlord.

A landlord’s notice that they are considering eviction does not necessarily mean that the tenancy will end. If you have not yet received a final eviction decision, contact your landlord and see if the matter can still be resolved.

If the landlord has indicated that the eviction cannot be reversed and you cannot manage the move yourself, contact Kela and find out if you can get support for the move. Information on moving costs can be found on Kela’s website. If the tenancy does end, start looking for a new apartment as soon as possible. The list of landlords in the Turku region shows where you can search for a new apartment.

If there is any damage in your apartment, contact your landlord and file a fault report. In urgent cases, contact maintenance.

If something needs to be repaired or maintained in the apartment, such as a leaking faucet, a broken door, or other issues, or if you suspect moisture damage, contact your landlord and file a fault report.

The landlord’s contact information can be found on the notice board of your building or the landlord’s website. If you have a private landlord, contact them directly.

Disputes and conflicts between neighbors can be challenging. It is best to try to resolve disagreements with the neighbor first. If discussing the matter with your neighbor is not possible, you can get help and advice from neighbor mediation services.

Neighbor mediation services are provided by the Neighbor Mediation Center in Turku.

Often, housing associations have house rules that specify quiet hours from 10 PM to 7 AM. During the day, normal living noises are allowed, but repeated loud activities, such as shouting, loud music, and other noise, are prohibited even during the day.

If loud noises from a neighbor disturb you, discuss the matter with them. If the neighbor’s behavior does not change, you can report it to the landlord or the property manager.

If there is vandalism in your housing association, contact the landlord, the property manager, or the maintenance company. Contact information can be found on the notice board in the stairwell.