New Housing Regulations enter into force on the 1st of March 2018.
Our website is being updated at the moment. Read more about the changes.

We have gathered a list of frequently asked questions below. We recommend you to check this list out before contacting us with questions on apartments and living to save time.

First, pick the topic of your question:

Applying for apartments
New students
Apartment queues
Apartment offer and rental agreement
Apartments and living
Right of residence
Keys
Rent and security deposit
Secondary leasing and subleasing
Termination

Applying for apartments

How can I apply for apartments?

The housing application is filled in the Domo system. Before filling an application, the applicant must read the instructions for applying and the needed extra information for new students, freshmen at the Mikkeli campus, people applying for apartments that are available for everyone, exchange students or summer apartment applicants.

How does AYY pick its tenants?

All AYY apartments are offered through a queue process, which is based on the scoring of the applications. The placement of the application in the queue is based on the scoring and the submission date of the application. AYY primarily offers apartments to members of the Student Union with a right of residence.

Can postgraduate students of the Aalto University apply for AYY housing? Does AYY rent its apartments to students of other universities?

Aalto University postgraduates are unfortunately not eligible for AYY housing even if they are members of AYY. Postgraduates and students outside Aalto may apply for apartments that are open to all students. Postgraduates that have paid the membership fee have priority to outside students. Postgraduates that have paid their membership fee can also be taken as secondary tenants in AYY apartments. Membership or right of residence are not a prerequisite for subleasing.

I would like to apply for AYY housing, but according to Domo, my right of residence has ended. What can I do?

The duration of the right of residence for AYY’s apartments is five (5) years for students accepted into the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and two (2) years for people accepted only into the master’s degree program. For exchange students, the right of residence is valid for the duration of their exchange study period. The right of residence starts from the start of one’s studies, regardless of whether they have lived in an AYY apartment or not. Families with children are given two (2) extra years. More detailed definitions of the right of residence can be found in the Housing Regulations.

If you think that your right of residence has been terminated prematurely, please contact the AYY Housing Office. Your right of residence shall be compensated for e.g. terms registered as non-attending if you have not lived in an AYY apartment at the time. The Housing Office can check the student’s attendance and non-attendance from the university’s Oodi system.

Right of residence can be compensated for the duration of military service or voluntary military service, maternity, paternity or parental leave, studies abroad included in the Aalto University degree or JOO studies elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities or internship abroad included in the Aalto University or internship elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities
if certain conditions are met. See the more detailed information here.

You may apply for extension to your right of residence from the Housing Committee if you have written proof of grounds relating to health or some other extremely grave reason that has slowed down your studies. The maximum duration for the extension is one year. More information on the Housing Committee can be found here.

AYY apartments open to all can be applied for by all students, including Aalto students that no longer have right of residence at AYY. If your right of residence has ended and you wish to apply for the apartments open to all, please contact the Housing office.

How many active housing applications can I have at the same time? If I want to apply for both shared apartments and studios, do I have to make separate applications?

An applicant can apply for all the AYY apartments they want to at the same time. An applicant has the possibility to apply for all the apartments they want all at once, or they can gradually increase the number. The progress of the application in the queue is not based on the amount of sent applications, but the application is placed based on its date and scoring. This means that with apartment applications with equal scoring, newer applications are placed behind older ones in the queue (exemptions to this are shared apartment applications for freshmen and shared apartment applications for exchange students, which are drawn by lot).

Please note that you cannot prioritize the applications. Apartments are offered based on a genuine need, so please only apply for apartments that you are actually willing to approve.

You can apply for as many apartments and apartment groups as you want to at the same time. If, for example, you make an application alone, you may apply for all shared apartments and studios at the same time. The apartment groups have a life of their own and do not affect each other, and each apartment has its own queue, because it is possible to narrow down the search in Domo to specific apartments. It is not possible to place several application types into the same application, i.e. applying alone, applying as a family or applying with a friend.

How long is my application valid for? If my application has expired, can I do anything about it?

An application for an apartment is valid for three (3) months, and it can be renewed at any time in Domo before it expires. There is an information tab in each application that shows how long the application is valid for. Domo will remind you of an expiring application via email, but it is the client’s responsibility to take care that the application does not expire by accident.

If the applicant does not renew their apartment application and it expires, they will be removed from the application’s apartment queues. Expired applications are not returned back to the queue.

NB! Returning an application back to the queue after accepting an apartment offer does not automatically renew an application. Remember to renew your application after returning it to the queue.

Can I add or remove apartments from my application? Will my position in the queue change if I update my application?

Apartments cannot be added to an open application; a new application must be created. You may apply for the same apartment type in several rounds, in which case your placement in the queue of a specific apartment is based on what application it is a part of and that application’s date.

Your placement in the queue will not change unless the changes affect the scoring. For example, changing the preferred move-in date, renewing an application and removing apartments from an application do not affect your placement in the queue. Instead, changes regarding an urgent need for an apartment can change the scoring and thus your placement in the queue.

I am coming to study at Aalto University from abroad. What apartments should I apply for?

We recommend you to apply for single room apartments because applications for them can be awarded scores for urgency. In addition, it is worthwhile to apply for friend or family apartment if you know somebody who to apply with. The queues for studios are usually long and applications for them can’t be awarded scores for urgency, so it is unlikely that you will receive a studio apartment by the start of your studies.

I have started my studies at the Mikkeli campus. Does this affect my application process?

The right of residence for Aalto University degree students studying outside the Helsinki metropolitan area is calculated in the same way as the right of residence for students doing their bachelor’s and master’s degrees or just their master’s degree in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Thus, the right of residence is granted for a total of five years from the beginning of the Bachelor studies in Mikkeli.

Students can apply for housing in the metropolitan area as soon as they confirm their place of study in Mikkeli. This means that you can start queueing for housing even if you live at the beginning of their studies in Mikkeli. By changing the earliest possible move-in-date in your housing application you can ensure that you won’t get an offer too early.

I am a single parent and I want to apply for family housing. How can this be done in Domo?

Choose ”I apply on my own” in step number 1 in Domo, and “Children” in step number 2. This way, you can apply for studios and bigger apartments without a second adult applying with you. Remember to add the information of your child(ren) to the application. Unborn children should be notified of with a certificate of pregnancy under “Extra scoring”.

What is considered as an urgent need for an apartment? Can I get the urgency scoring for a family or friend apartment? What about a studio?

An urgent need for an apartment is determined according to the current AYY scoring regulation. Urgency scores are only applied to shared apartments. A single application may have two urgency scores added to it. There must always be a written statement of proof accompanying the application if you wish to receive scores for urgency.

Grounds:

Applicants not from the nearby municipalities
- Nearby municipalities = Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen
Fixed-term rental agreements (less than 6 months)
A rental agreement terminated by the lessor
People without a registered place to live (receive proof from your local register office)
Other cases with good grounds, by decision of the Housing Committee

How do I know if I can receive extra scores for my application?

Check out AYY’s application scoring instructions. If you have grounds for extra scores, you can add the evidence for the grounds to your application in Domo. Once your application has been processed, you can check Domo to see the scores you have received and what apartment types they are for.

AYY apartment application instructions have more information on the apartment application process and how to apply for extra scores.

What is an internal transfer and how do I apply for it?

An internal transfer is an option AYY offers to its tenants to move to another apartment within the same apartment group. An internal transfer application will always receive five (5) scores, and other parts of the scoring instructions will not be calculated or considered. An internal transfer application is done in Domo the same way as other applications, and the system gives the scores automatically. Internal transfer applications are usually at the very front of the queue, but the queuing time depends on the freeing up of apartments. In an internal transfer, all people mentioned in the rental agreement need to move, meaning that if you live with a friend, for example, you may apply for an internal transfer only together.

I accepted a housing offer and all my housing applications suddenly vanished! What happened?

When an applicant receives a housing offer, the applications for the apartment group in question will be removed from the queues. If the applicant accepts the offer, all other applications in the queues will be removed. However, the applicant may return three (3) applications to the same position in the queues after accepting the offer. This is done in the Domo system and the system gives instructions on the process.

An applicant cannot return their applications to the apartment group that they have accepted an apartment from, but they can apply for an internal transfer instead.

New students

I am a new student and I have a question about housing!

First, check the general application instructions and instructions for new students. These pages should be carefully read before drafting an application. If you have started your studies in the Aalto University Mikkeli campus, also read the instructions found here.

Instructions for exchange students can be found here.

Also read through these frequently asked questions, as they contain plenty of information for new students. You can also contact the AYY Housing Office if needed.

I will begin my studies in autumn. When can I fill in a housing application?

You can submit your application immediately after accepting your study place. Familiarize yourself with the general application instructions and more detailed instructions for new students or exchange students.

Please note that when you register for attendance you are not automatically placed in any housing queues!

Can I apply for apartments from AYY before I have paid the Student Union membership fee? When will I need to have paid the membership fee?

New students can apply for AYY housing before paying the membership fee of the Student Union. Signup instructions and times can be found here. You may also accept an apartment offer before paying the membership fee, but skipping paying the membership fee entirely while being a tenant of AYY is never possible.

I need an apartment for the autumn. When will I know if I can get one from AYY?

Most of the offers for rental agreements starting on the 1^st of August will be made in July. Offers for the rental agreements starting on the 1^st of September will be made in August. Autumn is the busiest time at the Housing Office, so please try not to burden the Housing Office by asking them about the time of possible housing offers.

The queues shift so much in the autumn that the Housing Office cannot give any accurate estimates to individual applicants on the number of apartments freeing up or the likelihood of receiving an apartment offer. You will receive a housing offer when possible, but the Housing Office cannot predict the situation in advance.

I am coming to study at Aalto University from abroad. What apartments should I apply for?

I was approved to study at the Aalto University and I accepted the study place. However, I registered for non-attendance for the first semester/academic year. When should I apply for an AYY apartment? Do I receive a freshman score for my application?

You can apply for all of AYY’s apartments as soon as you have promised to accept your study place at the Aalto University. Your right of residence does not start before you have first registered for attendance. If you have registered for non-attendance for the first autumn semester, you may accept an apartment offer on the first of January at the earliest. If you are non-attending for the entire first academic year, you may accept an apartment offer starting from the first of August. First semester and first year non-attendance should be informed of when making the application, so that the extra score for new students and the right of residence can be corrected. More information can be found on this page.

Me and my friend both got accepted to Aalto University and we submitted our apartment applications at the same time in Domo. My friend already received an offer for a shared apartment, while mine is still in the queue. How is this possible?

New students receive information of their acceptance at different times, so the submission date of a shared apartment application cannot be a factor when determining the placement of a new student’s application in the queue. Therefore, in all shared apartment queues, all the placements of first-year students’ applications are drawn by lot. The placements of the applications of new students are thus based only on their scoring, not on the date of the application. Placements of applications with equal scoring are also drawn by lot, so new applications may surpass older ones in the queue, even ones with the same number of scores.

Due to the lottery and scoring, the placement of a single shared apartment application may change several times. More detailed application instructions can be found from the general application instructions and new student application instructions. Instructions concerning exchange students can be found here.

My studies at the Aalto University are about to begin, but I still have no apartment in the Helsinki metropolitan area. What do I do?

AYY has organized emergency housing for several years in the autumn together with the Aalto University for students who have no other housing option when their studies start. The number of places is limited, however, and emergency housing is meant as a short-term, last resort option. You may receive a spot for two weeks at the longest, and AYY cannot guarantee an emergency housing slot.

Read the general apartment application instructions to find tips for both short-term and long-term apartment seeking.

I have a M.Sc. (Tech.) degree from TKK, but I am now starting to study business at the Aalto University. Can I apply for an AYY apartment?

The duration of the right of residence is considered to have started when the student has first been approved to study in a school that is currently part of the Aalto University. If the student has started their studies at TKK in 1980, their right of residence has expired in 1985, and they can therefore no longer apply for AYY‘s apartments, even if the student is a new student in another Aalto University School. More info on this page.

Apartment queues

What is an apartment queue? How is it different from an apartment group?

An apartment queue means the queue for a single specific apartment. Because Domo can be used to narrow the search down to a single apartment, each apartment has its own queue.

Apartment groups are made up of all the apartments of the same type in a building or an area and of their respective apartment queues. A list of all AYY apartment groups can be found here. Apartment groups play a very important role when applying for an apartment. When you receive an offer for an apartment in a specific apartment group, like a shared apartment in the Teekkari Village, all of your applications for the apartment group in question are removed from the queues, regardless of whether you accept the offer or not. In the example situation, the system would drop all the applications you have made for shared apartments in the Teekkari Village from the queue, even if you have made the applications at different times and they have thus been grouped under different application numbers. In addition, you can apply for an internal transfer only within the same apartment group. More information can be found under the general application instructions.

Do I have to be in first place in a queue to receive an apartment offer?

No. An apartment is always offered to the first possible applicant in the queue, but this does not necessarily mean that it is the first application in the queue. It is possible, for example, that the application that is in the first place in the queue has a preferred move-in date that is further away in the future. In this case, an offer cannot be made, so the offer goes to an application placed lower in the queue.

I am in a housing queue at place 12. When will I receive a housing offer?

All housing queues progress at a different pace and it is impossible to give any accurate answers for this question. The number of apartments freeing up is solely dependent on how many people terminate their rental agreements. In addition, not all applicants in the queue accept the offered apartment, and housing offers cannot be made to some persons that are placed higher in the queue, so it is therefore very difficult to estimate when you will receive a housing offer.

My application was at place 40 in the queue but I still received an apartment offer. How is this possible?

The placement in the queue shown in Domo tells how many applications there are in the queue before your application, even if those applications could not be offered an apartment when one frees up. You might have applications ahead of yours where the preferred move-in date is further off in the future, for example. Another example is a queue for a shared apartment that can only be offered to a certain gender. In this case, there may be applications ahead in the queue that cannot receive an apartment offer.

I was first in the housing queue, now my application is at place 212! What happened and why?

Applications are organized into queues primarily based on scores and secondarily based on the date of the application, so the queue is constantly changing. There are basically three explanations to why an application changes place in the queue.

1) There are new applications in the queue that have received a higher score. For example, during the autumn, many new student applications are received, which are granted an extra score for shared apartments. In practice, freshmen can drop all other applications by hundreds of positions in the queue for shared apartments in the Teekkari Village, for example.

2) The scores of your application have changed during queuing. The Housing Office has to update the apartment queues constantly and keep the application scores as up-to-date as possible. If, for example, an application has received scores because of an urgent need for an apartment and the applicant receives an apartment offer, the urgency scores will have to be removed since the grounds for urgency have ceased to exist. This may cause a drop of several hundred places in the queue.

3) Applications of new students and exchange students for shared apartments are placed in the queue by drawing lots, which is why new applications may be placed higher than older ones even if they have the same number of scores.

I am in a shared apartment queue at place 357 and AYY has over 800 shared apartments! Why cannot I receive an apartment immediately?

Domo displays all of AYY’s apartments regardless of whether they are freeing up or not. All AYY’s apartments are practically always full, and there is someone living in them even now. That is why the queues only move forward when a previous tenant moves out and the apartment can be offered to the next person in the queue. Dozens of apartments may free up in some queues in a single month and some queues might not move at all for several months.

I need an apartment for the autumn. When will I know if I can get one from AYY?

Apartment offer and rental agreement

How long is the apartment offer valid for?

The apartment offer is valid for four (4) full days. If you receive an offer on Monday, for example, the offer is valid until the end of Friday.

I missed an apartment offer and it expired. I have a good reason for this, so can I get back to my old position in the queue?

Unfortunately, this is not possible. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that they can react to the apartment offers in time, and when sending the application, the applicant must agree to have read the AYY application info found on the website, which informs them of this responsibility. An applicant may inform the Housing Office beforehand if they have some sort of condition or obstacle that prevents them from reading their email. In these cases, the Housing Office may renew the offer or move the expiration date.

If you missed the offer due to a completely unforeseen event and it would have been unreasonable to expect fast reaction in this situation, you can submit an application to the Housing Committee to have your original application restored in the queue. You can read more about the Housing Committee here.

I need an apartment for the autumn. When will I know if I can get one from AYY?

Most of the offers for rental agreements starting on the 1^st of August will be made in June and July. Offers for the rental agreements starting on the 1^st of September will be made in July and August. Autumn is the busiest time at the Housing Office, so please try not to burden the Housing Office by asking them about the time of possible housing offers.

I am in a housing queue at place 12. When will I receive a housing offer?

I accepted a housing offer and all my housing applications suddenly vanished! What happened?

An applicant cannot return their applications to the apartment group that they have accepted an apartment from, but they can apply for an internal transfer instead.

I received a housing offer starting from the 1^st of July. I only need the apartment starting from the 1^st of August. Can the rental agreement be signed to start on the 1^st of August?

Unfortunately, this is not possible. AYY makes the housing offers based on the information provided by the applicant in the Domo system. If you cannot accept a housing offer before a certain date, please make sure that the move-in date in your application is correct. You can update the move-in date when needed, and it does not affect your application’s placement in the queue.

Offers cannot be left waiting for one month, because that would mean that the apartment is vacant for a month. AYY cannot keep apartments vacant, as this would result in rental loss and thus increase the rents of all AYY’s tenants.

Can I get an apartment offer with at least a months’ notice so that I have time to terminate my current rental agreement?

The applicant can update the move-in date in their application, and thus they can make sure that the offer will not come too early. For example, if it is March, you can enter into the application that you want to receive an offer for an apartment on the 1^st of May at the earliest, and at the turn of April, you can change that date to the 1^st of June.

While changing the move-in date does not affect your application’s position in the queue, it might affect your chances of receiving an apartment offer. Most of the apartment offers are made with less than a months’ notice, because most rental agreements are terminated near the end of the month. This means that they can be offered to new tenants only after the month has changed. The applicant in the example case cannot receive an offer for an apartment where the current tenant informs on the 31^st of March that they are moving away on the 1^st of May, because the offer process cannot most likely be started before April.

How long before the apartment frees up does AYY send the apartment offer?

There is no exact answer or rule to this question. We aim to start the offer process as soon as possible to avoid the apartment sitting empty, but it is impossible to predict whether the first sent apartment offer will be accepted or will it get rejected by several applicants in a row. On the other hand, it is not practical to begin offering an apartment several months beforehand. Even if we knew that the current tenant’s right of residence is about to expire soon, the situation of the tenant may change abruptly and the preferred move-in date may be moved to an earlier or later date.

An apartment offer might arrive at very short notice, e.g. less than a month before the rental agreement would begin. Please note that in a case like this, you might have to pay rent for two apartments for a month if you do not terminate your current rental agreement in time. If AYY offers a transfer from one AYY apartment to another, the tenant does not have to pay double rent, even if the offer is made with less than a month’s notice. In these transfers, the Domo system will automatically create a notice of termination for the current apartment immediately after the new rental agreement has been signed, and the old agreement is terminated so that the tenant will not have two overlapping rental agreements.

My rental agreement does not have an end date. When should I move out of the apartment?

If the rental agreement does not have an end date, it is for an indefinite period, meaning that it is terminated when the lessor (AYY or the property company) or the tenant submits a notice of termination or when the agreement is dissolved. AYY follows the Act on Residential Leases, according to which the tenant may terminate their agreement with a full calendar month’s notice. The lessor is bound by longer periods of notice: three calendar months if the agreement has been in effect for less than a year, and six calendar months if the agreement has been in effect for at least one year at the time of termination.

The lessor cannot terminate the agreement on just any reason; certain conditions and grounds need to be met. In addition to the grounds stated in the Act on Residential Leases, the grounds can also be ones found in the rental agreement, such as in the AYY housing regulation (the expiration of the tenant’s right of residence, for example). The rental agreement can be dissolved on the same grounds and using the same measures as stated in the Act on Residential Leases and due to reasons stipulated in the regulation.

What is the difference between a rental agreement made for an indefinite period and a rental agreement made for a fixed term?

A fixed-term rental agreement ends on the date stipulated in the rental agreement, and it cannot be terminated by the tenant or the lessor earlier than the date stated. A rental agreement made for an indefinite period ends when the tenant or lessor submits a notice of termination or when the rental agreement is dissolved.

I accepted an offer for an apartment, but I would like to cancel it. What can I do?

By signing the rental agreement, you accept the apartment offer. The agreement cannot be cancelled and can be terminated only with a month’s period of notice. Before the beginning of the agreement period, the agreement cannot be terminated in the Domo system; a written notice must be sent to the Housing Office, for example by sending an e-mail to the address asuntotoimisto(at)ayy.fi. If the agreement is terminated more than a full calendar month before the beginning of the agreement period, no costs will be incurred to the customer. If the agreement is not terminated more than a full calendar month before the beginning of the agreement period, the customer will have to pay the rent for that period of time.

I received an offer for an apartment from AYY, but I cannot go and see the apartment before the offer expires. I do not want to turn the offer down, but I do not want to sign the rental agreement without seeing the apartment. What can I do?

AYY attempts to keep all apartments always occupied to minimize rental losses for empty apartments and to keep the level of rent as low as possible. The fallout for this is that new tenants might not be able to view the apartment before the move-in date or before the apartment offer expires, especially if the current tenants have not given AYY permission to give their contact information to the new tenant along with the apartment offer.

AYY actively checks apartments for defects and faults, and the tenants can also renovate and spruce up their apartments. Cases where an apartment has suffered damage unbeknownst to AYY to the extent that moving in and doing quick repair work is not possible are very rare. More information about renovating and personalizing AYY apartments can be found here.

How do I know if the apartment is furnished or not?

AYY’s apartments are always unfurnished. This means that the apartments do not have a bed, a table or a lamp in the ceiling. You can get cheap or free furniture from recycling centers. There is a recycling center in Otaniemi, which is run by volunteer staff. You can also rent furniture for temporary furniture needs. Furent is a company specializing in services for furnished apartments.

I have accepted an apartment offer in Domo. Do I have to do something else before the agreement comes into force? Where can I get a copy of the rental agreement signed by AYY?

Once an apartment offer has been accepted by signing the rental agreement, the tenant is not required to do anything else before the agreement comes into force. The invoices for the security deposit and the first rent will be sent near the starting time of the rental agreement, and their due date is on the 6^th of the month. This means that you can fetch your keys already before paying your rent and security deposit.

AYY adds an electric signature to the rental agreement signed by the tenant, which can be seen in the bottom of the screen as a reddish and grey stamp. If the stamp is not visible, try using another internet browser.

The tenant only needs to upload the signed agreement page to Domo; other appendices are not necessary. The system will add the signature to the lower left corner of the document automatically.

I was offered a transfer to a different AYY apartment with less than a month’s notice. Can I terminate my current apartment with less than a month’s notice to avoid paying double rent?

When AYY offers a transfer from one AYY apartment to another, the tenant does not have to pay double rent as long as they have accepted the notice of termination created automatically by Domo on time. Otherwise there is not enough time to offer the apartment to a new tenant, resulting in rental losses for AYY. The Domo system will automatically create a notice of termination for the current apartment immediately after the rental agreement for the new AYY apartment has been signed, and the old agreement is terminated so that the tenant will not have two overlapping rental agreements.

Apartments and living

What apartment types does AYY offer?

The apartments offered by AYY are divided into the following types: shared apartments, studio rooms in shared apartments, studios, two-room apartments, two-room apartments with shared corridor and larger apartments.

Where can I look at the floor plans of apartments?

Floor plans are available in the Domo system. Please note that the floor plans are indicative and the scale is not necessarily accurate.

Apartment information can be found when filling in the application. For more information on the residential buildings, click the orange magnifying glass located next to the address of the building in Domo.

How do I know if the apartment is furnished or not?

Can I make holes in the walls to e.g. hang paintings? Can I install a dishwasher? How is apartment personalization restricted?

AYY’s apartments are the tenants’ homes, and AYY wants this to show in how the tenants personalize the apartments to their own tastes. You can find answers to all these questions on the page about personalizing and tuning AYY’s apartments.

Do I need to get home insurance?

Home insurance is not mandatory as stated by the rental agreement, but AYY strongly recommends that tenants get one. AYY has its own insurance for the building itself, but it does not cover damages to the tenants’ belongings. The liability insurance of the tenant’s home insurance also covers damages caused by the tenant to others, like when a washing machine or dishwasher causes water damage to other apartments. More info can be found here: https://www.vuokrakas.com/vuokralainen/miksi-pitaisi-ottaa-kotivakuutus/

I have been chosen for a study exchange program at the Aalto University and I have been offered an unfurnished apartment. Where should I get my furniture from?

If you do not want to buy new, unused furniture, you can also rent them or buy them second-hand. On our website, you can find information on the furniture rental company Furent and a collection of useful links on how to acquire furniture and household items.

What does ”assessed surface area” (”jyvitetty pinta-ala”) mean?

The assessed surface area is calculated by multiplying the apartment’s actual surface area with the grading value (“jyvityskerroin”), and it is used by AYY when determining the rent. The assessed surface area may be larger, smaller or the same size as the actual surface area. The grading value is affected by e.g. the apartment’s qualitative factors, such as which floor the apartment is on or which direction the windows are facing.

I moved to an apartment but realized that I would rather live in an apartment on the southern side of the building. How can I change apartments?

AYY offers the opportunity for internal transfers within the same apartment type, meaning moving into an apartment with the same housing type and in the same housing area. Fill in an application in Domo as usual and specify the preferred apartments in your application. For more information, see section “What is an internal transfer and how do I apply for it?”

How does the Internet connection in AYY’s apartments work?

In the Teekkari Village, the internet connection works simply by plugging in the cable. Instructions concerning the internet can be found on the Living site, under the information on your specific apartment.

Trinet provides help and advice in all internet-related matters: http://verkko.ayy.fi/

We live in a friend apartment. Is our rental agreement jointly responsible? Will our situation change on the 1^st of August 2017 when students are moved under the general housing allowance?

A rental agreement is jointly responsible if the tenants are jointly responsible for paying the rent of the apartment. This is the situation for AYY’s family and friend apartments. Read more here. You should also check out the frequently asked questions about housing allowance for students at the Kela website .

I want to live in a shared apartment. Can apartments with two, three or four rooms be used as shared apartments? Can AYY find roommates for me for a friend apartment?

If you want to live in a shared apartment, apply for a shared apartment through the Domo system. Apartments with two rooms or more are for jointly responsible applications, such as groups of friends or families.

AYY cannot find roommates for you. If you want to live with your friend, apply for a family apartment and enter your friend as a co-applicant in your application.

In the Domo system, you always need a co-applicant (or you need to be an adult with a child/children) to apply for apartments with two rooms or more.

Right of residence

What does the right of residence and the duration of the right of residence mean? Has it something to do with the right to study or a residence permit?

Right of residence refers to the right to live in AYY’s apartments as defined in the AYY Housing Regulations, and the duration of the right of residence refers to how long the right is in effect. The duration of the right of residence for AYY’s apartments is not apartment-specific, meaning that it does not reset if the tenant moves from one AYY apartment to another. The duration of the right of residence is defined in the AYY Housing Regulations, and when a person is studying at the Aalto University, their right of residence decreases regardless of whether the person is living in an AYY apartment or not.

The duration of the right of residence is five (5) years for students accepted into the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and two (2) years for people accepted only into the master’s degree program. This means that the right of residence does not cover the entire study right period, but only the target time for completing the degree. Families with children are given two (2) extra years. Postgraduate students do not have a right of residence for AYY’s apartments, but if a member of the Student Union graduates before their right of residence expires and they are accepted to complete a licentiate’s or doctor’s degree at the Aalto University, the student’s right of residence can be extended by decision of the Housing Committee until the original right of residence has expired. For exchange students, the right of residence is valid for the duration of their exchange study period at the Aalto University. The right of residence has nothing to do with a residence permit.

If I am accepted into the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, how is my right of residence determined?

If you have started your studies in the bachelor’s degree program at the Aalto University, the duration of your right of residence is five years in total. In other words, an extra two years are not added to your right of residence when you start completing your master’s degree; the duration of the right of residence is five years regardless of how far you are in your studies.

When does the right of residence start? How is its passing calculated?

Your right of residence starts when you first register for attendance at the Aalto University. If you have registered for attendance at the Aalto University, your right of residence decreases regardless of whether you are living in an AYY apartment or not. If you have registered yourself for non-attendance at the Aalto University and you are not living in an AYY apartment, your right of residence does not decrease. In these cases, please inform AYY’s Central Office of the matter, so that your right of residence can be compensated for during those periods.

Right of residence can be compensated for the duration of military service or voluntary military service, maternity, paternity or parental leave, studies abroad included in the Aalto University degree or JOO studies elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities or internship abroad included in the Aalto University or internship elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities if certain conditions are met. Visit this page for more information on extending your right of residence!

I would like to apply for AYY housing, but according to Domo, my right of residence has ended. What can I do?

Right of residence can be compensated for the duration of military service or voluntary military service, maternity, paternity or parental leave, studies abroad included in the Aalto University degree or JOO studies elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities or internship abroad included in the Aalto University or internship elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities if certain conditions are met. See the more detailed information here.

Can my right of residence expire before I graduate from the Aalto University?

Yes. AYY’s right of residence is determined according to the target time for completing one’s degree, not according to the study right period. The three-year, apartment-specific right of residence for apartments open to all is not dependent on the tenant’s graduation. If you have not completed your degree in three years, you can apply for the apartments that are open to all again, but you cannot be guaranteed a new apartment offer or the possibility to stay in your current apartment

Can I extend my right of residence? If I apply for a new apartment, is the duration of my right of residence reset?

You may apply for extension to your right of residence from the Housing Committee because of reasons relating to health or because of some other extremely grave reason that has slowed down your studies. The maximum duration for the extension is one year. In addition, a person who has worked as a member of the Student Union’s Board can be granted an extension of one (1) year at a time by decision of the Housing Committee.

Right of residence can be compensated for the duration of military service or voluntary military service, maternity, paternity or parental leave, studies abroad included in the Aalto University degree or JOO studies elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities or internship abroad included in the Aalto University or internship elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities if certain conditions are met. Visit this page for more information on extending your right of residence!

The duration of the right of residence is not reset when you apply for a new apartment. An exception to this are the apartments open to all, where the right of residence is three (3) years after the start of the rental agreement, and it is apartment-specific. If the applicant is a member of AYY and the duration of their right of residence is longer than this, the longer right of residence will be used. If a person has less than three years left of their right of residence after the start of the rental agreement, they may continue to live in the apartment open to all applicants until three years have passed after the beginning of the rental agreement. However, after the original right of residence has expired, the right of residence only concerns the particular apartment open to all.

Can I live as a secondary tenant or subtenant in an AYY apartment if my right of residence has expired?

When subleasing or secondary leasing an apartment, you do not need to have a valid right of residence or be a member of AYY.

Also see the other questions related secondary leasing and subleasing.

Does applying for AYY’s apartments that are open to all affect my right of residence?

In apartments open to all students, the right of residence is three (3) years after the start of the rental agreement, and it is apartment-specific. If the applicant is a member of AYY and the duration of their right of residence is longer than this, the longer right of residence will be used. If a person has less than three years left of their right of residence after the start of the rental agreement, they may continue to live in the apartment open to all applicants until three years have passed after the beginning of the rental agreement. However, after the original right of residence has expired, the right of residence only concerns the particular apartment open to all.

Keys

My rental agreement is about to start soon. Where and when can I get the keys to the apartment?

The move-in date is the start date of the rental agreement, except if the start date is a weekend or a holiday. In this case, the move-in date is the first business day following the start date of the rental agreement. You can either exchange the apartment keys directly with the previous tenant, or pick them up on the move-in date from the AYY’s office in Otaniemi at 12:00 noon or later. You can find the form for exchanging keys between tenants from the form database.

If the previous tenant has returned the keys before the official move-in date, you can get the keys earlier. You can ask about the keys from the Housing Office’s telephone service.

Also remember to check out the more detailed instructions for moving in to an AYY apartment.

My rental agreement is about to expire soon. By what date do I need to return the keys? Can I hand over the keys directly to the next tenant?

All keys must be returned to the AYY’s office in Otaniemi at the latest on the official moving-out day (business day following the termination of the rental agreement). The next tenant has the right to access the apartment at 12:00 noon, so if you have several keys to the apartment, return at least one of them to AYY’s office in Otaniemi before 12:00 noon. All keys must be returned on the official moving-out day to AYY’s office in Otaniemi (with the exception of Maapadontie 5).

If AYY’s office is closed, you can leave the keys in the mail slot found on the Otakaari side of the building. The mail slot reads: “AYY Toimisto 11”. When returning the keys, please put the keys in an envelope, close the envelope and write your name and the name and number of the apartment that the keys are for on the envelope!

The keys can also be handed over directly to the next tenant by using the key exchange form. Make sure to read the form thoroughly before signing! The key exchange form must be delivered to AYY’s office in Otaniemi no later than the official moving-out day. The tenant who is moving out is responsible for delivering the form. The form can also be sent via email.

Also check out the more detailed instructions for moving out of an AYY apartment.

What should I do if I lose a key?

If you lose your apartment key, you should contact AYY via the contact form or fill in the form at AYY’s office in Otaniemi (with the exception of keys to the Maapadontie 5 apartments). You will have to pay the cost of replacing the key (35€/key in 2018). AYY will send an invoice for the missing key to the tenant. If a tenant returns fewer keys than they have received from AYY, the cost of replacing the missing keys will be deducted from the tenant’s security deposit.

All replacement keys can be picked up from the AYY’s office in Otaniemi. AYY will inform the tenant once the key can be picked up.

What is the key to common areas (”emännän avain”)?

Some apartments have a separate “emännän avain”, a key to the building’s common areas, such as the laundry room and storage spaces. This key does not open the door to your apartment.

I locked myself out of my apartment. Where can I get a spare key? How can I call the door opening service?

The Housing Office has spare keys for most of AYY’s apartments. You can pick one up during the Housing Office’s opening hours (with the exception of the Maapadontie 5 apartments). At other times, or if the spare key is missing, you can ask for the door to be opened from the building’s property maintenance services. You can find the contact information at the AYY Living page or from your stairwell’s notice board, which should also have the price list for the door opening service. If your apartment building has a Castle Warden, you can find their contact information also from the AYY Living page. You can ask the Castle Warden about the possibility of opening the door, as they have the master key for the building. Please note that the Castle Wardens are volunteers, so sometimes they just cannot open the door or answer the phone.

Can I get the keys to my apartment outside the Housing Office’s opening hours?

Unfortunately, you cannot. If you cannot make it to the Housing Office during its opening hours, you can authorize another person to pick up the keys for you by power of attorney, for example. You can find the power of attorney template from the form database.

Can I authorize another person to pick up my keys for me?

Any person selected by the tenant may pick up the keys to the apartment on the tenant’s behalf, as long as the person in question has been authorized to do so by power of attorney. The easiest way to draw up a power of attorney is by filling out AYY’s power of attorney template for picking up the keys. You can find the power of attorney template from the form database.

I am moving out of a friend/family apartment. What should I do with my key?

The rules are the same as when moving out normally. The leaving tenant has to either return their own key to the Housing Office or carry out a key exchange with the new tenant or with the tenant staying in the apartment. In this case, the key exchange form is used to verify that the apartment’s tenants have the same number of keys when the new rental agreement comes into effect as they had during the previous rental agreement, which the tenant that is moving out had also signed. Also check out the more detailed instructions for moving out of an AYY apartment.

How many keys can I get to my apartment?

As a rule of thumb, the number of keys given to the apartment is one for each tenant + one spare key. A two-person household would have 3 keys, for example.

Rent and security deposit

I have not received invoices for the rent and/or the security deposit? What should I do?

You do not need to worry about paying the first rent and security deposit before the invoices arrive. You may receive the invoices for the new rental agreement’s rent and security deposit very close to the start of the agreement, depending on how busy the month in question is. Invoices are always sent by email, so keep an eye on the email you have entered into Domo.

The payment information is the same every month, so you can pay your rent in advance if you want to.

I am moving from one AYY apartment to another AYY apartment. Do I have to pay the security deposit again?

The deposit is usually transferred to the new apartment, even if this would mean transferring the deposit from one property company to another. The security deposit can always be transferred to the new apartment if the tenant so wishes.

When will the deposit be refunded to me?

We aim to refund the security deposit by the 15^th day of the month following the termination of the rental agreement.

I forgot to pay my rent in time. Do I have to pay penalty interest?

No. You will first receive a payment reminder for the unpaid rent, which will not incur any additional costs. If the invoice has not been paid even after the reminder, you will receive a note with a 5€ notice fee.

My payday is on the 15^th of the month. Can I pay my rent then?

The due date of the rent is negotiable. Please contact Cashier Arja Haverinen or Real Estate Secretary Saila Mertsalmi, whichever has sent you your invoices.

I have trouble/problems paying my rent. What can I do?

If you have financial difficulties, do not be afraid to contact Cashier Arja Haverinen or Real Estate Secretary Saila Mertsalmi, whichever has sent you your invoices. A payment plan can be drawn up to avoid problems, such as debt collection, bad credit records and, in the worst case, eviction.

I am re-letting my apartment. Should the secondary tenant pay their rent directly to AYY or to me?

The rental liability towards AYY is always with the primary tenant, and it is not transferred to the secondary tenant. That is why we recommend a payment arrangement where the secondary tenant pays the rent to you and you pay it to AYY. This way, you can make sure that payments are not left unpaid and can solve potential problems in time. The same goes for subleasing.

Is the rent stated in Domo the rent for the whole apartment or rent per tenant?

The stated rent is always the rent for the whole apartment. If an apartment is rented to only one person, they will pay the rent alone (e.g. shared apartment). If the apartment is shared by several tenants, they will pay the rent for the whole apartment together. For example, in a two-person friend apartment, both tenants will pay half of the rent.

What does ”assessed rent” (”jyvitetty vuokra”) mean?

The rent of the apartments is determined according to the assessed surface area, which may or may not be the same as the physical surface area of the apartment. Assessed rent refers to the rent paid for the apartment, which is based on the assessed surface area.

How will I know if my rent is going to increase?

The annual rent increases come into effect on the 1^st of March, but increases are not made every year and not to all buildings. We will inform you of any increases in December of the previous year via Domo, and you can accept the notice of the increase in Domo. If the rent is not increased, no notice will be given.

By what date should I pay the first rent and security deposit for my new apartment?

You do not need to worry about paying the first rent and security deposit before the invoices arrive. The first rent and security deposit must be paid by the due date indicated in the respective invoices, which may not always be the 6^th day of the month, as in the next rental invoices. Instead, the due date of the first rental and security deposit invoices will be determined according to their date of delivery. Some invoices may contain information on extended payment times, so remember to keep an eye out on the messages.

Can I pay my rent or security deposit with cash or a credit card?

You can. There is a high transaction fee especially for payments made outside the EU area, so paying with cash or a credit card is wiser. You can make the payments to AYY’s cashier services. The opening times of the cashier services can be found here.

Secondary leasing and subleasing

What is the difference between secondary leasing and subleasing?

Secondary leasing refers to a situation where the party (primary tenant) who has rented a residential apartment from the lessor (AYY) leases their own part of the apartment to one or several tenants of their own (secondary tenant). For example, in a friend apartment with two bedrooms, one of the tenants may lease their own half of the apartment, including one of the two bedrooms, to a secondary tenant. In this example, the primary tenant leasing their own half of the apartment will move elsewhere during the secondary leasing. For more in-depth conditions and regulations concerning secondary leasing, please visit this page.

Subleasing refers to a situation where the primary tenant leases a part of their AYY apartment to a subtenant while staying in the apartment themselves. Subleasing does not affect the duration of the right of residence. The lessor cannot really restrict the primary tenant from subleasing their apartment, as long they sublease half or less than half of the apartment. You can always live in a studio together with your spouse without AYY interfering with the matter. Shared apartments are an exception to this, as they cannot be subleased at all. See the detailed description here.

Can I put my apartment on secondary lease?

During the summer period (from the 1st of April to the 30th of September), a tenant may put their apartment on secondary lease for any reason for a maximum period of four (4) months. During the period from 1st of October to the 31st of March, a tenant may put their apartment on secondary lease for the duration of military service or voluntary military service, maternity, paternity or parental leave, studies abroad included in the Aalto University degree or JOO studies elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities or internship abroad included in the Aalto University or internship elsewhere than in the neighboring municipalities (see the Housing Regulations). The primary tenant chooses the secondary tenant themselves. Please note that the right of residence can only be extended if the apartment is leased to a member of AYY. You must always inform us of the secondary lease through the Domo system before the secondary lease starts.

Please note that the secondary tenant must register themselves into the Domo system! This is to ensure that AYY has accurate tenant information in the system. This is vital for the legal protection of the primary tenant, secondary tenant and AYY.

NB! Failure to comply with the regulations when leasing your apartment to a secondary tenant constitutes grounds to dissolve the rental agreement. The responsibility for the rent and the apartment’s condition remains with the primary tenant. The rent paid by the secondary tenant must not be higher than that paid by the primary tenant. For more information on the secondary leasing of AYY apartments, visit this page.

Can I sublease my apartment?

Subleasing is prohibited only in shared apartments. You must always inform us of the sublease through Domo. You can also visit this page for more information on the secondary leasing and subleasing of your apartment.

Can AYY find a secondary tenant for my apartment?

No. Finding a secondary tenant is always the primary tenant’s responsibility. You should always be as careful as possible when selecting a secondary tenant to avoid any problems.

Who can live as secondary tenants in AYY’s apartments? Who can live as subtenants?

When subleasing or secondary leasing an apartment, you do not need to have a valid right of residence or be a member of AYY. Please note that shared apartments cannot be subleased at all.

Can AYY help me with problems caused by a secondary tenant?

When leasing your apartment to a secondary tenant, you always enter into a rental agreement with the secondary tenant, meaning that AYY is not party to the secondary leasing process. This means that the primary tenant is always responsible for the secondary leasing, and the primary tenant is not released from their obligations to the lessor (AYY). This means, for example, that the obligation to pay the rent to AYY remains with the primary tenant, as does the responsibility for the condition of the apartment. If a secondary tenant acts in such a way that they must be issued a warning, the warning shall be issued to the primary tenant, who may then issue a warning to the secondary tenant.

AYY’s Housing Office provides advice and assistance on problems related to secondary leasing. However, the most important thing is preventing problems by being careful when selecting the subtenant. When you put your apartment on secondary lease, you act as the lessor for the secondary tenant, so you should familiarize yourself with the situation. In addition to AYY’s conditions on secondary leasing, you can also check out the Finnish Landlord Association’s website and their good rental practices (only in Finnish) and Vuokraturva’s information package for landlords.

Termination

How do I terminate my rental agreement?

The rental agreement must always be terminated in writing. AYY’s tenants can terminate their rental agreement via the Domo system, except if the agreement is terminated before the agreement comes into effect. In these cases, you can terminate the agreement by e.g. sending an email to the Housing Office to the address asuntotoimisto(at)ayy.fi.

I want to end my rental agreement starting on the 30th of November. When should I submit the written notice of termination?

The written notice of termination must be handed in at the latest one month prior to the tenant moving out. In other words, if you want to terminate your rental agreement starting on the 30^th of November, you should hand in the written notice by the 31^st of October.

I could get a rental apartment from the private market but I should accept it already next month. Can I terminate my AYY rental agreement without a notice period, because surely you can find a new tenant for AYY’s apartment?

Unfortunately, this is not possible. AYY must comply with the one-month notice period entered in the rental agreement. A one-month notice period is based on the Act on Residential Leases and, in practice, it is the shortest time period in which AYY can ensure that renting the apartment to the next student can be done without a vacant period. Unused apartments result in a loss of rents, which in turn increase the rents of all other AYY tenants. AYY’s other tenants should not be made to bear the risk of us being flexible. To ensure equal treatment, we have to comply with the one-month notice period, even if it may seem troublesome for an individual student.

If the next tenant of the apartment wants to move in before the start of the rental agreement, you can lease the apartment (secondary leasing) to them for the last month of the rental agreement or for a part of the month. The leaving tenant is still responsible for paying the rent until the end of the agreement, however.

Domo sends me a reminder email every day, telling me to mark the notice of termination as read, but I do not know when I want to move out of the apartment yet. Can I still change the end date of the agreement later if I mark the notice of termination as read now?

The Act on Residential Leases requires the lessor to collect an acknowledgement of the notice of termination from the tenant, but this does not prevent the tenant from terminating the agreement earlier. So please mark the notice of termination as read in time, even if you are still not sure whether you want to live in the apartment until the end date stated in the notice of termination or not.

Our shared rental agreement has been terminated because my roommate is moving out of the apartment. What options do I have in this situation?

You can find detailed instructions for this situation here. In short, you have three options:

You can accept the notice of termination, which means that you also want to terminate the apartment’s rental agreement on your behalf. In this case, your and your roommate’s rental agreement will be terminated at the same time and both of you will move out of the apartment.
If you reject the notice of termination, it means that you want to continue living in the apartment. A new rental agreement will be drawn up for you, and the leaving tenant will be removed from the agreement. If this makes you the only primary tenant of the apartment, i.e. you have shared the apartment only with one roommate, AYY will terminate this new rental agreement based on Section 22 of the Housing Regulations. The period of notice for the termination must be in accordance with the Act on Residential Leases (3 months if the rental agreement with your roommate has been in effect for less than a year, and 6 months if the agreement has been in effect for at least one year). In other cases, you can continue living in the apartment normally.
You can also do nothing about the notice of termination, because you want to do a friend swap immediately after the current roommate has moved out. Check out the more detailed instructions and conditions regarding friend swap here.

NB! If you have made your rental agreement through the open application process, i.e. you live in an apartment open to all students and your right of residence is apartment-specific and lasts for three years, you can also choose to stay in the apartment by yourself until your right of residence. In this case, you should reject the notice of termination in Domo.

I was offered a transfer to a different AYY apartment with less than a month’s notice. Can I terminate my current apartment with less than a month’s notice to avoid paying double rent?

Can the end date of the rental agreement be some other date than the last day of the month?

No. The tenant may of course move out of the apartment before the official moving-out day (the first business day of the month following the end date of the rental agreement), but the tenant is still obliged to pay the rent until the agreement ends.

My rental agreement ends on the last day of the month. When should I move out of the apartment?

The official moving-out day is the first business day of the month following the end date of the rental agreement. For example, if the agreement ends on Thursday, the 31^st of August, the official moving-out day will be Friday, the 1^st of September. If the last day of the month is Friday, the first business day of the following month is Monday.

The next tenant has the right to access the apartment at 12:00 noon, so if you have several keys to the apartment, return at least one of them to the Housing Office before 12:00 noon. At 12:00 noon, the apartment should be in such a condition that the new tenant can move in. This means that the apartment must be cleaned by that time, and there has to be enough room in the apartment for two-way moving traffic. Also check out the more detailed instructions for moving out of an AYY apartment.

My rental agreement has been terminated because my right of residence has expired. Is it still somehow possible for me to continue living in my current apartment?

The tenant may continue living in their current apartment after their right of residence has expired in the following situations:

The tenant applies for an extension to their right of residence from the Housing Committee and is granted one.
The tenant applies for postponement to their moving-out date. You can apply for a postponement less than six months directly from the Housing Office, and for a postponement more than six months from the Housing Committee. The maximum duration of the postponement is one year.
The tenant lives in apartment that is open to all applicants and there is no queue to the apartment. The tenant is also a student or a postgraduate student.

Extending the tenant’s right of residence according to option 1 is possible if the tenant has written proof of grounds relating to health or some other extremely grave reason that has slowed down their studies. You must always apply for an extension to your right of residence from the Housing Committee. In addition, a member of the Student Union’s Board can be granted an extension to their right of residence for their term of office.

Option 2 (postponing the moving-out date) is possible if the tenant would otherwise have to find a new apartment for an unreasonably short period of time, for example because of moving somewhere else or because of the completion of their own home, or if the tenant has some other extremely grave reason for postponing the moving-out date. The maximum duration of the postponement is one (1) year.

NB! Apartments that are open to all can be applied for by all students. This means that when your original right of residence expires, you can move in to an apartment open to all for three years.

When will AYY send me a notice of termination because my right of residence has expired?

As a lessor, AYY may terminate the rental agreement only according to the period of notice stated in the Act on Residential Leases. If the agreement has been in effect for less than a year immediately prior to the termination of the agreement, the period of notice is three calendar months, and if the agreement has been in effect for at least one year, the period of notice is six calendar months. This means that you will receive the notice of termination at least three or six calendar months before your right of residence expires.

New Housing Regulations enter into force on the 1st of March 2018. Our website is being updated at the moment. Read more about the changes.

Applying for apartments

New students

Apartment queues

Apartment offer and rental agreement

Apartments and living

Right of residence

Keys

Rent and security deposit

Secondary leasing and subleasing

Termination

New Housing Regulations enter into force on the 1st of March 2018.
Our website is being updated at the moment. Read more about the changes.