Moving in

Moving day

According to the Finnish law, the official moving day is the first working day of the month. This means that when you move in, your moving can overlap with the previous tenant moving out.

Retrieving the keys

You can get the key to your apartment from the housing office on the first working day after the lease begins. The keys cannot be retrieved from the office outside our opening hours. When you’re picking up the keys, you’ll need to show identification. You can also authorize another person to pick up the key for you.

If you’re unable to come for the keys during our office hours, we can take them to a collection box located in shopping center Rewell. You can get the keys with a code we’ll send you.

Tenancy agreement

The tenancy agreement needs to be signed before we can hand over the apartment keys.

Tenancy agreements with VOAS are usually signed electronically; either by identification with online bank or to a PDF file. Signing the agreement on paper is possible at our office; before this, you’ll have to show your ID card. If you wish to have a paper copy of your agreement, please contact our housing office.

Checking the apartment’s condition

Check the condition of your apartment immediately after you have moved in. The link for the check card will be sent by email on the day when your agreement starts. You can also fill in and return the apartment check card via our website. Please mention all possible faults and deficiencies. This way you can make sure that you won’t be responsible for possible damage caused by the previous tenant.

The previous tenant is responsible for the final cleaning. If the apartment has not been cleaned properly, please contact the office immediately. You should, however, prepare for minor cleaning such as wiping the floor and counter tops. If the apartment has been empty for a while, some dust is bound to occur.

PLEASE NOTE! It is forbidden to leave personal belongings in an empty apartment. In case the previous tenant has left something in the apartment, like a lamp or some curtains for example, you should mention these in the apartment check. The service company can come and take the things away, you can recycle them yourself or you can keep them. If you decide to keep the things, please note that you’ll then be responsible for removing them from the apartment once you move out. In the furnished rooms, a ceiling lamp and a table lamp are provided by VOAS and these must be left in the apartment.

When you move into a shared apartment, the chances are that someone is already living in the apartment. Please remember to introduce yourself to your roommate and be polite – the apartment is their home too! The other tenant probably has stuff in the apartment already, also in the common area. We advise you to communicate and come up with rules that you’ll both be following in your everyday life in the apartment – cleaning, cooking, sharing items etc. This way you’ll be able to live peacefully together.

Rent payments

The rent should be paid at the latest on the 6th of every month using the payment details in your rent invoice. Remember to use your personal reference number to make sure your payment registers correctly. The payment details are personal. Unpaid rents will be sent to the collection agency by the end of the month, and they will charge additional costs and interest.

The account number for the rent payment: Nordea: FI52 2052 3800 0086 48 (BIC: NDEAFIHH)

The rent can only be paid by bank transfer – we do not accept cash or card payments.

Other things to remember

• The internet connection is available immediately when you move in. You can access the internet by using a RJ-45 cable and connecting it to your computer or a router. There is no common WiFi in VOAS houses. We don’t provide the cables or routers.
• Change of address notification to DVV.
• VOAS doesn’t change the name tags on houses or mailboxes – the tenants have to do it on their own. You can get the letters or name stickers from our office. You can also pick up a ”no ads” sticker from the office.
• Please remember to get a home insurance from an insurance company. VOAS doesn’t require home insurance, but we highly recommend our tenants to get one. Home insurance will help you cover the costs in case some damage occurs in the apartment. The insurance companies usually offer insurance packages for students. Ask your insurance company for further information.
• According to the Finnish law, it is mandatory to have a fire alarm device in all apartments. The tenants are obliged to buy a fire detector themselves, in case one is missing from the apartment. Frequently make sure that the fire detector is working properly.
• If you wish to hang paintings or other decoration on your walls, we recommend that you hammer nails in the ceiling cornice rather than the wall itself. You can hang decorations from the nails using fishing line, for example. The other option to hang heavier decorations are the sticker hooks (for example the brand Command). Blu-Tack is a suitable fixative for posters and images which are also inexpensive furnishing equipment for students. We don’t recommend puzzle mirrors since they’ll leave ugly marks when removed.