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Getting started

Electricity

Electricity is not usually included in the rent (student housing usually makes an exception) and you need to make an agreement with the electric company. You can get the electricity connected very easily by simply calling an electricity company and providing them with your name and address. Several electricity companies operate in Finland. Here are two companies mentioned. They provide good internet sites in English.

Helsingin Energia (Helen.fi)

Vantaan Energia (vantaanenergia.fi)

Water

Although water is usually included in the rent, in some cases you may need to pay a monthly water fee in addition to the rent. Water fees are determined either based on the number of people living in the apartment (fixed monthly payable sum per person) or based on the consumption. Check your rental agreement whether water bills are included or not.

Internet connection

Although in some cases internet access, (e.g. broadband) may be included in your rent (e.g. usually in student housing) it is still very common that you need to make your own agreement with one of the Internet service providers to get the connection. Prices and types of connections can vary greatly, depending on the company.

Some internet service provider examples (limited sites in English):

Saunalahti (saunalahti.fi)

Elisa (elisa.fi)

Sonera (sonera.fi)

DNA (dna.fi)

Television fee

Finland has a compulsory television fee which you need to pay if you have a TV set and you use it to watch television. Before you start using a TV set in Finland, you must notify the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) of it, by either phone or e-mail or by filling in an easy online form in the Television fee site. After this FICORA will send you a television fee bill for you to pay. You are able to pay the television fee in one-month, three-month, six-month or twelve-month instalments. More info and accurate pricing for the fee can be found on the Television fee website (tv-maksu.fi)

Home insurance

It is highly recommended for you to purchase home insurance for yourself. It is also very common to demand that the tenant gets home insurance on the rented apartment in the rental agreement condition. Home insurance is provided by insurance companies. When choosing your home insurance provider, make sure that you are aware of what is covered by the insurance.

Some insurance company examples (unfortunately English websites are not that extensive):

Pohjola (pohjola.fi) (fairly good English sites)

Tapiola (tapiola.fi)

If Vahinkovakuutusyhtiö (if.fi)

Fennia (fennia.fi)

Lähivakuutus (lahivakuutus.fi)

Furniture

Although there are a few furniture shops in the Helsinki City Centre and scattered here and there around the metropolitan area, the main trend is that there are a few hubs of furniture shops within the area which are situated little bit further away from Helsinki City Centre.

Here are few:

In Helsinki:

Shopping centre Lanterna in district of Roihupelto

In Espoo:

District of Lommila (e.g. IKEA)

In Vantaa:

District of Petikko (large area with plenty of furniture shops)

District of Porttipuisto (e.g. IKEA, shopping centre Porttipuisto)

There are also several other options to get furniture besides buying everything from the furniture shops.

Some examples:

Reuse centres (kierratyskeskus.fi) in Helsinki Metropolitan area (e.g. furniture, cookware and cutlery). The shops also have a department in which things are given free of charge.

Netcycler (netcycler.fi) (portal which can be used in order to swap, give away and get stuff for free)

Aalto Kassi portal (aalto.kassi.eu)

Flea markets, e.g. Fida charity flea markets (fida.info) (several shops in Espoo, Helsinki and Vantaa providing almost everything; furniture, cookware, clothes…) click on the right side of the page for a city´s name to see the shop locations).