Student Housing in Finland: Options, Costs and Contracts
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 03, 2026 • Student Life, Study in Europe, Country & City Guides, Student Housing
Part of the guide Student Housing in Europe by Country: Options, Costs and Contracts
Most students in Finland rent from a nonprofit student housing foundation such as HOAS in Helsinki, TOAS in Tampere, or TYS in Turku, where rooms start from around 300 EUR a month. Apply the moment you accept your study place, since demand is high right after admission results come out.
🏠 Student housing foundations are nonprofit and reserved for enrolled students.
💶 HOAS (Helsinki): shared rooms from about 300 EUR/month, studios from about 480 EUR/month.
⏱️ Apply as soon as you accept your study place, spots go fast in Helsinki.
Private rentals through portals like Vuokraovi.com or Oikotie.fi cost more but have wider availability.
Rent usually includes water and, in shared apartments, often electricity too.
Security deposits are standard practice, ask your foundation for the exact amount and refund process.
Student housing foundations: the main route
Most Finnish university cities have their own nonprofit student housing foundation that builds and manages apartments reserved for enrolled students. Rent runs well below the private market and the application process ties directly to your student status. The three largest are:
HOAS (Helsinki region): serves students in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa.
TOAS (Tampere Student Housing Foundation): manages around 6,300 apartments in Tampere, according to TOAS .
TYS (Turku Student Village Foundation): serves students in Turku and Rauma.
Smaller university cities generally run an equivalent local foundation, so check with your host institution's student services for the name and application link specific to your city.
Typical costs
Rent varies by apartment type, building age and location within the city. In the Helsinki area, HOAS lists shared apartment rooms starting from around 300 EUR a month and studio apartments starting from around 480 EUR a month, with exact prices set per building and reviewed once a year. Apartments farther from the city centre tend to sit at the cheaper end of that range.
| Housing type | Who it suits | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Student foundation, shared apartment | Budget-conscious students, comfortable sharing | Lowest |
| Student foundation, studio | Students who want to live alone | Mid |
| Private rental (Vuokraovi.com, Oikotie.fi) | Students who miss foundation deadlines or want more choice | Highest |
Rent in unfurnished student foundation apartments generally includes water, and shared apartments often include electricity too, which keeps monthly bills predictable. Private landlords set their own terms, so always confirm what is included before you sign.
How to apply
Apply for student housing foundation apartments online directly through the foundation's own website, using your student status confirmation from your university. Demand in Helsinki massively outstrips supply, so apply the moment you accept your study place rather than waiting until closer to move-in. Build a backup plan with private listings on Vuokraovi.com or Oikotie.fi in case a foundation offer does not come through in time, since private landlords fill vacancies faster but at a higher price.
Contracts and deposits
Student housing foundations issue a written tenancy agreement setting out your rent, the apartment's condition, and house rules, and most also require a security deposit before you move in, refunded after you move out if the apartment is left in acceptable condition. Ask your specific foundation for its exact deposit amount and refund timeline, since this varies by provider and apartment type. Read the agreement fully before signing, and photograph the apartment's condition on move-in day so you have evidence if a dispute over the deposit comes up later.
Tenant rights under Finnish law
Finnish rental housing runs under the Act on Residential Leases, which applies to student foundation housing and private rentals alike. According to InfoFinland , a landlord cannot ask for a deposit worth more than three months' rent. A fixed-term lease runs for the exact period agreed and ends automatically on that date, and neither side can cancel it early outside specific legal grounds. An open-ended lease can be ended by either side with notice. As the tenant, your notice period is always one calendar month. Your landlord's notice period is three months if the lease has run less than a year, or six months if it has run longer. Know these figures before you sign anything, so you understand exactly how much notice you owe or are owed if your plans change mid-lease.
Getting the timing right
Student housing foundation waiting lists move fast right after admission results, so submit your housing application within days of accepting your study place, not after you have sorted every other detail. If you land in Finland without confirmed housing, budget for a short stay in a hostel or short-term rental while you view apartments in person, since photos alone rarely tell you enough about a neighbourhood or a building's condition. Building a housing plan into the same week as your admission acceptance, rather than treating it as a separate later task, is the single biggest factor in avoiding a stressful last-minute scramble before term starts.
Financial support toward rent
Kela, Finland's Social Insurance Institution, replaced the general housing allowance for students with a new student housing supplement from the start of the autumn 2025 term, covering part of your rent based on your municipality and rent level, per HOAS . As with other Kela financial aid, eligibility depends on your citizenship and residence status rather than being open automatically to every European student who moves to Finland to study, so check your own eligibility with Kela directly rather than assuming this benefit applies to you.