On these pages, you will learn what it’s like to live in a housing company and how a housing company operates. The videos feature Pauliina Haapsaari, Senior Lawyer, and Tapio Haltia, Senior Legal Advisor from the Finnish Real Estate Federation, sharing expert insights.
You can watch all episodes also on YouTube. 

In Finland, buying an apartment means purchasing shares in a housing company. These shares give you the right to occupy a specific unit, while the company owns the entire property. Shareholders pay a monthly charge for common expenses (vastike), which covers costs like heating, waste management, and property taxes. This fee is not rent and must be paid even if the apartment is temporarily unusable.

Debts linked to the apartment remain with the unit after a sale if listed in the housing manager’s certificate. Apartments can usually be rented or sold freely, though the housing company’s Articles of Association may restrict to whom the unit can be sold or rented to, based on some pre-defined personal characteristics. For instance, there can be housing companies for only senior residents.