What you should know when moving into your first home?
Moving is always time consuming process – especially if it’s your first time moving into your first home (in Finland)! We gathered below some tips for those who are moving into their own place for a first time.
- Remember to do the move-in inspection!
- Check the condition of your apartment within 14 days after picking up the keys. Fill out the inspection form here. Mark any observed defects and deficiencies and add a photo if necessary. By doing this, you ensure that you are not held responsible for any damage caused by the previous tenant. Be thorough for your own legal protection and living comfort. Call to our maintenance duty number if the previous tenant hasn’t cleaned up the apartment properly.
- Notify the post office and the magistrate of your move.
- Notify the post office and the magistrate no earlier than one month before and no later than one week after the move. If you take care of this one week before the move, your mail will be forwarded to the correct address immediately after the move.
- The post office and the magistrate will automatically forward your address information to authorities, Kela, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, and the Finnish Tax Administration. In addition, many banks, insurance companies, universities, and other organizations will receive your new address information. (dvv.fi/muutto-suomessa)
- Register with DNA to get your internet connection working. All Kuopas apartments include a free 20 Mbps Internet connection.
- Also remember to get your own modem. Find the correct connection technology for your address.
- Electricity is included in the rent for many Kuopas apartments. Check in advance from your apartment offer whether electricity is included in the rent or if you need to make a separate electricity contract for your apartment.
- You can make an electricity contract on the chosen electricity company’s website or by calling their customer service. It is advisable to compare electricity contracts through websites such as vertaaensin.fi or kilpailuttaja.fi.
- Remember home insurance!
- Kuopas’ property insurance does not cover damages to tenants’ personal property or the tenants’ own damages. If there is water damage upstairs and your personal property is damaged, your own home insurance is the only way to get compensation for the incurred damage. Kuopas’ insurance also does not cover damages caused by the tenant to the apartment, such as floor getting wet due to appliance failure or fire. For this reason, Kuopas always recommends tenants to take home insurance.
- If you are applying for benefits from Kela, remember to submit the necessary information and forms to Kela on time.
- Plan your move well in advance and seek assistance with the move.
- Reserve parking spaces and sauna turns through our customer service. You can find more information here.
During your tenancy
- Budget your expenses and income.
- Create a weekly or monthly budget for yourself, including income and essential expenses. This way, you can keep track of how much money you have available.
- Acquire everything necessary for living.
- Get cleaning tools and supplies.
- Clean the ventilation valves in the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom by wiping between the plates once a month.
- Clean the kitchen hood filter and bathroom floor drain once a month.
- Keep the wet areas dry and monitor the plumbing fixtures. Report any observed defects to maintenance through fault report.
- Kuopio water is high in lime, so regular cleaning of lime stains is important.
- Get a first aid kit and a toolbox.
- Kuopas apartments always include a smoke alarm. Regularly check the functionality of the smoke alarm. If the smoke alarm is faulty or the battery is running out, please report it through fault report.
- Get cleaning tools and supplies.
- Remember to recycle!
- A significant amount of recyclable waste, such as organic waste, cardboard, and plastic, still ends up in mixed waste. Waste disposal costs are one of the largest expenses for the property. Recycling waste can be reused, resulting in significant environmental benefits.
- Read Jätekukko’s sorting instructions.
When moving out
- Please note that if you wish to terminate your tenancy agreement, the legal notice period is one full calendar month. This means that if you terminate the tenancy during January, your lease agreement will end on the last day of February. This also applies when transferring to another Kuopas apartment.
- You can terminate your tenancy agreement by filling in and sending a notice of termination to our office. You can find the form here.
- Remember to do a thorough move-out cleaning! Inadequate cleaning will result in a charge of 43,20 € per hour based on the actual amount of work performed.
- Remember to clean the refrigerator and stove inside and out – pull them out of their installation place and clean from behind and the sides.
- In the kitchen, also clean the grease filter of the range hood and remove limescale stains from the water fixtures. Wipe the surfaces of the doors as well.
- In the bathroom, clean the floor drain and thoroughly remove limescale stains.
- Read the complete moving out cleaning instructions.
- Please do not leave furniture or other large items in the apartment or waste shed. Dispose of them properly at the recycling point. For more information, visit Jätekukko’s website. (In Finnish)
More information from our guides
Guide for Exchange and Master’s degree students – important information for Exchange and Master’s degree students about housing.
Applying guide – how and when the application should be sent, and how the applying process proceeds.
Moving in guide – how does the key collection work, what do you need to know when moving to a Kuopas apartment and other additional information to the beginning of living.
Moving out guide – everything you need to know when you are moving out.