City rental housing
The City of Helsinki does not have any actual employee housing, but City employees are given priority when it comes to selecting tenants for Auroranlinna’s rental housing. You can continue to live in your city rental housing even if your employment with the City ends.
Auroranlinna’s rental housing
Auroranlinna is a City-owned company with approximately 6,000 housing units in various parts of Helsinki. On average, the rents are 15% below market rents.
Auroranlinna does not impose any income or wealth limits on its residents.
Read more about Auroranlinna(Link leads to external service)
Kymppi-kodit rental apartments
Kymppi-kodit apartments are rental apartments owned by the City of Helsinki. The apartments are not subject to any income or wealth limits.
Read more about Kymppi-kodit apartments
Heka rental apartments
The apartments of Heka are state-subsidised rental apartments owned by the City. The rents in these apartments are below market rents. There are income and wealth limits for Heka apartments. We select residents based on who has the greatest need for housing. There are many applicants for Heka apartments, so we are unable to offer housing to all applicants.
Other rental housing
There are many companies in Helsinki that offer rental housing. Both subsidised and non-subsidised housing is available. You can also search for housing on the open market, for example through Oikotie and Vuokraovi.
How to choose the right neighbourhood?
When looking for a suitable neighbourhood, you should check the distance between the location and your place of work, as well as the public transport connections. The Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) Journey Planner helps you estimate transport connections and travel times.
Alternatives to rental housing
Right-of-occupancy housing
When you move into a right-of-occupancy apartment, you pay the so-called right-of-occupancy fee, which is up to 15% of the original value of the apartment, plus a residence charge comparable to rent. You can apply for a right-of-occupancy apartment from the City-owned right-of-occupancy housing provider Haso, for example.
Check out Haso’s right-of-occupancy housing(Link leads to external service)
Hitas owner-occupied housing
If you are looking to buy a home, one option is a price-regulated Hitas home. Hitas homes are high-quality and affordable owner-occupied homes with a regulated selling price. They are often less expensive than the market price.
Rental apartment search advisory service
Phone service, tel 09 310 13030:
Mon, Thu and Fri 12-15.00
Tue and Wed 8.30-12
Customer service Työpajankatu 8:
Mon, Thu and Fri 12-15.00
Tue and Wed 8.30-12
Please note that the earliest time you can get a queue number is 11.00 on Monday, Thursday and Friday. We can use a translation service at the customer service desks.
If you need help to fill in a housing application, please book a timeslot ahead by contacting our customer service.