Auroranlinna rents out apartments to City employees
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.
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. You can continue to live in your Auroranlinna home even if your employment with the City ends.
Read more about Auroranlinna(Link leads to external service)
City rental housing
As a City employee, you can also apply for state-subsidised rental housing from the City-owned housing provider Heka. 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.
The City also rents out non-subsidised rental housing with no income or wealth limits.
Read more about Heka’s rental housing and apply for an apartment
Read more about the City’s non-subsidised rental housing
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.
HSL’s Journey Planner(Link leads to external service)
As a City employee, you can receive support for purchasing a travel card for commuting between your home and place of work. You can use the benefit for HSL, VR or Matkahuolto tickets. You can also use city bikes free of charge throughout the cycling season.
Read more about city bikes on the HSL website(Link leads to external service)
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.