The City of Helsinki and the allotment garden associations have agreements in force concerning land rent, the management of the public areas of the allotment gardens as well as the buildings and equipment on the sites. As the lease period of the allotment gardens is ending, new lease principles, land rents and terms and conditions of the agreement have been determined for the allotment gardens. They will enter into force at the start of the new agreement period on 1 January 2027.
Rent based on the market value of the land
As the landowner, the City of Helsinki leases land in different parts of Helsinki to the allotment garden associations. The associations sublet the allotment garden plots on the site to cottage owners.
The rent is based on the area of the garden plots, and it is also affected by the location and features of the allotment garden site. The aim is to ensure that the rent charged reflects the real value of land in Helsinki. As now, no rent would be charged for the parts of the site that are in common and public use.
Land rents will become roughly 2-3 times higher compared to the rent level in 2025. Depending on the location of the site, the proposed new rent for plots ranges from €4.25 to €5.00 per square metre per year. For example, the annual rent of an allotment garden plot of approximately 400 m2 is currently around €680 per year; in the future, it would be around €1,700.
Cottages and plots are places for spending leisure time
“We see the land owned by the City as the collective property of all residents that should be managed in a way that benefits all Helsinki residents fairly, including those who do not lease City land. The rent being based on market value is justified, because leasing an allotment garden plot is not a necessity for anyone; instead, this issue involves roughly 2,000 private spaces for spending leisure time in a city with close to 700,000 inhabitants,” says Timo Laiho, Unit Manager at the Urban Environment Division of the City of Helsinki.
The new agreements will be valid for 30 years starting from the beginning of 2027. The agreements will include a transition period of five years. The land rent will be charged at 50% for the first year with staggered increases in the following years, so that the full rent will be charged from 2032 onwards.
The new principles clarify maintenance responsibilities
Parts of the allotment garden areas in Helsinki are also public parks. Their public areas, such as playgrounds, are recreational areas open to all. In the future, the gates to the allotment garden areas would remain open from 1 May until 15 October, one month longer than at present.
Unlike before, the allotment garden associations would be responsible for the management of public areas with the exception of the main roads in the area, which would continue to be managed by the City.
According to the new principles, the associations would finance all necessary maintenance, repairs and renovations from their own funds. The principles also propose that the buildings and equipment owned by the City, such as the water supply system used during the summer, would be transferred to the associations for a separately determined fee.
