New rental principles have been prepared for mobile sales to make the permit application process easier. The rental principles will be reviewed by the Urban Environment Committee on 20 May 2025. As part of the preparation, the definition, guidelines, agreement and pricing of mobile sales have been clarified. The previously used term ketterä kioski ("agile kiosk") has been abandoned – the new guidelines divide mobile sales into two categories:
- sales vehicles and trailers, i.e. food vans
- other mobile sales carts, such as café bikes and carts.
The operation of food vans requires a permit and an agreement with the City. Other mobile sales carts, however, are exempt from this requirement. They do not need an agreement, but their operations must still follow the City's guidelines. In addition, similar types of sales also take place at tendered kiosk locations and during events, but these are not covered by the mobile sales agreements.
Operations to be standardised and made more flexible
The new principles for mobile sales are set to take effect at the beginning of 2026. The new guidelines aim to make the rental principles clearer and more flexible for both vendors and decision-makers.
"In the new agreements, entrepreneurs will no longer need to provide a tax debt certificate and a trade register extract, which were previously required. In addition, the removal of the security deposit will make it easier for many vendors to launch their business. Not long ago, entrepreneurs were required to attend the agreement signing in person. That requirement was removed at the beginning of this year," summarises Project Manager Meri Viinikainen from the City of Helsinki.
In the mobile sales contract model, the entrepreneur does not have a fixed sales spot. Instead, a rotation system is used in several areas. Specific zones have been designated for mobile sales operations in the city centre, and there are currently 15 of these zones. Outside the city centre, kiosk entrepreneurs can choose their sales location within the conditions set by the City. On average, around 40 mobile sales agreements are signed annually.
The pricing for mobile sales has not been updated in over ten years. According to the new guidelines, the monthly rent for mobile sales would increase from the current €200 to €320. The pricing of the mobile sales agreement was reviewed in relation to a market price study for kiosk locations conducted last year, which included price comparisons with both Finnish and foreign reference cities.
The updated rental principles for mobile sales are valid until further notice. This allows the matter to be brought back to the Urban Environment Committee for a review if needed, without being tied to a fixed deadline. At the same time, operations can be developed flexibly as needed.
Entrepreneurs and residents want more sales spots in the city
Both entrepreneurs and residents were consulted in the preparation of the new principles. Entrepreneurs who took part in the survey provided improvement suggestions and marked desired locations for mobile sales on a map. The survey was targeted at current and former mobile sales entrepreneurs. The respondents were generally satisfied with the cost of rental agreements and the ease of the contract process. However, they felt that the biggest challenges included finding suitable sales spots.
"We made the new principles more flexible on purpose so that they can be further developed as needed in the future. Requests for new sales locations have been acknowledged, and the aim is to create opportunities for mobile sales in the city’s parks and green areas as well. We want to enable low-barrier entrepreneurship and do our part to make Helsinki more vibrant," says Viinikainen.
Last year, residents also had the opportunity to share their opinions on mobile sales through a Voice Your Opinion survey. Mobile sales were generally seen as a positive and enlivening element for the cityscape, and respondents would like to have more vendors. However, the responses also highlighted concerns regarding generator noise, waste management and the lack of lavatory facilities.