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We post signs in areas that need to be emptied well ahead of time, telling the vehicle owners there when they should move their vehicles elsewhere. You can also opt to receive street cleaning alerts by text message or follow the Puhdistussuunnitelmat (planned street cleaning) website (in Finnish only).
Subscribe to receive street cleaning alerts by text message
The street cleaning alert is based on your street name or postal code. If you subscribe to the service, you will receive a text message at 16.00 on the day before street cleaning on your street is set to begin.
The street cleaning alert service provided by the City of Helsinki is a free service. There is only one charge of 16 cents when you join the service, and a second 16-cent charge if you chose to stop using the service.
Additional information
Follow these steps:
Send the following text message to the number 16130: the word 'viestit', followed by the postal codes of the districts and/or the streets you would like to receive street cleaning alerts about. Remember to separate items on your list with spaces.
For example, if you would like to receive street cleaning information on the entire Lauttasaari district, as well as the streets of Museokatu and Töölönkatu, send this text message:
viestit 00200 00210 museokatu töölönkatu
When you would like to stop using the service, send the following text message to 16130:
viestit sulje
The text message service is meant to be informative. The signs we post urging vehicle owners to move their parked vehicles are legally considered fair warning.
Links
Where has my car been taken?
If city maintenance has towed your car and you can't find it, you can discover where it has been taken by calling the Urban Environment Division's customer service, the police or by using the city's text message service established for this purpose. In most situations, we either move the vehicle to the other side of the street or a nearby street, or tow it to the Helsinki Vehicle Removal Centre.
The price of a text message to the service is 4.7 cents.
Additional information
To find a towed vehicle by text message, follow these steps:
Send a text message that reads 'AS (space) license plate number, example: AS ABC-123' to +358 40 8481 857. You will receive a reply with the location of the towed car.
Links
Claim for rectification of a decision on the reimbursement of vehicle removal costs
If you think that the reimbursement decision you have received regarding vehicle removal is unfounded, you can submit a claim for rectification.
Submit a claim for rectification soon after being notified of the decision. You must submit the claim no later than 30 days of being notified.
You do not have to pay the vehicle removal costs while your claim is being processed.
How the process works
The decision will be sent to your e-services folder or to your address by post.
Processing time
It will take us roughly 1-3 months to process your claim.
Additional information
You can submit the claim via the city's e-services or deliver it to Urban Environment Division's customer service by post, by email (pysakointi@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)) or in person.
The vehicle towing compensation decision does not have to be paid while an appeal, submitted withing the time limit, is pending. If you do not wish to include your account number with your appeal, please submit your appeal by e-mail.
The claim for rectification must be made in writing, and it must include:
- your name (owner or holder of the vehicle, or with a power of attorney) and address
- the license plate number of the vehicle in question
- the number of the invoice for the reimbursement decision, and
- your bank account number.
Attach any documents you wish to submit to the claim before you send it.
After processing your claim, we will destroy any attachments you have sent that concern your state of health or financial situation, for example. Please always use secure email when sending personal data.
Links
Use the online service
View the vehicle transfer information and make a rectification claim
Costs of vehicle removal
The vehicle’s owner or holder is responsible for paying vehicle removal costs. The reimbursement decision is sent by post.
How can I get back a vehicle placed in storage?
You can get your vehicle back from storage once you have paid the vehicle removal and storage costs. If the vehicle has been placed in storage because of at least five unpaid parking fines that are considered legally valid, you must also pay the fines.
If you do not pick up your vehicle within 60 days of being notified of the vehicle being towed, the vehicle will be transferred to the city’s ownership. We notify vehicle owners of the vehicles that have been towed by post. If we do not know who the vehicle’s owner is, we will publish a notice about the removal (In Finnish)(Link leads to external service) on the city's website. The list of public notices can also be viewed at the Urban Environment Division’s customer service point and Helsinki Vehicle Removal Centre.
Was your car damaged while being towed?
If your vehicle has been damaged while being towed, you can get instructions from Stara. Please contact Stara in the first instance by e-mail: stara.kuljetuspalvelu@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program). If necessary, you can also call 09 310 60161 on weekdays between 12 and 14.
Is it time to scrap your car?
You can bring your car to any Finnish Car Recycling location to be scrapped. The company dismantles vehicles according to environmental requirements. Scrapping the car does not cost you anything.
Find the Finnish Car Recycling location nearest you (Link leads to external service)
