Applying for an apartment

You can easily make an application for a rental home in OmaAvara. Please note that you cannot submit a general application, but when applying for homes you must choose at least one desirable apartment that we can offer you. Then we may offer similar apartments that are just right for you, if the apartment you are primarily applying for is no longer available. Mandatory fields are indicated in the application.

When your moving day falls on a weekend or public holiday 
If the moving day falls on a weekend or public holiday, we will provide the contact information of the departing resident to the new resident. The old and new residents will agree on the exact time for handing over the keys and fill out a written key handover form (The form is in Finnish only at the moment). The old resident will return the handover document to the locksmith to be released from responsibility for the returned keys. In these situations, we will also provide both parties with more detailed instructions regarding the key handover.

Arava or ARA housing is affordable state-subsidized housing. The wealth of the residents must not exceed the income and wealth limits set by the Government, which are city- and municipality-specific. You can learn more here.

When you apply for an Avara rental home in OmaAvara, the housing advertisement will tell you which attachments should be send with the application for that property. In state-subsidized rental homes, the selection of residents is based on social expediency and economic need, which are assessed on the basis of the applicant's housing needs, wealth and income. In these ARA properties, a certificate of income (the latest salary statement or proof of other means of subsistence, for example Kela documents) and a pre-filled tax return are required as an annex to the housing application. You can read more about ARA rental apartments here.

You can attach documents to your application in OmaAvara in your profile. For security reasons, attachments cannot be submitted, for example, by e-mail.

Applying for an apartment through OmaAvara requires authentication with a bank ID or mobile certificate. The authentication is done in conjunction with the application. You can make an application just for yourself or for yourself and another main applicant, who would be co-responsible for the rental agreement.

You can also apply for Avara's rental apartments without a bank ID or mobile certificate. In that case, you cannot apply through OmaAvara, so please contact vuokraus@avara.fi for further instructions.

If you have problems sending your application, please check that you have completed all required fields. If you still cannot send your application after you have completed all required fields, please contact us by email on avara@avara.fi or by calling 020 611 4400.

You can see your valid applications in Applications in OmaAvara. Your application is valid for 3 months and you can update it yourself via your OmaAvara profile. OmaAvara identification and login is done with a bank ID or mobile certificate.

We recommend that you keep your application up to date with your specified wishes for an apartment.

An Avara specialist will make an offer of a home to you immediately when it is possible to offer you a home you are looking for. It may not be possible to offer you the apartment you applied for, but we may offer another similar option. We recommend that you update your application through OmaAvara if your housing needs change. Due to the current high number of contact requests, we are unfortunately unable to respond to all interim inquiries during the processing of applications.

If the home you are looking for can be found in OmaAvara, it is still available. We will contact you immediately if you are selected to live there, or we will find a similar home for you based on the information in your application.

The viewing times for homes can be found in the advertisements. It is a good idea to complete the application before viewing the property. Those who have submitted a housing application are also invited separately for viewings.

If you do not have a credit history in Finland, we might ask you for a higher deposit. We recommend that you apply for a home, and we will review your situation.

Generally, we require residents to have good credit, but we also assess the applicant's situation on a case-by-case basis and may require, for example, a higher security deposit if the resident does not have good credit. We recommend that you submit an  application for a home and we will contact you as soon as possible if we can offer you a home.

There are many things that affect how long you spend searching for a home. We will try to offer you a home as soon as possible. If your search is targeted to a popular area or a popular type of home, it may take longer. There is currently no queuing option for our apartments and it is recommended that you actively monitor the housing supply and keep your application up to date.

You can update your application in OmaAvara by logging in. OmaAvara identification and login is done with a bank ID or mobile certificate. When you update your application, it is valid for three months.

Pets are welcome in Avara homes. However, the resident must ensure that their pets do not cause any inconvenience or disturbance to other residents. In addition, the resident is responsible for any damage caused to the apartment by the pet.

If you want to share an apartment with your friends and still make sure that you are not seen as one household, you have to take a few things into account when applying for an apartment.

The distinction of not belonging to the same household can be important if you are planning to apply for allowances from Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland). The amount of some of the allowances, such as the general housing allowance, is affected by the incomes of all household members. 

How to make an application

If the residents of the apartment do not belong to the same household, they must have separate lease agreements. Avara makes only one lease agreement per apartment. If people belonging to separate households want to live together, one person is designated as the main tenant.

The application is made as usual in OmaAvara by identifying yourself with a mobile certificate or online banking credentials. Only one person is marked as an applicant, and that person becomes the main tenant of the apartment.

Choose at least one desired apartment. If necessary, we can also offer you similar apartments, if the apartment you primarily applied for ends up being reserved.

Through the Vuokraa Heti (Rent Now) service, you can also rent an apartment of your choice directly without applying for an apartment. The selection includes our new properties, whose pictures and virtual presentations give you a good idea of ​​the apartment and its condition.

How does cohabitation affect Kela's housing allowance

If the residents of the apartment do not belong to the same household, they should have separate lease agreements. 

A couple living together always belongs to the same household, as do close relatives in the direct ascending or descending generation (i.e. parents, grandparents and children). Siblings living together can belong to different households, as long as they have separate lease agreements.

How to make a rental agreement

Avara makes only one lease agreement per apartment. If people belonging to separate households want to live together, one person is designated as the main tenant. The other residents of the apartment make a subtenancy agreement with the main tenant.  Subtenancy agreement forms can be found online.

The rental agreement is concluded with the main tenant in OmaAvara using online banking credentials or a mobile certificate.

Noteworthy about subletting

Reletting of Avara's apartments is prohibited, but subletting is not, so the main tenant must also live in the apartment. No more than half of the apartment may be used by a subtenant. Subletting must not cause harm to the landlord.

The main tenant is responsible for the fulfillment of the terms of the lease towards the landlord, and this responsibility cannot be transferred to the sub-tenant. The subtenant does not have the right to stay in the apartment if the main tenancy ends. The main tenant should always be careful when choosing a subtenant!

What about home insurance?

The main tenant makes an extensive home insurance agreement for the apartment. It does not cover the property of subtenants, so subtenants should insure their own property with home insurance.

What else should be considered?

The new Avara properties have a resident application. Shared spaces and services can be reserved through the resident application. They can include sauna shifts, laundry shifts, use of the clubhouse or shared cars.

You can only register to the resident application with the same e-mail address that has been entered in the rental agreement. So only the main tenant or tenants have the right to use the resident application. If it makes no difference whether you are seen as one household or not, you can have two main tenants in a lease agreement with Avara.

Remember that all residents must be notified to the property manager!

• The location and traffic connections of the apartment
• The length of the tenancy
• Whether the water and electricity fees are included in the rent
• Available Internet connections
• Schedules for possibly upcoming renovations
• Possibility to install a dishwasher and a washing machine
• Parking spot
• Storage space
• Increases in rent

We will usually tell you in your offer for a home how you should proceed if you want to view the home before making a decision to rent it. If there is no mention of viewing the home in the offer, please contact the rental expert from whom you received the offer and they will arrange a viewing for the home.

We recommend that you contact the rental specialist from whom you received your housing offer as soon as possible. After that, the rental specialist will make you a new housing offer if the home is still available.

We recommend that you contact the rental specialist who made you an offer for a home as soon as possible. If it is possible to change the start date of the contract, our rental specialist will update your offer. If you have already signed a contract, it may not be possible to change the start date.

We recommend that you contact the rental specialist from whom you received your housing offer as soon as possible. They will make you a new housing offer if the home is still available.

Generally, a signed rental contract is binding, with a binding notice period. The contract can be terminated with one months notice.

The first month's rent must be paid before you can collect the keys to your apartment. Be prepared to present proof of payment when picking up the keys. If your lease includes a security deposit, it is sufficient that the deposit has been paid before collecting the keys.

For contracts starting or ending in the middle of the month, the rent is calculated according to the terms of the contract.

For example, if the contract ends on 15.11.2020: total rent (including water) / days in November x contract validity dates.

Avara generally does not require a security deposit (starting from 1.1.2025). The apartment can be rented without a security deposit if there are no entries in the credit records of the contracting parties.

Avara generally does not require a security deposit. However, in some cases, the need for a security deposit is assessed on a case-by-case basis, for example, if the applicant has a credit history. The amount of the security deposit is a maximum of the equivalent of 2 months' rent.

The security deposit must be paid immediately after signing a contract. We will send you an invoice by email for the payment of the deposit. Please note that if you do not pay the security deposit, the landlord has the right to terminate the contract.

Please also note that the security deposit needs to be paid before picking up the keys. Be prepared to present proof of the completed deposit when picking up the keys.

Avara generally does not require a security deposit. However, in some cases, the need for a security deposit is assessed on a case-by-case basis, for example, if the applicant has a credit history. The amount of the security deposit is a maximum of the equivalent of 2 months' rent.

Kela can grant basic social assistance for the security deposit. A payment commitment applied through Kela or social services is accepted as a security deposit. However, guarantees from Takaamo or similar service providers are not acceptable.

You will receive the invoice by email on the day following the signing of the agreement. From then on, we will send you the monthly rent invoice by email.

A water charge is included in the total rent. Housing advertisements may sometimes specify the proportion of the rent that is used for water, but it is always included in the total rent.

We always ask the departing tenant to complete a move-out inspection before returning the keys, and our property inspector will also conduct an inspection if necessary. Any required repairs will be carried out before the next tenant moves in whenever possible. In some cases, due to tight schedules, repairs may need to be done after the new tenant has moved in.

After signing the lease, you will receive access to a digital move-in inspection form via OmaAvara. Please complete the move-in inspection within 7 days of the start of your lease according to the instructions. This ensures that any defects or signs of wear you report are documented and, if necessary, addressed.