Applying for an Apartment

 Applying for an apartment

Apartments are announced as available for application on the notice board of the
Governing Body in Suomenlinna and on the agency’s website.

The agency has no waiting list system for apartments.

In Suomenlinna, there are so-called atelier apartments in the buildings A 5 (apartments
E6, F7, F9, F10, G11 and G12) and E12 (apartment A 1) and B 44–45. The Director of
the Governing Body of Suomenlinna makes the decisions on the allocation of the atelier
apartments. The Development Manager and the Maintenance Manager of the Governing
Body prepare the rental apartments for these atelier apartments with the aid of a
separate application procedure arranged through art specialist bodies. The rental
agreements for the atelier apartments are made for a fixed term of five years. One of
the factors that is taken into account in the selection is the improvement of
preconditions for creative work. In the rental agreement with HIAP – Helsinki
International Artist Programme, the Governing Body has granted HIAP the right, for the
duration of the rental agreement, to arrange the application procedure for the atelier
apartments B 44–45 and to allocate and lease these apartments.

In exceptional cases, an apartment or an atelier apartment may be allocated without
first announcing it as available for application. The grounds for the exceptional
procedure are recorded in a justification memorandum. The rules of procedure of the agency state that, upon the decision of the Property Manager, an apartment can be leased without an application procedure for a maximum of six months. A justification memorandum of the decision is prepared

Selection of tenants

A key aim is to ensure that Suomenlinna’s resident structure remains diverse.
In order to maintain Suomenlinna’s vitality, the possibilities of families with children to
live on the island are promoted. When allocating apartments, attention is also paid to persons and families whose residence in Suomenlinna is necessary due to the nature of their work or supports the maintenance of Suomenlinna’s basic service level. Apartments that are suitable for families are primarily allocated to larger households.

The rent and the rental agreement

The apartment-specific rent is always announced in connection with the application
procedure. The rental agreement between the tenant and the Governing Body is
always made in writing. The rental agreements comply with the Finnish Act on Residential Leases 31.3.1995/481.

Mutual apartment exchange

Upon the Maintenance Manager’s proposal, the Director of the Governing Body of
Suomenlinna decides on mutual apartment exchange on the basis of the proposals
submitted by the Governing Body’s tenants. If the sizes of the apartments to be exchanged
and the changed residence-related needs of the tenants favour the exchange and if the
exchange does not cause high repair costs, the main principle is to regard them positively.

The properties in Suomenlinna, including residential buildings, have a very low carbon footprint. The building stock is old; the residential buildings were mainly constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries and renovated between 1990 and 2010.

Although the apartments have all modern conveniences after renovations, their floors may creak due to age, and the wall surfaces are not as straight as in new constructions; they exude old history, just like the entire UNESCO World Heritage Site of Suomenlinna.

The residential buildings do not have elevators, and only one apartment in Suomenlinna has a balcony. The windows do not have thermal glass like newer buildings. The windows are double-glazed, and generally, the outer window opens outward.

Residents have access to laundry rooms, which are currently free to use. There are also several saunas on the islands, with public sessions and the possibility to book a private sauna session. Additionally, residents can rent a garden plot or patio.

Waste management is handled by Helsinki Region Environmental Services (HSY) and the governing body. Eight different waste fractions are collected on the islands, and residents can deliver household hazardous waste to the hazardous waste collection point managed by the governing body at the maintenance dock on Iso Mustasaari.

Some apartments have functioning heating stoves, which add extra comfort to living. The primary source of heat in the apartments is district heating. The stoves are swept annually as required by law.

The residential buildings do not have air conditioning or heat recovery systems. Ventilation is implemented either by mechanical extraction or so-called natural ventilation.

Weather conditions in Suomenlinna are similar to those on the Kaivopuisto shore; the most common wind direction is from the southwest, and during autumn storms, the wind and rain can be strong. On calm, warm summer days, the conditions are the opposite.

There are about 800 residents and up to 400 jobs in Suomenlinna. In recent years, Suomenlinna has had over a million visitors annually. Efforts are made to direct tourists to sightseeing routes instead of residential areas.

Traveling to and within Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna is accessed by water. Ferry traffic is operated by Suomenlinnan liikenne, which Kaupunkiliikenne Oy orders the service from. The line between Suomenlinna and the Market Square operates every day. The first departure from Suomenlinna is at 6.00 in the morning, and the last departure from the Market Square is at 2.20 AM according to the current timetable. The ferry interval is 20–40 minutes in the summer season and 40–60 minutes in the winter season.

The maintenance ferry between Suomenlinna and Katajanokka operates only on weekdays. The first departure from Katajanokka is at 7.25 AM, and the last departure from Suomenlinna is at 3.30 PM according to the current timetable. There are eight departures in each direction, approximately once an hour. Both ferries accept HSL’s AB zone ticket.

The ferries on the line from the Market Square can accommodate a large van at most, while the maintenance ferry can transport large and heavy vehicles and vehicle combinations. More information about transporting vehicles and bicycles on the ferries can be found on the Suomenlinna Transport website.

In the summer season, it is also possible to travel by private water bus from Tykistölahden to the Market Square. HSL tickets are not valid on the water bus. The water bus operator sells affordable season tickets to residents and workers in Suomenlinna.

Suomenlinna is being developed as a car-free area according to the government’s policy decision. Resident parking spaces in Suomenlinna, for which a D-resident parking permit is required, are located in Katajanokka. Suomenlinna residents can obtain the permit from the City Environment customer service. The governing body has a few garage spaces for rent in Suomenlinna. Storing cars that have been deregistered or removed from traffic insurance in Suomenlinna is prohibited. The maximum allowed driving speed in Suomenlinna is 20 km/h.

Services in brief

Suomenlinna has a K-Market, several restaurants and cafes. Additionally, there are museums, a kindergarten, an elementary school, a library, a church, an authority campus (border guard, boat police, and boat customs), a prison, and the Naval Academy. The rescue station is staffed from May to October. Emergency vehicle traffic can use the Suomenlinna tunnel, which runs under the sea from Länsi-Mustasaari to Kaivopuisto when necessary.

The residents’ association is Suomenlinnaseura ry. The highest decision-making body of the governing body is the board, which includes a resident representative elected jointly by the residents.

Suomenlinna Yacht Club ry and Suomenlinna Sailing Club ry, which independently select their members, operate on Iso Mustasaari.

• We check credit information before signing the lease agreement.
• The tenant must provide a security deposit equivalent to two months’ rent. The deposit is provided as a bank guarantee.
• The tenant must obtain home insurance for the apartment, which covers, among other things, water damage caused by the tenant’s actions.
• The apartment rent is reviewed annually with an increase of 3%.
• The tenant must arrange their own electricity contract for the apartment.
• Smoking is prohibited in the apartment and other areas of the building.
• A reasonable number of pets are allowed in the apartments (a maximum of two dogs or two cats).

The application is completed through the electronic form on the website OR by mail to Suomenlinna Governing Body / Customer Service, Suomenlinna C40, 00190 Helsinki OR by delivering it to the governing body’s mailbox (building C40). The form to be mailed can be printed from the website or picked up from the Suomenlinna Governing Body’s office at the address (please book a time for pickup in advance by phone at 0295 338 430 or by email at vuokralaiset@suomenlinna.fi).

The application must be filled out carefully. We do not process late, incomplete, or carelessly filled applications. We do not accept attachments. Only one application per household can be submitted for the apartment described in this announcement.

A separate application must be completed for each apartment applied for. If you are applying for multiple apartments, please fill out a separate application for each. The link to the application can be found on the apartment-specific page.

A lottery will be conducted among applicants who meet the application criteria. Applicants who receive an apartment will be notified of the allocation decision by email or phone. A notice will be posted on the Suomenlinna website once the apartments have been allocated and received.

For more information about the apartment, please contact the tenant customer service. The personal data in the application will be registered in the Suomenlinna Governing Body’s rental apartment application system. The system’s privacy statement is available on the governing body’s website at [link the privacy statement here] and at the governing body’s office at Suomenlinna C40.