Property templates and checklistsFinland

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Buying

1
Check the kind of home
Most flats and many terraced houses are shares in a housing company (asunto-osake). A house on its own land is real property (kiinteistö).
2
Check who may buy
A buyer from outside the EU or EEA needs a Ministry of Defence permit to buy real property. Åland has its own rules on acquiring land.
3
Make a written offer
The buyer makes a written offer (ostotarjous), usually through a licensed estate agent, often with earnest money (käsiraha) of at most 4% of the price.
4
Shares: sign the deed of sale
After the seller accepts, both parties sign a written deed of sale (kauppakirja). No notary is needed. The agent or a bank usually drafts the deed.
5
Shares: pay tax and register
The buyer pays the price and 1.5% tax on the debt-free price, at signing with an agent or else within 2 months, then registers with the National Land Survey.
6
Real property: deed before a witness
The deed and any preliminary agreement need writing, both signatures and a public purchase witness (kaupanvahvistaja), or the electronic trading service.
7
Real property: tax and title
The buyer pays 3% transfer tax and applies for registration of title (lainhuuto) within 6 months.

Law, changed 1 October 2026: Act 481/1995 (laki asuinhuoneiston vuokrauksesta), amended by Act 531/2026. Some new rules cover only new leases.
Form and term: Written. An unwritten lease runs until further notice. Fixed term, open-ended, or fixed then open-ended.
Rent: Agreed freely, except in state-subsidised housing.
Deposit: At most 3 months' rent. Returned, or written reasons for keeping it given, within 14 days after the lease ends.
Tenant's notice: 1 month, from the end of the month of notice. A fixed-term lease cannot be ended early by notice.
Landlord's notice: Leases from 1 October 2026: 3 months, or 4 after 2 years. Older leases: 3 months, or 6 after 1 year.
Landlord's reason: The landlord must give a reason that is acceptable in tenancy relations.
Smoking: Banned inside the flat, on its balcony and in its private outdoor areas unless the landlord allows it.