How do I apply for an apartment?
The housing application is filled in the Campus system.
How can I improve my chances of getting a housing offer from AYY?
Make sure that your application is filled correctly and regularly check your email. You can find more information on the improving your chances pages
I’m a new student and I have a question about housing!
Please check this page about applying to AYY apartments.
We have tried to gather as much relevant info about housing for new students there, as possible. Also read through these frequently asked questions, as there’s lots of info here for new students also.
How do I know if I receive any extra points on my application?
Take a look at the application scoring system.
Applicants are placed in housing queues based on their application’s submission date and score.
How many housing applications can I have active at the same time? Does it affect my chances of getting an apartment? Can I place my applications in priority order?
You can have as many applications active in the Campus-system as you like. All the queues are separate in that they don’t affect how quickly you will get an apartment from any single queue.
Organizing the applications in priority order is unfortunately impossible. You can make requests inside a single application, but you can not place the applications themselves in priority order. This means you should only apply to those apartments, that you really are willing to move in, if you get an apartment offer.
I missed a housing offer and it expired. I have a good reason for this, so can I get back into the queue?
Unfortunately this is not possible. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that he/she can accept the housing offer in time. If you know you can’t follow your email at some point, then write it down in the Campus system, so the Housing Office knows to give you enough time to accept the offer.
If you missed the offer due to completely unexpected and unavoidable situation, you can make an application for the Housing Committee to get your position in the queue restored. Here you can read more about the Housing Committee.
I accepted a housing offer and all my housing applications suddenly vanished! What happened?
When applicant accepts a housing offer, all his/her applications in all the queues will be removed. But you can request two (2) of your application to be returned by using this form.
I got an housing offer from AYY for June. I would only need the apartment beginning from July. Can the lease be signed starting from July?
Unofrtunately no. AYY makes the housing offers based on the information provided by the applicant in the Campus-system. If you do not want a housing offer before some precise date, mark earliest date you are willing to accept an housing offer in the “Desired move in date” -box in the application. Offers can’t be left waiting for one month, because that would mean leaving the apartment completely empty for a month.
This would create large deficits for AYY, which would have to be balanced by raising the rent in all AYY apartments. This is why the date marked in the housing offer can not be changed.
I was the first in housing queue, now my application is on place 212! What happened?
If there are new applications made after your application that get a higher score total, they will be moved over your application in the queue. Especially in the fall there will be many applications from new students, that will be granted an extra first year student’s point for certain queues.
In the fall the queues will only stabilize after 1.8. after the new students have been added to the queues. Before this the queues will vary greatly and will not tell anything accurate about the real housing situation at all.
I’m in a housing queue at place 12. When will I get an apartment?
All housing queues progress at different speed and are completely depended on how apartments happen to open up. Therefore it is impossible to give any accurate answers for this question. The Housing Office can try to give you an estimate, but AYY can not make any promises about definite dates.
I’m in a dorm queue at place 258 and AYY has over 800 dorm apartments! Why haven’t I got an apartment offer yet?
All AYY apartments are practically always full. We do not usually have any empty apartments at all. The queues only move forward, when a tenant moves out of an AYY apartment and the apartment can be offered to the next person in the queue. In some queues there can be dozens of apartments available in a single month. Some queues might not move at all for many months.
I need to get an apartment for fall. When will I know if I get one from AYY or not?
Offer for the leases beginning 1.8. will be made in July. Offers for the leases beginning 1.9. will be made in august. The fall is the most busy time in the Housing Office, so please try to refrain from asking about possible housing offers.
The queues are changing at extreme speeds at the time, so the Housing Office will not be able to give any accurate estimates on when or if a single applicant could get an apartment offer or give any promises about apartments to anyone. You’ll have to be patient and wait for an apartment offer. Apartment will be offered to you, if there is one available. You can also consider renting through alternative channels. Please consult the guidelines on how to find short and long term housing in Helsinki area at how to find housing pages.
I applied for an apartment at AYY. Is there a chance that I will not get any apartment offer before the start of my studies?
Unfortunately AYY is not able to offer apartments to all applicants. The queues only move forward, when a tenant moves out of an AYY apartment and the apartment can be offered to the next person in the queue. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the actual availability of apartments to offer to new students. If you feel that your chances to get an apartment from AYY on time are low, we highly recommend you to look for an apartment through alternative channels. Many students in Helsinki area rent apartments from private market, sublease from other students or rent through some other organizations. There are plenty of options available for both short and long-term rent and we highly recommend that you search for an accommodation using these alternative options. Please consult the guidelines on how to find short and long term housing in Helsinki area at how to find housing pages.
I want to live in a dorm/shared apartment. Can family apartments be dorms? Can I apply to a family apartment and find the roommates after I get the apartment? Can AYY find me roommates for the family apartment?
No, no and no. If you want to live in a dorm, apply for a single room apartment. If you want to live in a shared apartment make an application with your friend(s) to a family apartment. You can make applications to some of the family apartment queues alone, but you WILL NOT get an apartment offer without another applicant in the application. Other applicants can be added to the application after it has been made, though.
Please make only one application to the same family apartment queue. Decide who will be the primary applicant and add all the other applicants to that application.
I could get a rental apartment from the private market but I should take it already next month. Can I terminate my AYY’s rental agreement without a notice period, because surely in the autumn you can find a new tenant for a shared apartment?
No. AYY must comply with the one month notice period entered in the rental agreement. A one month notice period is based on the Act on Residential Leases and, in practice, it is the shortest time period in which AYY can ensure that renting the apartment to the next student can be done without an idle period. Unused apartments result in the loss of rents, which in turn will increase the rents of all other AYY tenants. AYY’s other tenants should not be made to bear the risk of us being flexible. In the name of equal treatment, therefore, we have to comply with the one-month notice period, even if it may seem troublesome for an individual student.
I want to live in a studio apartment. Can I apply for a Teekkarivillage studio apartment or a studio apartment in Helsinki?
Yes. Any AYY member can apply to all studio apartments at any time. This has been changed in the rules that came into force 1 June 2013.
I moved to an AYY apartment, but realized that I would rather live in an apartment on the southern side of the building. How can I move?
It is possible to change apartment into a same kind of AYY apartment inside the same housing region. Make an application in the Campus-system normally. Spesify in the application the apartment/room where you would like to live.
You can only change apartments inside the AYY in this way after living in the same AYY apartment for 6 months.
I’m starting my studies in autumn. When can I fill my housing application?
You can submit your application immediately once your right to study has been confirmed.
Check more information here: http://ayy.fi/en/students/housing/how-to-apply-for-housing/new-students/
Please note that when you enrol as an attending student you are NOT automatically put in any housing queues!
Does AYY rent apartments to outsiders?
No, AYY only rents apartments to members of the student union. If there are vacant apartments we can’t find tenants from AYY members, those apartments can also be offered to non-AYY students.
Can I sublet my apartment?
Yes, but only during the summer for a maximum period of four (4) months: either between 1 May – 31 August or 1 June – 30 September. You can choose the temporary tenant yourself. Notice of the subletting arrangement has to be delivered in writing to AYY’s housing office by the end of the month preceding the beginning of the arrangement at the very latest.
If the need to sublet arises from exchange studies or military service, the apartment can be sublet to another AYY member (see AYY Housing Regulations). Notice of the subletting arrangement has to be delivered in writing to AYY’s housing office by the end of the month preceding the beginning of the arrangement at the very latest.
The person who will be subletting the apartment must register himself into the Campus-system! This is so AYY can make sure we have accurate tenant information in the system. This is vital for the original tenant’s, subtenant’s and for AYY’s legal protection.
The responsibility for the rent and the apartment’s condition remains with the primary tenant. The rent paid by the secondary tenant must not be higher than that paid by the primary tenant. Abuse of this is reason enough for terminating the tenant’s rental agreement. Check more info about subletting AYY apartment here: http://ayy.fi/en/housing/instructions/subletting-ayys-apartments/
Where can I look at the floor plans of apartments?
Floor plans can be found in the Campus system.
I wish to end my rental agreement starting 1 December. When should I submit the written notice of termination?
The written notice of termination must be handed in one month prior to the tenant moving out, at the latest. In other words, if you wish to terminate your rental agreement on 1 December, you should hand in the written notice by 31 October.
