How to apply for housing

AYY processes housing applications and selects residents based on legal provisions and official guidelines for the resident selection of state-subsidized rental buildings. To apply for AYY student housing, you must have confirmed your place of study at Aalto University and be enrolled in full-time, degree-granting programs at Aalto University. Thus, the right of residence in student union housing is held by those members of the student union who study full-time.  

Your housing application is valid for three (3) months. You will receive an email notification about the expiration of your application. If your housing needs or situation change, please submit a completely new application. When renewing your application or creating a new one, always remember to separately update your profile information on Domo, including your contact details. International applicants should also update their profile with their Finnish personal identity code as soon as they receive it. 

We process applications daily and make housing offers based on the need for housing and the urgency of the need for housing, not on a housing queue system. We are unable to estimate the timing or likelihood of receiving a housing offer, thus we are unable to respond to inquiries regarding them.  

As part of the application process, we will conduct a credit check. A registered payment default is not necessarily a barrier to getting an apartment, but in that case the landlord may require a deposit equivalent to 2-3 months' rent and offer a fixed-term lease. If necessary, we may request additional information regarding a poor credit record.

You can apply for housing via the Domo system, which provides indicative floor plans and more detailed information on apartments and rental costs. You will also find instructions for new students at the bottom of this page.

If you are in urgent need of housing, you are not able to exclude a significant number of apartments from your application. If you have a weighty reason for not being able to move into some apartments, please attach a statement and a separate certificate to your application.

We kindly ask you to attach supporting documents for your housing needs to your application. The Domo system will guide you with the attachments. The urgency of the application is valid only until the first housing offer.

For example, you can obtain your address details from the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and take a screenshot of the information.

Sign in to Domo system>>

To submit a housing application, take a moment to prepare yourself by collecting the necessary information, including details about your place of study, income and other required documents.

Firstly, create a Domo account
Create your Domo account at domo.ayy.fi. Please be careful when creating an account and applications, as providing false information may result in the rejection of your application or the withdrawal of a housing offer. Please fill in your basic details accurately and only use your official name when setting up your profile. If you do not have an Aalto University student number yet, you must attach proof of acceptance to the place of study.

Please note that the Domo system does not support hotmail email addresses. Therefore, AYY recommends using aalto.fi email address, for example.

Disclosure of income and wealth 
You must disclose information on your income and wealth when creating a Domo account. 

Income 
Income includes earned income and capital income, such as wages, salary supplements, adult education and training allowances, income from abroad, the taxable value of fringe benefits, unemployment allowance, labor market subsidy, rent, interest and dividend income, spousal support, and pensions.   

In all resident selection situations, the incomes of applicants are compared, and the income of the applicant household is considered alongside wealth and housing needs when prioritising applicants. When determining income, the permanent gross monthly income of individuals in the household is taken into account. 

Student financial aid, income support, or a housing allowance are not considered as income. If your earned income varies monthly, calculate your monthly income based on your earnings for the current year and include this amount in your application.

Wealth 
The considered wealth includes assets at the time of application, as well as assets that the applicant has disposed of by selling or donating during the year preceding the application. Earned income is not considered as assets. Wealth includes, among others, shares in a housing company, real estate, funds, securities, and other assets. When evaluating wealth, we take into account liabilities associated with assets belong to the applicant household, such as outstanding mortgages. When moving to the Helsinki metropolitan area from other parts of Finland for work or studies, an owner-occupied apartment is not considered an asset if the apartment is located more than 80 km from Helsinki and if the applicant resides in the apartment. However, any property investments owned by the applicant are always taken into account when assessing wealth.

If there are significant changes in your income or wealth, please remember to update them on Domo — applying for housing based on incorrect information may result in rejection of your application or withdrawal of your housing offer. 

Please note that you can submit only one application, either alone, as a family, or with a friend, i.e. a maximum of 3 valid applications at once per application type.   

Additionally, please mention whether your application includes children with whom you are applying for housing. You cannot proceed further with your application until you have completed section 2 regarding children. 

Your choices will determine the apartments you can apply for. Generally, all apartments that meet your criteria will be included in the application. If your need for housing is urgent, include as wide a range of housing options as possible in your application. If you need to update your application, you will have to submit a new one. 

You will find additional instructions in the Domo sidebar when filling in your application.

Choosing apartments 
AYY's apartments are grouped on Domo into housing groups based on the type (e.g. studio) and location (e.g. Jätkäsaari). You can also refine the housing search down to individual apartments. 

If your need for housing is urgent, please apply for all eligible apartments. This is the only way to be considered for the very urgent or urgent category in the urgency ratings. The more apartments you include in your application, the higher your chances of securing housing. However, please note that you cannot apply for apartments larger than two rooms on your own, and two-room apartments are primarily offered to applications with multiple applicants. When selecting apartments, it is crucial to choose only those that you are willing to accept. Additionally, please remember to define the maximum rent you are willing to pay. If you do not specify a price, you may be offered apartments of any price range. 

You can find more information on apartments on Domo by clicking on the icon (orange magnifying glass) on the right side of the apartment address.

Include your preferred move-in date in the application 
You can choose whether you need an apartment as soon as possible or at a later date. AYY will not offer you housing before the date you have provided. Select as your preferred move-in date the earliest date you are ready to take possession of the apartment. You can specify a move-in date for your application up to six months in advance. Exchange students can select a move-in date up to three months in advance. 

Add attachments to your application 
Based on the reason for the need for housing, Domo will ask you to add attachments that confirm your situation to the application. After submitting your application, you can still submit additional attachments by editing your application. 

Check your application 
Finally, please check that all information in your application is correct. If it turns out that you have applied for housing on incorrect grounds, your application may be rejected or the housing offer may be withdrawn.

*An illustration of the studyinfo to be attached to the housing application can be found at the end of this section.

Sign in to Domo system>>

Processing of applications 
Housing applications are processed by AYY housing services, and you can see on Domo when your application has been processed. 

Editing of applications 
If you want to update the reason for the need for housing or increase the number of apartments you are applying for, please submit a new application.   

You can also edit your application: remove apartments from your application or postpone the preferred move-in date. However, these measures may affect the urgency rating of your application. 

If your income or situation in life changes in a way that affects the urgency of the need for housing, please submit a new application.

Resident selection 
In resident selection, priority is given primarily to student union members with right of residence. Priority in offering housing is given to homeless individuals and others in extremely urgent need of housing, followed by those in urgent need of housing, and then other members. Resident selection criteria follow the guidelines of the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA) and the municipalities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. 

Information for those transferring their housing within AYY can be found on a separate page: apartment transfer.

Validity of application 
Your housing application is valid for three months from the date of submission. The Domo system will send you email reminders when your application is about to expire, and you can renew your application on Domo. In this case, you must also always update your profile information.  

Sign in to Domo system>>

Accepting the housing offer 
You will receive housing offers via email and SMS, so it is very important to keep your contact details up to date on Domo. Please keep checking your email.

In the urgent and very urgent categories, the application is valid until the first housing offer is made. If you reject an offer or let it expire, your application will automatically be moved to the non-urgent category. The urgency category may also change if there is a change in the reason for needing housing. 

If you want to accept the apartment offered to you, please accept the offer within the time frame specified in the offer. 

You can accept the offer by uploading the signed lease to the Domo system. The signed agreement will be reviewed by housing services and digitally signed. The signed agreement becomes binding immediately. If you are asked to pay a deposit, this must be paid when the offer is accepted and the deposit receipt must be submitted with the contract. If the offer is not accepted and the requested deposit is not paid by the deadline, the offer will no longer be valid and we will offer the apartment to the next applicant.

Please pay attention to the layout and quality of the agreement you have uploaded, as it is your official rental agreement. All tenants of the apartment must sign the same agreement, as only one file can be uploaded to Domo.

Rejection or expiry of a housing offer 
If you do not wish to accept an apartment offered to you, please reject the offer as soon as possible so that we can offer the apartment immediately to the next applicant. If you reject the offer or allow the offer to expire, your application will no longer be considered urgent. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that you can accept the offer via email. We are not responsible for situations where the applicant has not responded to a housing offer due to the message being redirected to the spam folder, for example. 

Is it possible to see the apartment in advance? 
The apartment offered to you is typically still occupied when you receive a housing offer. If the offer includes the contact details of the current tenant, you can arrange to visit the apartment with them. However, if the current tenants have not granted permission to AYY to share their contact details, it is not possible to visit the apartment in advance. 

If the offer email indicates that the apartment is vacant, it may be possible to visit the apartment. In this case, please contact AYY Housing Services at [email protected] 

Housing is primarily offered to Aalto University degree students who are AYY members with right of residence. A right of residence period is granted based on the target time for the completion of a degree.  

Living in AYY housing requires AYY membership and a valid right of residence, unless otherwise mentioned. 

Bachelor's and master's students 
Those selected for Aalto University's bachelor's and master's degree programmes are granted a total of five years of right of residence. Students admitted only to a Master's programme are granted two years of right of residence, starting from the first time the student attends Aalto University. Master's degree students who relocate from Mikkeli to the metropolitan area are granted a total of two years of right of residence.

The right of residence period begins when the student's right to study at Aalto University begins. Any previous studies at TKK/HSE/TaiK do not affect the right of residence. 

If your right of residence has been recorded incorrectly in the Domo system, please contact housing services: [email protected].

International joint degree students
Those selected for Aalto University's joint degree programme are granted a total of one year of right of residence for the duration of the joint degree in Finland. If the student is still studying in Finland after one year, this does not affect the granted residence period. The period of studying abroad is not compensated.

Exchange students 
For exchange students, the right of residence is determined according to the granted right to study. For the autumn term, contracts are made until the end of December at the latest, and until the end of June for the spring term. 

Doctoral students 
In the future, it will also be possible for doctoral students to apply for AYY housing through the Domo system. Doctoral students are not automatically granted the right of residence. If a person without a right of residence is selected for the apartment, they may be granted a maximum of two years of restricted right of residence for the apartment in question. The duration of the right of residence is considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Right of residence in family and friends' apartments 
If you are applying for housing as a family, i.e. with a partner or children, it is sufficient for one applicant to be a member of AYY with the right of residence. When applying with a friend, all applicants must be AYY members with the right of residence.

Housing without membership 
AYY does not currently offer housing to non-members. 

Applications are processed according to the ARA model, based on categories of urgency. In principle, the need for housing, wealth, and income are equally weighted criteria for prioritizing applicants. In resident selection, priority is given to those with the most urgent need for housing and those with the least means. 

The category in which an application is placed is determined based on the information provided in the application. 

Within the same urgency category, income and wealth are considered when allocating housing. If applicants are in exactly the same situation, housing will be offered to the applicant who has been waiting the longest. 

Below are examples of criteria for classifying applications according to the ARA guidelines:

Category 1: Homelessness 
Homeless applicants include those who are (at the time of application) 

• Temporarily living with relatives or acquaintances due to lack of housing
• Living in a hostel or other temporary accommodation 
• Living outdoors and in temporary shelters 
• Living in night shelters 
• Living in care and nursing homes 
• Living in sheltered home or crisis accommodation 
   

Category 2: Very urgent
The applicant is at risk of becoming homeless through no fault of their own. There is a risk of homelessness if 

• The applicant is given a notice of termination for their current residence
• The applicant becomes homeless due to the demolition of their residence
• The applicant becomes homeless due to a forced sale of the owner-occupied housing or
• The applicant's current residence has been declared uninhabitable by decision of a public authority
• The applicant is moving to a municipality where they have a place of study but no housing. Those living outside Espoo, Helsinki, Vantaa or Kauniainen.
• The applicant lives in very cramped conditions.
   

Category 3: Urgent 

• The applicant has a fixed-term lease which cannot be renewed  
• The applicant is 18 years of age or older and lives with their parents in the municipality where they are applying for housing
• The applicant has housing costs that are unreasonably high in relation to their income  
• Housing is too small, more than two persons per room 
• Applicants applying for apartment transfer within AYY for weighty reasons  

Category 4: General 
Other AYY member applicants with a valid right of residence. For example, applicants:

• with a long and/or challenging commute to their place of study 
• who are starting a family and do not live together 
• whose current accommodation is unsuitable for other reasons

How the urgency categories work:

Maximum wealth limits calculated in accordance with recommendations by ARA (in euros): 

In Helsinki from 1 Jan 2024

In Helsinki, when the number of people in the applicant household increases, the wealth limit is increased by EUR 5,000 per person. The wealth limits are reviewed once a year and changed if necessary due to changes in housing prices.

In Espoo from 1 Jan 2024

In Espoo, when the number of people in the applicant household increases, the wealth limit is increased by EUR 10,000 per person. The wealth limits are reviewed once a year and changed if necessary due to changes in housing prices.

Moving back into AYY housing
A person who has given up their apartment due to any of the following reasons can apply for a new apartment by selecting 'return to AYY housing'. 

• exchange in another municipality
• JOO studies
• internship
• military service 

The exact date of return must be specified on the application at least three months before the return. The move-in date must be within two months of the completion of studies, internship, or military service.

Children
If the applicants have a child or children, they will be prioritized for apartments suitable for family housing. The number of children is taken into account in the consideration. The certificate of pregnancy is also taken into account.

First-year students 
First-year degree students starting their studies are typically offered shared housing. They are also given priority to shared apartments over other applicants if the applicants in shared apartment applications are otherwise in exactly the same situation.

All applicants are members of AYY with right of residence 
For two-room and larger apartments, priority is given to applications from multiple applicants, where all have right of residence and are degree students at Aalto University.

Exchange students 
Exchange students can apply for housing once they can provide proof of being accepted for exchange studies at Aalto University. AYY requires that exchange students must be members of AYY before they can be offered housing. Exchange students are typically offered shared apartments. The apartments are unfurnished.

Other special circumstances 
Other exceptional reasons related to the need for housing can also be considered in resident selection. In general, a certificate for the reasons must be provided on Domo.

As a new degree student, you can apply for housing as soon as you have accepted your place of study in a binding manner. When creating a Domo account, you need to attach proof that you have accepted a place of study at Aalto University. For example, you can attach a screenshot of Studyinfo service. Your name must also be visible in the attachment. Please note that Studyinfo may not display all the information required for the attachment in the mobile view — we therefore recommend using a computer to take a screenshot (you can find an example image at the bottom of the page).

International degree students can apply for AYY housing once they have received a letter of acceptance from Aalto University. The letter of acceptance must be attached to the application.

As an exchange student, you can apply for housing once you can provide Letter of Admission for exchange studies at Aalto University. However, you must become a member of AYY before you can be offered housing. You will need your Aalto student number in order to pay the AYY membership fee. You can see the number in Sisu, once you hvae activated your Aalto IT account. The university sends this activation message approximately one month before the start of your right to study.

When creating your Domo account, please select exchange student as your student type and attach Letter of Admission for exchange studies. You can submit your application no earlier than three months before your desired move-in date. The move-in date can be no earlier than 1 Aug for the autumn term and 1 Jan for the spring term. Exchange students are typically offered shared apartments. However, please note that priority is given to degree students when offering housing. Deposit is charged for all exchange students.