Living on your own has freedom but it includes also many responsibilities. You can come and go as you please in your own home, but living costs money and you must take care of your apartment. There are different forms of housing. Renting is the most common form of housing after moving out from your childhood home.
You can rent, buy your own home or live in a right-of-occupancy apartment. The main difference between these forms of housing is that in rental housing an apartment or property doesn’t belong to you but someone else is the owner.
For a rental apartment, you pay rent, and in addition there are other expenses such as electricity bills, water fees, and home insurance. The tenant is responsible for any damages caused by themselves, their subtenants, guests or pets. In turn, the landlord must keep the apartment in good condition. It’s always a good idea to make a rental agreement in writing so that everyone’s rights and responsibilities are clear. You can move into your own home even as a minor with the consent of your guardians.
Updated 6.11.2025
Housing guide by PSOAS includes wide range of different aspects of housing. PSOAS (Pohjois-Suomen opiskelija-asuntosäätiö) is a non-profit foundation providing affordable student housing in Oulu. But the information found on this guide is useful to all looking for a rental.
There are several options for independent living, such as a rental apartment, a student apartment, an owner-occupied apartment, and a part-ownership apartment. It’s a good idea to consider your housing needs and life situation to find the option that suits you best. Here are different forms of housing listed:
In a rental apartment, a significant portion of the expenses comes from the rent. In an owner-occupied apartment, the housing company maintenance fee and any mortgage repayments along with associated loan costs, often make up a large part of the housing expenses. Your income and expenses have a major impact on the area and the size of the apartment you can afford. Housing costs include several expenses depending on the form of housing:
There are so called residence-based social security provided by Kela (Kansaneläkelaitos, The Finnish Social Insurance Institution). You can apply for the benefits if you are considered to be covered by the Finnish social security.
The benefits available from Kela to help with housing cover a wide range of situations. If you study, are retired, or in military or non-military service, you cannot, as a rule, get general housing allowance. But there are different types of housing allowances which vary depending on factors such as the life situation and the type of housing. Allowances are affected by housing expenses, income, assets, and the number of people living in the household. You can receive only one type of housing benefit from Kela at a time.
General housing allowance is paid to low-income households to help with housing costs. It can be applied for rental or right-of-occupancy housing. The housing allowance for pensioners can be granted if you are on a low income and receive a pension that entitles you to this benefit. A student may also receive general housing allowance in certain cases, such as when receiving financial support other than student financial aid during studies (see Kela link below).
If you are entitled to student financial aid and live in a rental or right-of-occupancy apartment, you may be eligible for a housing supplement. The housing supplement is paid for study months and can be granted for studies both in Finland and abroad.
A person performing military or non-military service may apply for and receive housing assistance. During the period of service, housing assistance can also be paid to a family member, such as a spouse.
Are you ready to move out on your own? How can you make sure you have enough money for living independently? Do you know how to clean a drain trap or change a fuse?
The ABCs of housing will answer your questions! You will find it on the link below at The Youth Housing Association NAL’s (Nuorisoasuntoliitto NAL ry) homepage