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The photograph shows the playground at a VAV rental flat at Perintökuja 9, Veromies, Vantaa.

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Living in VAV

Read this! The law governing residential tenancy is being reformed

The aim of the reform is to clarify the regulations governing rented accommodation. In future, for example, tenants will be obliged to declare who is living in the flat. The new law will also introduce changes regarding smoking in buildings.

The Act on the Letting of Residential Premises, which governs VAV’s letting activities, will be reformed on 1 October 2026. We have listed the most important changes that all our tenants need to be aware of:

Tenants will in future have a legal obligation to report who is living in the apartment

The main tenant must notify us without delay of any changes to the people living in apartment. The easiest way to make a notification with VAV is via the OmaVAV service or by calling our customer service.

It is important to comply with this reporting obligation. The landlord must know who is living in the apartment. This information is required, amongst other things, for the upkeep of the apartment, monitoring compliance with the terms of tenancy, communication and fulfilling the landlord’s statutory obligations. Furthermore, this information helps in resolving any disturbances.

Failure to provide this information may lead to the termination or cancellation of the tenancy agreement.

Smoking will be prohibited by law in rental housing buildings

Smoking will henceforth be prohibited in all areas of rented accommodation. The smoking ban applies to:

  • the interior of the apartment
  • the balcony belonging to the apartment
  • other private indoor and outdoor areas associated with the apartment

The smoking ban also applies to the building’s communal and shared areas.

The smoking ban applies to all smoking in the building, not just the tenant’s own smoking. The main tenant must therefore ensure that other people living in the apartment and visitors to the apartment comply with the smoking ban.

It is important to note that if you live in a building that has already been designated as entirely smoke-free, smoking is also prohibited in the building’s courtyard. Smoke-free buildings include all those completed by VAV after 1 June 2017.

In future, landlords must issue warnings regarding smoking in the same way as they do for other disturbances to peaceful enjoyment of the property. If smoking continues despite the warnings, the tenancy agreement may be terminated or rescinded. Violating the smoking ban may also result in having to pay for repair costs if smoking has caused odours or damage to the flat.

The smoking ban covers the use of all tobacco products intended to be smoked or otherwise heated.

Visits to the apartment clarified in the Act

The amended Act also sets out the rules regarding landlords’ visits to the apartment. Landlords may still visit the apartment to check its condition and carry out maintenance and upkeep work. As has been the case up to now, the aim is to agree on such visits with the tenant in advance.

However, if the matter is urgent and no mutually convenient time can be found, the landlord has the right to enter the apartment without prior agreement on the time. In such cases, a notice will always be left in the flat stating the time and reason for the visit, as well as contact details for further information.

The law also brings other changes

If a landlord terminates a tenancy agreement, the so-called extended notice period will be reduced from six months to four months as a result of the legislative reform. The extended notice period applies only if the tenancy has lasted for at least two years without interruption.

The shorter notice period for landlords remains at three months. This applies to tenancies that have lasted for less than two years. It is important to note that the changes to notice periods automatically apply to tenancy agreements entered into after the Act comes into force. The change does not apply to existing tenancy agreements.

The tenant’s notice period remains unchanged at one month.

A new provision is that, in future, the landlord may also terminate the tenancy agreement on the grounds of other extremely compelling reasons. In legal terms, such ‘other extremely compelling reasons’ may include, for example, the tenant committing a serious violent offence in the immediate vicinity of the flat or building, to the extent that the neighbours’ domestic peace and sense of security are jeopardised.

The Act also allows for the clarification of practices regarding electronic communication between the landlord and the tenant. Implementation requires that VAV and the tenant agree on the matter together. For the time being, VAV will continue to use its usual methods of communication.

If you have any questions regarding your tenancy, the best way to contact us is via OmaVAV. You can also contact our customer service team by telephone.