Moving out

When your rental agreement is coming to an end, the housing manager will inspect your residence. As a rule, the inspection is carried out during the notice period, i.e. before the termination of the rental agreement. You are not required to be present at the inspection, but we would recommend that you exercise your right to attend. If you would like to attend the inspection, please contact your property manager to agree on a suitable time for the inspection. If a time has not been separately arranged, the property manager will inform you of the time of the inspection.

You can find the housing manager’s contact information on VAV’s housing site [LINKKI], the OmaVAV service [LINKKI] or your building’s noticeboard. The best way to reach the housing manager is by e-mail..

If you have not provided VAV with your bank account number for the return of your deposit in connection with the termination, you should send a written and signed notification thereof to VAV.

Return of the deposit

If you have paid a deposit for your apartment, it will be returned during the month following the termination of your rental agreement, provided that:

• The apartment, including storage, is empty and properly cleaned. You can find separate cleaning instructions on the next page.
• If the apartment includes a garden, it must be in good condition and emptied of extra objects.
• All keys must be returned to the maintenance company by noon of the working day after the termination of the rental agreement. If you wish, you can return your keys to the maintenance company earlier.
• The inspection has not revealed any defects to be remedied by the tenant. For instance, if it has been necessary to remove a ceiling socket when installing a light, it must be replaced.
• All liabilities for payments to VAV pertaining to the tenancy have been fulfilled.

If you have fitted blinds, a safety lock or a spyhole in the residence, you should leave them in place. When disconnecting a dishwasher or washing machine, you should plug the connections to avoid water damage and replace cupboard doors and shelves.

Any agreements with the next tenant regarding equipment or furniture to be left in the flat must be made in writing.

If necessary, you can ask your housing manager for more information.

Cleaning instructions for the end of your tenancy

As the tenant, you are responsible for the final cleaning of the residence before moving out. If the final cleaning has not been done properly, the landlord will have the right to deduct the resulting costs from your deposit or charge you for them.

In addition to cleaning before moving out, you must remove all of your possessions from the flat, the basement cage, the balcony, and the bicycle or buggy storages. Unwanted items may not be left in the waste shelter; they should be taken to a Sortti station or recycling centre. You can find the contact information of Sortti stations on the HSY website [LINKKI].

What to remember when cleaning the apartment

The apartment in general:

• Clean the floors with a vacuum cleaner, wipe them clean using detergent and remove potential stains.
• Wipe doors, walls, cupboards, shelves, drawers, doorframes and surfaces and remove potential stains. Weather permitting, clean the windows. You can always clean the windows on the inside.
• Clean air vents, a slot air valve in either a wall or a window.

Kitchen:

• Clean the stove and oven, and hoover and clean behind the stove.
• Clean the oven grilles and trays.
• Defrost and clean the refrigerator and freezer. Be careful not to allow melting water onto the floor. Remember to switch off both the refrigerator and the freezer, and leave their doors open.
• Clean the extractor hood.
• Remove and clean the grease filter of the extractor hood.
• Clean the sink.
• Wash the waste containers.
• Wipe cupboards, drawers and surfaces, on both the inside and the outside.

Bathroom and sauna:

• Clean the floor drain.
• Clean the toilet bowl and sink.
• Clean the mirrors and other surfaces.
• Wipe the walls and floors.
• Clean the seats and floor of the sauna.

Remember also

If you have fitted your own dishwasher in the flat, remember to replace the original cupboard belonging to the kitchen furniture. In order to avoid water damage, remember to block water pipe and drain connections when removing your dishwasher. If necessary, contact the maintenance company for further information on blocking the connections. If you notice abnormalities in bathroom or sauna surface materials or spot leaking water fittings during the cleaning, please report the problem immediately to the maintenance company.

The housing manager will inspect the flat once it is empty. If the flat is left uncleaned or has not been properly cleaned, VAV will have the flat cleaned by a professional cleaning service and send you an invoice for the work. VAV will also invoice you, if you have left connections unblocked, the flat has been damaged, there are items of furniture missing, or you have left materials in the waste shelter that do not belong there.