What tenant rights should movers know in Finland in 2026?

Always prefer a written vuokrasopimus. Oral open-ended leases can be valid, but they are harder to prove; fixed-term oral deals are tightly limited. Details on length, deposit wording, and condition inventories sit in Rental contracts and deposits.

On an until-further-notice lease, the tenant’s notice period is one calendar month and cannot be lengthened by agreement. Notice usually runs from the last day of the calendar month in which you give it, so early-January notice often ends the lease at the end of February. Always give notice in writing and keep proof.

Landlord notice depends on the contract date. For leases concluded on or after 1 October 2026, KKV guidance sets landlord notice at three months, or four months when the tenancy has already run at least two uninterrupted years. For older leases concluded before that date, the familiar pattern is three months, or six months after one uninterrupted year. Landlords cannot shorten those statutory floors by contract language alone.

A vakuus may be at most three months’ rent and is commonly one to two months in practice. It is not the landlord’s spending money. After move-out, return rules tightened in the 2026 package toward prompt repayment with written reasons if any sum is withheld; normal wear and tear is not a free deduction. You cannot skip final rent months because the landlord holds a deposit.

Fixed-term leases generally bind both sides for the stated period. Sublets and furnished bridges still need clear written terms: Furnished rentals and How to rent a home. Scam ads that demand a deposit before a viewing fail basic caution: Avoid rental scams. Municipal and state-subsidised stock follows different selection rules: Social housing.

For disputes with business landlords, start with a written complaint, then Consumer Advisory Services / KKV paths. Private-landlord fights often need negotiation or court rather than the same consumer desk.