Accommodation
Excluding the accommodation services to post-Master's level international researchers, students and trainees at the CIMO halls of residence in Helsinki and Espoo (see below), CIMO does not act as an accommodation services office. However, we have gathered some links for you to assist you in your search for student accommodation.
You are always best advised to first enquire about accommodation possibilities directly from the University/UAS in Finland you will be studying at, or from the local student housing foundation.
Student housing foundations
Student accommodation in Finland, for both exchange and degree students, is usually organised by established student housing foundations. In some university towns accommodation can also be arranged through the student unions themselves, or through regional student clubs or faculty organisations. Many towns and municipalities also have dormitories maintained by the municipal community or the educational institution.
For general information on student housing in Finland, please visit the web site of Finnish Student Housing Ltd (SOA). On the SOA page, you can also find the web sites of the student housing organisations in different locations in Finland.
You can contact the international office of your chosen educational institution in Finland for information on student housing options at your future study location. Note that, especially in the autumn term when many new students are moving in to start their studies, there may be long queues for student flats. Therefore it is recommended that you apply for student housing well in advance of your arrival to Finland. Usually you can start this process once you have received your letter of acceptance. Your hosting Finnish university/UAS can advise you on the local student housing opportunities, if necessary.
How much does student housing cost per month?
The monthly rent varies from one study location to another, and also depending on the size and type of the student flat in question. The average monthly rent for a single room in a shared student flat ranges from approximately 160€ to 340€ (according to the 2010 SOA statistics). Single apartments or family flats are also available, but the rent rate is higher in these non-shared apartments.
Detailed information on monthly rent rates is available from the student housing foundations directly. Your Finnish home university/UAS can also assist you in accommodation-related questions.
Arranging your own housing
While it is of course possible to arrange your housing independently, for example by searching for rented flats on the open market, this can be difficult to achieve – especially before you have actually arrived in Finland. Also, this may be considerably more expensive than the available student housing options. However, if you are interested in this option, please refer to the Infopankki link (at the right-hand margin of this page) for hints and advice.
Also, you may search for available flats on the open market through the Lyyra rentals housing service.
CIMO halls of residence in the Helsinki area
CIMO offers accommodation services to international researchers, students and trainees in three halls of residence. Two of the halls are in Helsinki and one in Otaniemi, Espoo, in the Helsinki metropolitan area. For more information, please see the CIMO organisational website. Please note that the CIMO halls of residence are primarily targeted to postgraduate students and researchers, and that CIMO only has a limited number of housing facilities available.
NB: you cannot make reservations or inquire about possible vacancies at the CIMO halls of residence via the CIMO Information Services. You need to contact the halls of residence managers directly. You can find their contact details on the above-mentioned CIMO web page.