Housing for doctoral researchers

Doctoral researchers can apply for a rental flat from the city of Helsinki, companies and foundations offering rental flats, and from the private rental market. International researchers moving to Finland from abroad can apply a long-term rental flat from Unihome.

The Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki area (HOAS) always prioritizes undergraduate and graduate students in the housing queues, so doctoral researchers should primarily search for a flat elsewhere, especially at the start of each term when the housing queues are at their longest.

What does it cost to live in Helsinki?

When looking for an apartment, it's good to be prepared for the fact that rental flats especially in the Helsinki city centre area are costly, and the rent alone is usually well over 500 euros per month. Studios apartments are even more expensive.

It's a good idea to also look at options outside the immediate city centre. Rental costs of apartments in the suburbs are usually lower and there is also more variety. The public transportation in the Helsinki area works very well.

Unihome is a university-owned company that offers accommodation services to university visitors, researchers and professors, as well as excellent entry-level accommodation for those coming to Finland for work. Unihome manages all University of Helsinki’s accommodation services as well as the rental flats owned by the University. Please note that if you are an exchange student rather than a degree student, only certain Unihome housing options are available for you. The Unihome website will guide you to the right direction.

Entry hous­ing

While queuing for a long-term rental flat, you can stay at Unihome accommodation locations with easy access to all Campuses. University has special prices. The price varies according to the size of the accommodation and the length of stay.

For more information, please visit the Unihome website.

Long-term rental flats

The University of Helsinki rents unfurnished apartments to its incoming researchers. The flats are rented with a fixed period 12 months and with the option to continue for another 12 months if available.

For more information, please contact housing housing@unihome.fi or tel. +358 50 310 97 05.

In addition to Unihome, it's a good idea to also look for housing options from the open market. Here are a few good guides to help you get started:

• Housing in Helsinki: A newcomers guide to finding a home in the capital: an extensive guide by International House Helsinki, a public regional service dedicated to help international newcomers to settle in Helsinki.
• Flat renting in Helsinki: a website operated by the city of Helsinki with information, checklists, rental vocabulary & lists.

If you need a short-term place to stay while looking for a long-term flat, the Helsinki area has a number of hostels you can book a room from. Airbnb also lists a wide selection of available flats from private owners. And if you've never tried couchsurfing before, that might also be a fun way to start your Helsinki experience while looking for a more permanent home!

Social media channels (especially Facebook) also have numerous privately operated groups where anyone can advertise rental flats – some just for students, some for everyone. A quick Google search will land you a long list of the most popular groups.

Furnish your apartment

Most of the student rooms or apartments are rented unfurnished. There are numerous furniture shops in the Helsinki metropolitan area – Ikea stores, for example, are a good option for affordable furniture and other household items.

Buying second hand is also a great option for super affordable, sustainable furniture shopping. For example Kierrätyskeskus ("Reuse centre"), a not-for-profit company dedicated to recycling furniture, clothes and other household items, has several locations in the metropolitan area. The locations vary in size and selection: if you're looking for large furniture like beds and sofas, choose one of the biggest centres.

You may also want to search local recycling groups in social media for affordable second hand furniture.