Checklist for movers

The purpose of this chekclist is to help students to plan their movings. The move to a first apartment or from an apartment to another is usually large process where it is good to be systematic and take care that the most important things are done early enough.

Moving to your rental flat for the first time

Notification of change of address

When you are moving to a new apartment, you should remeber to make a notification of change of address. This should be done a week after moving to the new apartment at the latest (it can be done a month before your move the soonest). You can make the notification easily on the Internet: www.posti.fi/changeaddress/. You can also send free of charge "I'm moving" post cards within Finland to notify your family and friends about the move.

After you have done the notification, the system will deliver the information automatically to officials (including Kela – the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Finnish Tax Administration, your congregation and the military (if you are a Finnish citizen eligible for military service). In addition, banks, insurance companies, organisations and companies that you have some connections to get your new address details from the Population Information System. You should make sure to notify your job, library, phone operator and friends and relatives about the address change

Kela – Housing Supplement

If you are eligible for student financial aid and the housing supplement, remember to make an application to Kela when you move to your first apartment. You should apply for the financial aid and housing supplement in time, since especially during the autumn it can take a while for the application to get processed. You can send an application even though you do not have the necessary atachments and send them later (or do the appliaction in Kela’s website. More information on student financial aid, eligibility and application can be found from Kela’s website: www.kela.fi/web/en/students.

Electricity agreement

Usually electricity is not part of the rental agreement (with the exception of student housing), but the resident has to make his/her rental agreement himself/herself. You can make an electricity agreement by phoning the electricity company or via Internet. The agreement should be done at least two weeks before moving in.

Internet connection

An apartment without an Internet connection is like Näsijärvi lake without water. Nowadays you can get different kinds of Internet connections for different needs. The operators offer both fixed broadband connections and movable ones (and everything in between). It is recommended to check from your operator what kind of broadband fits your apartment (you can do this for example from the operator’s website). Remeber to get your broadband early enough before you move.

Home Insurance

Several landlords/landladies require that tenants have a home insurance. There are several companies that offer home insurances and you should compare them on price and what they cover.

Help for move

Whether you are moving to Tampere from another Finnish city or from abroad, be prepared to ask for some help for your move. Take advantage of your family and friends and ask them to help. If this is not possible, you should contact some moving firms to get the proper equipment and a move truck. These companies are differently priced so make sure that you compare them before hiring one.

Arrival inspection

Remeber to check the condition of the apartment when you move so you are not blamed for faults that already existed in the apartment before you moved in. The arrival inspection should be done in writing together with the landlord/lady to avoid obscurity. You should also take photos of the bigger flaws and remeber to check the basement and storage spaces too. If you find flaws in the apartment that need to be repaired, you should notify the ladlord/lady about them asap. You should also check that there is a working fire alarm in the apartment.

Things to notify to the property manager

When you move in to the apartment, you should notify the property manager a week after the move at the latest so that s/he knows who is living in the apartment. You can also ask the property manager for a possible parking space if one is not included with the apartment. If there is a common sauna in the building, you can make a reservation for a weekly sauna from the property manager (note that you do not automatically get the weekly sauna turn of the previous tenant).

Moving from an apartment to another

Notification of change of address

Remember to make the notification of change of address: www.posti.fi/changeaddress/. Remember that the notification should be done a week from the move at the latest. Notify your friends and relatives about the move too.

KELA

Remember to notify Kela of the change of housing by using the form reserved for it. The amount of the rent impacts on the amount of the housing supplement. Before applying, check whether or not you are eligible.

Electricity agreement and Internet connection

Remember to notify the electricity company about a change in address or cancel your rental agreement and make a new one to the new address. If you have a fixed broadband Internet connection, you should cancel the Internet agreement and make a new one for the new apartment or notify the operator about the move. You should note, however, that broadband connections might work differently in different addresses.

Move cleaning

Rental agreements generally state that the tenant should clean the apartment before moving out. Thus, return the apartment in a decent and clean condition and remember to empty the possible basement and storage from your belongings.

Move help

Be organised and ask help from your friends and family or hire professionals to help in the matter.

Keys

When moving from the apartment, remember to return the keys of the apartment to the owner. Make sure that all the keys are returned, since the lock serialisation is expensive.

Home insurance

If you have a home insurance (and one is needed in the new apartment as well), check from your insurance company that the one you have is sufficient for the new apartment.

Arrival inspection

Remember to make an arrival inspection while moving. Also check the spaces included in the apartment (basement, storage) and make sure that there is a functioning fire alarm in the apartment. Make a written list of the flaws together with the ladlord/lady.

Property manager

Notify the property manager about the move and remember to book the parking space and weekly sauna from him/her, if needed.

Detached house

If you are moving to a detached house, make sure that you do all the agreements needed (for instance for water, electricity, Internet and waste management). If the house is heated with oil, check the remaining amount of it and respectively if the house warms with electricity, make sure that you put the electricity agreements out to tender.