Valkeakosken Asunnot Oy is the local student accommodation provider. There are two student apartment buildings offered by Valkeakosken Asunnot Oy (Lempääläntie and Pajutie). Both buildings are close to the campus and are not far away from the city centre of Valkeakoski, about 3 km from there.

The number of student apartments from Valkeakosken Asunnot is limited. However, we encourage all the degree students to first fill in the application for Valkeakoski Asunnot. Note that as we are receiving an increasing number of international students over the years, as a degree student, you should always send out multiple applications to other accommodation providers at the same time, to avoid facing a situation where you arrive in Finland without an accommodation. It is also good to know that there are no family apartments available from Valkeakosken Asunnot.

Application to Valkeakosken Asunnot Oy

Degree students: fill in the online application. In case you have problems with the online application, please contact Valkeakosken Asunnot via email. The results of applications for autumn will be announced by email in May-August. If you are applying for a shared apartment with your friend, please submit only one application.

Exchange students: You will be provided the info how to apply.

Housing offers and rent 

Rental agreements will be made without an ending date. You can submit the application to Valkeakosken Asunnot whenever you want. The application is valid for 3 months, after that you can renew your application. Do not send multiple applications during the same period of time (within 3 months). You need a study certificate or a copy of the letter of admission from HAMK to proof that you are a student. You can send it by email after you have submitted the application. Apartments, which are available, will be given to students whose applications are up to date.

The rent level in Valkeakoski Asunnot Oy is between €370 and – 580/person/month depending on the accommodation location and condition.

NB: The tenant is not allowed to sublet apartments. The rental agreement can be cancelled due to misuse. You may have a roommate, but the rental contract will be made with one person only.

If Valkeakosken Asunnot cannot offer you a flat from the student apartment buildings, there are also other options they can offer. Electricity is not included in the rents for the other flats. To get electricity you must make a contract with asiakaspalvelu@lannenomavoima.fi, which will charge you based on consumption (+ basic fee). Read more at the Important Information for Degree Students section below.

Equipment, furniture, and services 

Only the shared apartments have furniture and lamps. In most cases you must take care of furnishing the apartment yourself (see the section Important Information for Degree Students below). The rent includes electricity, water, and a 10 M internet connection, although you have to supply the modem yourself. There is no washing machine in the student apartments, but at Pajutie and Lempääläntie there is a laundry room, which is free of charge. One private laundry is located at Lempääläntie 19. You can buy your own washing machine and get help with its installation from the maintenance company. The apartment sizes in Valkeakoski vary from one to two rooms with a kitchen and bathroom.

Confirmation of the accommodation 

Once you are offered an apartment, you must reply without hesitation, whether you accept or reject the offer. The rental agreement will be sent to you by email. You need to sign, scan, and send it back via email. After this, you have one week’s time to pay the security deposit invoice sent to you. Please remember to mention the invoice’s reference number in the payment description.

If you do not have a Finnish social security number, you can pay the deposit to Valkeakoski Asunnot’s bank account. If you have a Finnish social security number, you can open a deposit account and deliver a pawn certificate of the account to Valkeakosken Asunnot.

If you don’t send back the rental agreement or pay the deposit on time, the rental agreement will become invalid, and the apartment will be offered to the next applicant.

Home insurance 

All students will have to take home insurance which is not included in the rent. Here are some insurance companies that you can consult about home insurance: Turva I Pohjala.

Your apartment keys 

When you arrive at Valkeakoski and you’ve got an apartment from Valkeakosken Asunnot Oy, you should first go to their office and get the key for your apartment. Inform the office about your arrival time in advance by email to Valkeakosken Asunnot.

The opening hours of the office of Valkeakosken Asunnot Oy: Mon-Fri 9:00 – 12.00. Please make an appointment if you will be there later in the afternoon.

Rules and regulations 

There are some rules and regulations that you should be aware of before renting a student apartment, so that you can be prepared to live in, and take care of your apartment.

• ​Pay the rent by the agreed due date. Remember to include reference number in the payment description.
• Take good care of your apartment​
• Inform a landlord about damages or other problems in the apartment as soon as possible​
• Do not lose your keys. If that happens, inform your landlord immediately​
• Compensate for any damages that were caused due to carelessness or disregard.  ​
• You are responsible for your guest’s behaviour and possible damages they have caused.​
• Remember to respect other residents and follow the rules set by a housing cooperative.​
• A language barrier is not an excuse for not taking care of your responsibilities. It is your responsibility to ask for help if you do not understand rules, documents, etc.​

Contact information

Valtakatu 22-24, 37600, Valkeakoski

Monday–Friday: 9 am – 12 am

If you would like to visit the office between 12 am – 3.30 pm, make sure to schedule an appointment beforehand. The office is closed during the weekends.

You can also send your questions to your degree programme’s emails.

For International Business: internationalbusiness@hamk.fi

For Electrical and Automation: electricalandautomation@hamk.fi

VLK-Asunnonvälitys Oy is a private rental apartment company. All students can apply. You can check all the available apartments on their website and fill in the application accordingly. Mention in the application that you are an international degree student from HAMK, so that the staff member is aware of your student status and can offer you the support accordingly.

Contact person:            

Ms. Hanna Johansson

+358 400 104 120

hanna.johansson@vlk-asunnonvalitys.fi

Kodisto Valkeakoski is private rental apartment company. It is recommended for non-EU degree students. And note that you will need a Finnish personal code to start making an application. The code is on your residence permit. For EU/EEA degree students who have received the code from MIGRI after you have visited the Immigration office in Finland, you can then also fill in the application too.

If there is any technical problem with the Finnish Identity Code going through the application system, you can contact the apartment rental company directly.

Mention in the application (message) that you are an international degree student from HAMK, so that staff member is aware of your student status and can offer you the support accordingly.

Contact info

Kodisto apartment rental

+358 10 389 6049

asunnot@newsec.fi

Asunto-Osuuskunta Sassinmäki is a private rental apartment company. It is recommended for families. There are kindergarten, school, and playground nearby. Most of Sassinmäki apartments are located about an hour by public transport away. Check public transport connection here: https://www.perille.fi/en.

Students who want to share a private rental apartment together can also apply for an apartment from Sassinmäki Apartment. One student fills in the application will be enough.

Mention in the application (message) that you are an international degree student from HAMK, so that staff member is aware of your student status and can offer you the support accordingly.

Contact person:
Jenni Koivisto

+358 40 355 1936

jenni.koivisto@op.fi 

You can also explore the accommodation options from Valkeakosken asuntokanava Facebook group. Note that most of the rental apartments from the Facebook group are rented and operated by private landlords (in comparison to rental companies). Private landlords in Finland usually tend to establish trust with their tenants and wish to get to know more about their tenants beforehand. Therefore, it might take a bit longer time for you to get an apartment from a private landlord.

When to apply for an apartment?

If you are a non-EU degree student, only fill in the application after you have received an appointment invitation from your local Finnish embassy for your residence permit.

For EU/EEA degree students, as you will only visit the Finnish Immigration office after you arrive in Finland, you can and should start sending out applications right after you have received a letter of acceptance from HAMK.

In any case, you must apply for an apartment before you book a flight to Finland. 

Even though you may see a text on the website of Valkeakosken Asunnot that their apartments are full at the moment, you must submit an application to get into the queue.

***

Student apartments vs. private rental apartments

There is some good convenience for living in a student apartment, but private rental apartments have its advantages as well, such as more connection with the locals, more varieties of room types, getting used to the independent lifestyles, especially if you plan to stay in Finland long term, even after you graduate from HAMK.

Private rental apartments do not usually have furniture, lamps, washing machine or internet connection. Electricity and water will be paid separately in most cases. Private companies might charge a payment for delivering the apartment.

Room types

When searching for an apartment, you will notice such term as “3h+k” or “2h+k”. “h” means room and “k” means kitchen. In Finland, common living area/the living room is counted as one room. Therefore, 3h + k means there are 2 bedrooms, 1 living room and 1 kitchen. 2h + k means 1 bedroom, 1 living room and a kitchen. Always consult with the rental companies/landlords if you have questions regarding the type of the apartment.

Electricity

Electricity and water are included in the student apartments provided by Valkeakosken Asunnot Oy and Tampere Housing Student Foundation TOAS.

Electricity and water are not included in the rent for the private rental apartments. In order to connect to the electricity, you must sign a contract with the electricity provider. After you have signed a rental contract with the private rental company and paid the deposit for your apartment, you can request an electricity contract from asiakaspalvelu@lannenomavoima.fi. You will receive electricity bills from the provider on a monthly or a seasonal base. The cost of electricity in Finland has two parts: electricity sales and electricity distribution. You can choose to purchase electricity from any vendor who offers electricity to your region, but you cannot choose the electricity distributor.

Home insurance

No matter from which provider you have signed your contract with, all students will have to take home insurance for the apartment which is not included in the rent. Here are some insurance companies that you can consult about home insurance: Turva I Pohjola.

Furnish your apartment

Usually, only student apartments for exchange students come with furniture in the rooms. And the furnished apartments are charged with extra by a monthly fee. Therefore, if you are a degree student who lives in Finland for more than 3 months, it is usually wiser to furnish the apartment on your own.

There are several second-hand stores, where you can buy items for furnishing your apartment at a student friendly price.

Buy and Sell Valkeakoski Facebook group

Lähetyskirppis flea market 
Antinniementie 1, 37630 Valkeakoski
Tue and Fri 10–16, Thu 10–18
(e.g., dishes, beds and clothes)

SPR flea market
SPR Facebook group
Torikatu 2, 37600 Valkeakoski
Mon, Tue and Fri 10–13, Wed-Thu 14–17
(e.g. dishes)

Kierrätysmyymälä TANKKI (recycling centre)
Huhtakatu 16
Mon-Fri 8.30-15.45
(eg. furniture)

Walkkistori flea market

Walkkikistori Facebook group
Apiankatu 2
Mon-Fri 10–18, Sat 10–16
(e.g., furniture)

If you arrive before your lease starts, there are some options where you can stay for a short term in Valkeakoski (Recommended duration: from a few days up to a week).

Hotel Waltikka

Haave apartments

Both accommodations are located in the city center, about 3 km from the campus.

If you need help with getting an accommodation for your studies at Valkeakoski campus, you can contact arrival@hamk.fi. However, please note that the arrival team can only guide you to the sources of information and you have to actively apply for apartments yourself.

It is also possible to share a private rental apartment together with other new degree students. If you wish to find such roommates or have other Valkeakoski accommodation related matters to discuss with other students, you can join this WhatsApp support group: VLK Accommodation Support Summer 2022.