Act on Residential Leases to Be Renewed – What will change?
The Act on Residential Leases is changing – what does it mean for you?
The legislation governing residential leases will change on 1 October 2026. The reform introduces clearer rules for rental housing, including electronic communications, reporting the people living in the apartment, smoking, the return of rental deposits and moving-out dates.
Some of the changes will also apply to existing tenancy agreements, while others will only apply to new agreements. Below, we have summarised the most important changes from a student tenant’s perspective.
Changes that also apply to existing tenancy agreements
1. Smoking is prohibited by default
From 1 October 2026, smoking will be prohibited by default inside rental apartments, on balconies reserved for the tenant’s private use and in other outdoor areas belonging to the apartment. Smoking is permitted only if the landlord has given permission and it is not prohibited by other legislation, an authority’s order or, for example, the articles of association of the housing company.
The prohibition applies not only to conventional tobacco products but also to the use of electronic cigarettes and the smoking of herbal products intended for smoking.
The smoking prohibition also applies to other people living in the apartment, as well as guests and other people who are in the apartment or its associated areas with the tenant’s permission.
The new default rule on smoking also applies to tenancy agreements concluded before 1 October 2026. Going forward, the default rule is that smoking is prohibited unless the landlord has given permission.
2. Let us know who lives in your apartment
From 1 October 2026, tenants will have a statutory obligation to inform the landlord about the people living in the apartment.
The tenant must provide written information on the number of people living in the apartment and the basis on which each person has the right to live there. For adult occupants, the tenant must also provide their name, date of birth and contact details. The obligation also applies, for example, to subtenants.
If you have not previously informed Kuopas about the people living in your apartment, submit the information by secure email.
If the people living in your apartment change later, you must inform Kuopas of the changes.
3. A time limit will apply to the return of the rental deposit
As a general rule, the rental deposit must be returned within 14 days after the tenancy has ended.
If all or part of the deposit is withheld, the tenant must be informed in writing within the same time limit of the reason for withholding the deposit and provided with an estimate of the amount of the claim to be covered by the deposit.
The deposit may still be used in accordance with the tenancy agreement and the law, for example to cover unpaid rent or damage for which the tenant is responsible.
Make sure Kuopas has your up-to-date bank account number and contact details.
Changes that depend on when your tenancy agreement was concluded
4. Official communication goes digital
The reform updates communications during a tenancy to reflect modern communication methods. In the future, notices and other communications relating to a tenancy can be delivered electronically more extensively than before.
The change also applies to important tenancy-related notices that are subject to specific requirements concerning how they must be served.
Kuopas will implement broader electronic communication for agreements taking effect on or after 1 October 2026.
For tenancy agreements that took effect before 1 October 2026, the current notification practices will continue to apply. Ordinary tenancy-related communications may continue to be sent electronically as before. Notices requiring verifiable service, such as notices of termination, notices of cancellation of a tenancy agreement and warnings, will continue to be delivered in paper form.
5. The default rule for the moving-out date will change
Under the new legislation, the default rule is that the moving-out date is the date on which the tenancy agreement ends. However, the parties may continue to agree on a different moving-out date.
On the moving-out date, the tenant must return possession of the apartment to the landlord as agreed. In practice, this means, among other things, emptying the apartment and returning the keys according to the landlord’s instructions.
6. The landlord’s notice period will be shorter for new agreements
Under tenancy agreements governed by the new rules, the landlord’s notice period will be four months if the tenancy has continued uninterrupted for at least two years immediately before the notice is given. For shorter tenancies, the landlord’s notice period will be three months.
The tenant’s own notice period will not change and will remain one month.
As a general rule, this change does not apply to tenancy agreements concluded before 1 October 2026. This means that the applicable notice period may in future also depend on when the tenancy agreement was concluded.
Other changes
The new legislation also clarifies several other practices relating to tenancies:
- Notification of changes to rent and other charges. Rent increases must be notified in writing, and the notice must state the new rent and the date on which it takes effect. Not all time limits introduced by the new legislation apply to tenancy agreements concluded before 1 October 2026.
- Grounds for cancelling a tenancy agreement. In the future, a tenancy agreement may also be cancelled on the basis of another extremely weighty reason. This applies to exceptionally serious situations – normal sounds of everyday living or a single minor disturbance do not in themselves constitute grounds for cancellation.
- Practices concerning access to the apartment. As a general rule, the time of a visit will continue to be agreed with the tenant. If a mutually suitable time cannot be agreed, the landlord may, in certain situations, notify the tenant of the time of the visit in advance. If the apartment is entered while the tenant is away, a notice of the visit will be left in the apartment.
- Property left in the apartment. The new legislation specifies in greater detail how a landlord may deal with property left in the apartment after the tenancy has ended. When moving out, remember to completely empty the apartment, storage space and any other areas you have used.
What do you need to do?
- Check that Kuopas has your up-to-date contact details.
- Provide the required information about the people living in your apartment.
- Check your tenancy agreement, particularly the terms concerning smoking, electronic communications and the moving-out date.
- If you have any questions, contact us at asiakaspalvelu@kuopas.fi.
The reform of the Act on Residential Leases will enter into force on 1 October 2026. Always check the terms of your own tenancy agreement, as not all changes apply in the same way to agreements concluded before and after the new legislation enters into force.