JYY’s Council of Representatives decision on 1.12.2020: Service fee will no longer be charged from tenants moving out of an apartment due to renovation, service fees for Tower Building tenants will be refunded
At its meeting on 1 December 2020, the University of Jyväskylä Student Union’s Council of Representatives decided that the service fees (former transfer fees) charged in connection with the renovation of the Kortepohja Student Village buildings A-D (in 2017-2020) will be refunded based on applications during 2021. The Council of Representatives also decided that in the future, if the reason for changing apartments is health, an increase in the family size, renovation or some other reason depending on the landlord, no service fee will be charged. It is considered that changing apartments is due to renovation when JYY has terminated the tenants’ rental contract.
JYY will start paying the refunds in February 2021.
The service fee policy has applied to all apartment changes within the same housing type
Throughout the history of the Kortepohja Student Village, owned by the Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä, tenants have had a change to change apartments free of charge when moving for instance from a shared apartment to a studio apartment or when the reason for moving is increasing family size or health reasons. Otherwise, JYY has charged a service fee of 55 euros. Until 2020, the service fee (formerly the transfer fee) has also applied to tenants changing apartments because of Village renovations.
What is the service fee all about?
JYY has strived for arranging a new apartment in the Student Village or Vehkakuja for students moving out due to renovation. A landlord is not obliged to do so, but JYY has wanted to offer its tenants the most comprehensive service package possible. Soihtu is responsible for renting of JYY’s apartments and for the related services.
The purpose of the service fee has been to cover some of JYY’s personnel and administrative expenses caused by apartment changes that include a lot of extra work. This has enabled, for example, lower rent increases in the annual budgets. JYY’s Board reviewed the need for service fees already in 2017, but at that time the service fee policy was considered justified. However, the policy made by JYY’s Council of
Representatives at its meeting on 1 December 2020 will change the practice. In the future, tenants who change apartments due to renovation after JYY has terminated their rent contract, are not obliged to pay the service fee.
The refund of the service fee (formerly the transfer fee) only applies to the tenants of the buildings A-D in the Kortepohja Student Village, whose rental contract has been terminated by JYY due to renovation of the building and who have been charged a service fee.
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