The Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings will be renewed – so what?

Housing, Kylä magazine, News / 6.11.2023

Text: Jenna Pigg | Pictures: Mari Mansikkamäki, Visual Friday Oy

The purpose of the Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings is to give tenants decision-making power and an opportunity to influence matters related to their own housing. Of Soihtu locations, only the Kortepohja Student Village was built with state support, but the law is also applied for other buildings, where applicable.

The Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings defines, among other things, the tasks and rights of the Tenants’ Council. On January 1st, 2024, the Act will be renewed, so that the decision-making power of residents will be strengthened. The revised law also gives the possibility to deviate from the implementation method stipulated in the Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings, in the case of housing for special groups, such as student housing, if the participation of the tenants can be better ensured in this way. Over the past year, the Finnish Associations of Student Housing Organisations (SOA) and the Finnish Youth Housing Association (NAL) have carried out a study on what this could mean for student and youth housing.

The aim of both the reform of the Act and adding the mention about exceptions regarding special groups is the same: to make it as accessible and easy as possible for tenants to have a say in matters concerning their own housing. So feel free to get involved – it’s easy to do, for example, at the November Tenants’ meetings!