Required Disclosures and Appendices in Finland

Governed by the Act on Residential Leases (481/1995), which took effect on 1 May 1995, the Finnish rental market emphasizes transparency and "good rental practice." While it does not require a massive pile of hidden disclosure obligations, certain statutory and housing company-related documents are mandatory "required disclosures" that every landlord must provide when listing a property or signing a lease.

1. Energy Performance Certificate (Energiatodistus)

The general obligation to acquire and use an energy certificate for a building is stipulated in Section 2 of the Act on the Energy Certificate of a Building (50/2013). For sales or rental situations, Section 6 of the same Act requires that a valid energy certificate for the building or its part must be available for inspection by the potential buyer or tenant during the viewing, and a copy must be provided to them.

• Marketing phase: Public advertisements for sale or rent must mention the energy efficiency class of the property (e.g., A, B, or F).
• Making the lease agreement: The landlord must ensure that the potential resident has been given the opportunity to review the energy certificate. Mostly, this PDF or copy of the energy certificate is added directly as a standard appendix to the lease agreement. Neglect can result in administrative penalty fees from the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA).

2. House Rules and Housing Company Regulations (Järjestyssäännöt)

The most typical form of living in owned rental apartments in Finnish cities is a Limited Liability Housing Company (Asunto-osakeyhtiö, As Oy). The Housing Companies Act (1599/2009) strongly influences the use of the apartment, and as a shareholder (landlord), you are obliged to inform the user of the rules:

• Housing Company's House Rules: Strict restrictions on noise and silence demands in apartment building living must be provided to the tenant upon moving in. If the tenant is later punished (eviction) for a disturbing life emanating from the apartment after 22:00, handing over the house rules and informing about them as an appendix serves as a central basis in court that the tenant knew the allowed restrictions.

3. Condition of the Apartment and Original Description (Initial Inspection)

The legal requirement of "good condition of the apartment" (Act on Residential Leases, Section 20) means that the apartment must be in such a condition as the tenant can reasonably demand, taking into account the age of the apartment, the housing stock in the area, and other local conditions, unless otherwise agreed.

While not explicitly mandated by law as a statutory disclosure, a separate condition report or Initial Inspection Protocol (Alkutarkastuspöytäkirja) is a recommended practice to document the apartment's condition before the start of the tenancy. This documentation can help protect the landlord regarding possible claims for damages under Section 25 of the Act on Residential Leases. It typically lists in writing (and often with photographs) the current condition of the property and is attached alongside the contract with a signature.

4. Smoking Ban (Tupakointikielto)

Under Section 78 of the Tobacco Act (549/2016), housing companies have the authority to apply to the municipality for apartment-specific smoking bans (e.g., for balconies). If a smoking ban is legally imposed by the municipality based on the housing company's application, this condition should be brought to the applicant's attention in the lease agreement's appendices or conditions, ensuring the tenant is aware of the prohibition. Non-compliance with regulations concerning health or order can be a ground for lease termination under Section 61, paragraph 1, point 6 of the Act on Residential Leases (481/1995).

Automating Appendices in the Cloud with the Landager Concept

Manual sharing of papers based on memory invariably causes forgetfulness (e.g., the energy certificate is left unattached in a hastily cobbled-together Word contract). Such an error can cost large sums of fines in ARA's raids. Landager's software binds mandatory public energy certificates directly to the property's registry data. When the system forms a lease agreement according to the Finnish standard, it produces digitally bundled documentation. The platform requires ticking "I have received appendix X and Y (House Rules and Energy Certificate)", leaving a legally binding vault confirmed by strong authentication in the landlord's cloud - ensuring carefree rental operations and administrative perfection in the eyes of supervision.

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