Accommodation
Please note that it is your responsibility to arrange accommodation for yourself.
We advice you to apply for accommodation as early as possible to make sure that you have an accommodation when you arrive. Finding affordable accommodation can be difficult especially in the autumn semester so the earlier you apply, the better your chances of getting a place to stay are. Please note that student housing is not guaranteed for students by the University.
It is recommended to have some cash with you when you arrive to be able to take care of e.g. miscellaneous starting items when setting up your new home.
Housing in Finland is of high quality. All houses have central heating and inside temperatures remains comfortably at +20°C even when it is -20°C outside. Triple-glazed windows and heavy doors ensure that heat stays inside and the cold is kept outside.
Student housing providers in Tampere
Tampere Student Housing Foundation, TOAS
Tampere University does not own student dormitories nor are there any on-campus dormitories in Tampere. The main student housing provider for students is Tampere Student Housing Foundation (TOAS). TOAS offers high-quality dorm rooms at a student-friendly price including free internet and other fairly priced services (car sharing, car park, TOAS gyms).
Please visit TOAS website for detailed information on their services and the application process. Remember to read through the application instructions properly before submitting your application.
Pirkan Opiskelija-asunnot
Pirkan Opiskelija-asunnot (POAS) is a limited nonprofit company owned by the City of Tampere. The company owns over 30 housing complexes around the city. The flats are rented to students at the schools in Tampere and the Pirkanmaa region.
Other rental companies in Tampere
Besides student housing, you can also check the following housing options from the open market. Please note that these housing options are offered by private organisations.
- Lumo
- SATO
- VTS-kodit
- OVV asuntopalvelut
- M2-Kodit (apartment listings only in Finnish)
- Kuuskodit (website only in Finnish)
Private sector accommodation
Available housing is advertised mainly online and through agents. Finding housing can be time-consuming, as advertisements are often in Finnish. To get an idea of the rent levels etc., you can check out for example the Vuokraovi website that has the search functionalities and ads in English, too.
The minimum rental period is usually 12 months for a private market apartment. This means that you are not allowed to terminate the rental agreement during the first year.
Rental apartments are almost always unfurnished, and in order to rent an apartment a deposit (equivalent to 1–3 months of rent) is usually required. The deposit is returned when you leave the apartment, providing that you have paid the rent and kept the apartment in good condition.
We recommend that you always make a written rental contract with the landlord, and when renting an apartment from a private person you should not pay rents in advance before seeing the apartment first.
In the Tampere region, rental prices in the private sector are typically twice as high as in the student housing providers' prices. In addition to the monthly rent, there are other monthly costs which you should keep in mind when budgeting for accommodation (e.g. electricity, water fee, home insurance, internet connection).
Additional info on housing
More information on housing in Finland, useful tips as well as housing rules and regulations is available at Living in Finland.
Should you need temporary accommodation when you arrive, in addition to the traditional hotels, you can check, for example, the Student's Tampere temporary housing offers as well. Student's Tampere has occasional listings of available private sector housing, too. Please note that all housing costs are your own responsibility. TREY can sometimes (depending on places available) help you with emergency housing.
Please note, that if you arrive at night or during a weekend, it may be a good option to stay at a hotel or hostel for a couple of nights to allow for some time for any necessary arrangements for your permanent place.