Living in Pori

Read on to get some helpful tips to get settled into your new life in Pori, including info on renting, driver’s licenses, public transport, setting up a bank account and more!

Renting

In Finland, housing options include rental (vuokra-asunto), right-of-occupancy (asumisoikeusasunto), or owner-occupied (omistusasunto) homes. In Prices are generally higher in larger cities compared to smaller towns.

The usual rental deposit is equal to either 1x or 2x the monthly rent of the apartment. It is quite common to have a one-year contract, and if you terminate the lease before the end of the term, a fee for breaking the lease is required – although some accommodations have no fixed term before being able to end the contract. READ YOUR CONTRACT CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING – IT IS BINDING. Additionally, the standard notice period for ending the lease is one month (approximately 30 days) but can vary.

Rental homes are advertised online by cities, municipalities, private companies, and individual landlords. Be prepared to only be able to see a few apartments each week, as tenants must be given ample notice that a unit will be shown. Often, empty apartments will hold group showings, often visible in the listing. Almost without fail, the resident must pay the deposit and show proof of home insurance before receiving the keys. Keep in mind that apartments in Finland do not include lamps, curtains or other furniture and accessories, unless otherwise specified.

Please be aware, that most landlords will not rent to foreigners still living abroad, since the contract is not enforceable across borders. Be prepared to secure temporary accommodations until you can rent an apartment. A great resource to find temporary housing is through the Facebook groups (International Students in Poria and International Pori People).

Some short term rentals or apartment hotels available in Pori are:

• Omena hotels
• Torget Aparthotel
• AirBnB
• Forenom
• Kotimaailma

Where to find available housing?

There are several websites for advertising rental housing in Finland:

If you are a student

Porin YH-Asunnot Oy provides affordable and comfortable student housing options, including shared apartments, studios, and 1-2 bedroom units in Pori.

Settling Into Your Apartment: What Every Tenant Should Know

1. Acquire home insurance: insurance can be obtained through many different providers and is required when renting. It not only covers losses to personal property in the home as well as items such as bicycles and cell phones, but damage caused accidentally within the unit. Home or renter’s insurance can be purchased as basic or full coverage. Most landlords require full coverage insurance – check your rental contract or ask your landlord. 
2. Connect utilities: some common utilities may include water, electricity and/or heating, parking (with or without power), sauna days, personal garage stall, internet service and cable TV. Some apartments include this in the rent; some add it on to the rent and some require you to get your own service provider. Sometimes utilities, such as water are listed at a set rate per person per month and are usually paid to the landlord with the rent. NB! Heating can be a major expense during the winter months. Ask for approximate heating costs if they are not included in your rent (kaukolämpö).
3. Getting the keys: be prepared to show your proof of insurance and receipt of payment in order to get your keys. If your landlord agrees to do the initial walk-through with you, it will help avoid surprises later. If not, try to film a walkthrough on your phone before moving items into the apartment to point out broken, damaged or worn areas. You may have to report these in writing to the rental agent within a specified time.
4. Follow House Rules: in your move-in papers, you will find the house rules regarding things like smoking, pets, quiet times, sorting trash, and common area usage. If you are reported to break the rules often, you might face fines or eviction.
5. Many different entities are involved in apartment building living: the apartment owner, the landlord, the rental agency, the maintenance company and maybe even some other company. Each entity covers a different aspect of your apartment. Be sure to read your contract and any additional information carefully to find out who to contact in every situation. Make sure you also store the contact information of these entities in your phone, in case you are locked out or need help when you cannot otherwise get the information.
6. Using shared facilities: In apartments, there are often shared facilities which might include areas such as storage cages, laundry facilities, saunas, bike storage room, drying room, etc. Remember, you are responsible for your own use and cleaning of the shared facilities. Try to be mindful that other people also need the facilities and sometimes, there is a sign-up sheet or even an additional cost associated with use.
7. It is the responsibility of the tenant to inform the management if they see an issue in the building. Make sure you are aware of your surroundings to ensure a comfortable living environment.
8. Leaving: understand how to end your lease if you need to. Usually, this must be in writing, but for many landlords, an e-mail will be accepted. Know the rules for giving notice and any fees you might have to pay.

Getting around

Opening and Using a Bank Account in Finland

Most large banks in Finland offer services in English. Online banking is by far the most common form of banking in Finland and is often used as a form of online identification. Many businesses no longer accept cash and online banking credentials are necessary to make online payments, unless you pay high transaction fees at places such as R-kioski.

To open an account, you’ll need to visit your chosen bank in person. To schedule an appointment, check the bank’s website and request one online. If you don’t speak Finnish or English, it’s important to bring a licensed interpreter with you. The bank will ask you to provide all required documentation, which varies among banks.

Once you have opened an account, you can request bank statements in English, Finnish, or Swedish, along with online banking codes for remote access, activate strong electronic identification methods, and ask for instructions for using your bank card and bank application.

Many banks also no longer handle cash, so check beforehand if you plan to deposit cash regularly. Cash points/ATMs (pankkiautomaatti) are branded Otto and Nosto. At the ATM, you can withdraw and often also deposit cash.


Here are some banks operating in the city of Pori:

Social support

Summer meals for school aged children and teens

The city of Pori, in collaboration with its partners, provides summer meals for school aged children and teens in Pori. Since 2019, free meals have been available each summer for children and teens between the ages of 7 and 18.

The primary aim of this initiative is to support the well-being of children and young people by providing lunch and sometimes the possibility of taking home leftover food. A few important things to know:

• Bring your own dishes and cutlery

• The food is prepared lactose-free, other special diets cannot be taken into account

• Limited number of servings available

• No enrolment required

• A wide range of associations, churches and city operators are responsible for the arrangements of the dining places

• Possible accompanying program can be found in a separate calendar

• You can dine in any area, regardless of where you live

• Locations can be found here.

Clothing & other material assistance for families

Family Flea Market at Otava (Otava PerheKirppis)

The products provided by the family flea market are free of charge. They have received them as donations from kind-hearted individuals and companies and are happy to give them to those in need, but not for resale purposes. You can shop anonymously; they only keep a list of the products distributed and the number of visitors. Hours of operation can be found on their page (Finnish only).

Food aid

Foodaid.fi is a service for those seeking and organizing food aid – food bags provided to the needy. The website provides up-to-date information on food distributions, food aid events and hot meal opportunities in your chosen region.

These happenings are announced by the registered distributors of the food aid, so most announcements are written in Finnish. Each event listing includes details, such as location, dates, times and what type of event it is. The organizing party may also list additional services they offer, so make sure to check it out.

The Church Resources Agency, in collaboration with its partners, provides the Foodaid.fi service. Hundreds of organizations across Finland use the platform to organize various food aid events and community meals.

Flea markets, second-hand and thrift stores

Second-hand culture is a large part of Finnish society. People rent stalls from thrift stores to sell their own items, or the store either buys or receives gifted items to resell. Below are some thrift stores operating in Pori, where you can find low-cost second-hand items. Additionally, several websites and Facebook groups are available for buying and selling second-hand items.

There are numerous flea markets and second-hand stores in Pori. For the most up-to-date listings, you can check comprehensive listings of all area thrift stores, such as this one (Finnish only).

Online second hand in Finland

• Tori (Finnish only)
• Huuto (Finnish only)
• Vinted
• Bought

Facebook groups:

• Vaihtorinki (Sell, buy, trade group)
• International students in Pori
• Roskalava (Dumpster group – things people are ready to throw away, items are free)
• Rehdin kaupan reko Pori Group (farm to table food and product group – pick-up/purchase in SAMK parking lot on Thursdays!)

Kela Benefits

KELA stands for Kansaneläkelaitos, which directly translated, means the pension facility of the people. KELA is the Social Insurance Institution of Finland – covering most benefit payments to citizens and residents. Generally, in order to receive KELA benefits, you must be a permanent resident of Finland and be granted a municipality of residence by DVV.

However, every case is unique, so speak with one of their specialists to confirm if you can get a KELA card. If you belong to the Finnish social security system and have a KELA card, you can apply for financial assistance in various life situations. Check out the categories of benefits at Kela’s site, benefit categories are listed as Life Situations under the picture on the front page.