It is common for your life situation or needs to change. If you have lived in a Heka rental apartment for at least a year, you can apply to change apartments in the rental apartment search service.
There are two ways to make the change:
- Apply for a change of apartments to one that is becoming available by filling out an application for a Heka rental apartment(Link leads to external service).
- Find an exchange partner at the Apartment Exchange Market (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service) and apply for an exchange with an exchange partner by filling out an application for a mutual apartment exchange(Link leads to external service).
When applying for a change to an apartment that is becoming available
Fill in an application for a Heka rental apartment(Link leads to external service). Select ‘yes’ on the application’s first page under ‘I am applying to change apartments’ (Haen vaihtoa). Read the instructions for housing application on the Heka rental apartments page.
After submitting the application, you and any co-applicant will get an e-mail confirming receipt of the application with instructions for confirming it. Both you and any co-applicant must confirm the application through strong authentication with online banking credentials or Mobile ID. If you are unable to prove your identity through electronic authentication, you can visit the rental apartment search customer service and prove your identity using an official personal identity document (passport or personal ID card).
If you receive an exchange apartment offer, contact your local housing office(Link leads to external service) without delay for a inspection for changing apartments. Instructions for requesting the inspection can be found in the apartment offer you received or on the Heka website(Link leads to external service). Once you have received the inspection, Heka will submit information about it to the rental apartment search customer service.
Exchanges are subject to one month’s notice. You must have the notice of termination letter for your old apartment with you when you sign your new lease agreement.
One third of apartments in Heka’s new-buildings are reserved for tenants who are changing apartments. Read more about Heka’s new buildings.
Things to keep in mind when exchanging apartments with an exchange partner
Look for an exchange partner on the Apartment Exchange Market (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service). You can post an advertisement about your own apartment in the service and browse other people’s advertisements. There can be a maximum of four exchange partners in one exchange ring consisting of the people living in the apartments to be swapped.
The apartments to be exchanged must match the family size of the households (a 1–2 room apartment can be offered to a single person, a 2–3 room apartment to two people and a 2–4 room apartment to three people, etc.).
Fill in the exchange partners form (in Finnish) together with the exchange partner you have found. After this, everyone fills in an application for a mutual apartment exchange(Link leads to external service). Please note that each household in the exchange ring must fill in their own apartment application.
Attach the exchange form to your application under ‘add attachments’ (liitteiden lisääminen). If you are unable to attach the exchange form in the service for some reason, please send it by e-mail to vaihtokumppanit@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program). Only one member in the exchange ring needs to submit the form to us.
After submitting the application, you and any co-applicant will get an e-mail confirming receipt of the application with instructions for confirming it. Both you and any co-applicant must confirm the application through strong authentication with online banking credentials or Mobile ID. If you are unable to prove your identity through electronic authentication, you can visit the rental apartment search customer service and prove your identity using an official personal identity document (passport or personal ID card).
When we have processed the apartment applications of all the households in the exchange ring and the exchange partners’ exchange form, we will send e-mail instructions how to request an apartment inspection from Heka. In order for the mutual exchange to be successful, all the exchange partners must receive approval of the inspection. Once the inspections are done, Heka will submit the statements to the Rental apartment search customer service.
If someone who is not living in the same apartment with you or in another Heka apartment is applying for an apartment with you, they must submit attachments about, for example, their income or tax information. We will request the attachments after we have received your application. The co-applicant’s credit record will also be checked for rental debt.
When you receive an offer for a new apartment, sign a lease agreement with Heka. A termination period of one calendar month will be applied to exchanges. You must have the notice of termination letter for your old apartment with you when you sign your new lease agreement.