Lease agreement

The lease agreement is the most important document of the tenancy relationship. It represents your commitment to the responsibilities and obligations related to a tenancy relationship in Lumo homes.

The period of notice for non-fixed-term lease agreements is one calendar month. The lease agreement ends on the last day of the month.

Non-fixed-term agreements usually include a condition on the first possible start date of the period of notice. For our properties, the earliest possible start date of the notice period is eleven (11) months after the start of the tenancy agreement. The notice period is one (1) month. This means that the agreement will be valid for at least twelve (12) months. You can check the earliest possible starting date of the notice period from your lease agreement.

However, termination of the tenancy agreement is always possible in accordance with the contractual penalty (1 month’s rent) stated in the agreement.

Lumo homes always have an option to switch from one Lumo home to another. Lumo residents can move from one Lumo home to another after six (6) months of living. Home exchangers have no notice period and are not required to pay the contractual penalty. After the switch the new tenancy agreement will be valid for at least 12 months nevertheless.

Example:

Your agreement takes effect on 1 June 2022, so you can start the notice period on 30 April 2023 at the earliest, which means the agreement would end on 31 May 2023.

If the lessor terminates a non-fixed-term tenancy agreement, the notice period is three (3) calendar months during the first year of tenancy and six (6) calendar months thereafter. However, we only terminate agreements if the resident neglects their obligations, for example failing to pay rent or disturbing other residents in the building.

You can terminate a non-fixed-term lease agreement via the My Lumo service for residents.

The ending date of a fixed-term tenancy agreement is specified in the agreement. Neither party can terminate a fixed-term tenancy agreement before the end of the term.

Learn more: Termination of lease and moving out

Leases are secured by a security deposit unless otherwise stated in the lease agreement. The lessor can use the security deposit to cover unpaid rents and various usage and/or consumption-based charges after the termination of the agreement. It can also cover, for example, damage caused to the rental apartment by the tenant, cleaning costs and the costs of collecting receivables based on the tenancy. Provided that the apartment is in appropriate condition and payment obligations have been fulfilled, the security deposit is returned within one month of the termination of the lease.

We do not require a rental deposit for lease agreements signed directly via the Lumo webstore.

You can sublease a Lumo home under certain conditions. More information is provided on this page. Our customer service is also happy to help with any issues related to lease agreements!

Subleasing refers to a tenancy relationship in which part of the apartment is assigned for use by another person for housing purposes in exchange for rent or other consideration.

You can sublease up to half of your apartment without separate notification. Half of the apartment refers to no more than half of the rooms in the apartment, not the apartment’s floor area. This means that signing a sublease for a single room apartment is unfortunately not possible.

A sublease agreement is always signed between the primary tenant and the subtenant, which means that the primary lessor is not a party to the contractual relationship. Please keep in mind that when you sublease your home, you remain liable to the primary lessor for the payment of rent and the condition of the apartment, among other things.

Secondary leasing refers to a tenant assigning an entire apartment to one or more tenants.

Secondary leasing is not permitted under Lumo and VVO lease agreements.

A lease agreement is always signed between the lessor and the tenant(s), and the leasehold cannot be transferred to a third party without the lessor’s permission. However, you have the right to transfer the leasehold to a spouse, child, or a parent of either spouse living in the apartment, except in certain circumstances where there is justifiable cause for not permitting the transfer.

If you wish to transfer your leasehold, notify us in writing by e-mail and attach a completed notice of termination. When the matter has been agreed on, we will sign a new lease agreement with the new resident.

As a rule, you may temporarily assign your entire apartment to another person’s use for no longer than two years if you reside in another location for reasons of employment, study, illness or other such reason.

You must notify us of the temporary assignment in writing at least one month in advance. Please note that, during the temporary assignment, both you and the tenant are liable for the payment of rent and the condition of the apartment.

If you wish to temporarily assign your apartment to another person’s use, notify us in writing by e-mail and attach a completed temporary assignment of a residential apartment form.

Sharing an apartment is an excellent alternative to renting an apartment of your own. It allows you to split the costs of housing between the residents and opens up a wider range of apartments to choose from. Plus it’s more fun to share your experiences with a friend! Get together with your friend and browse the available apartments in the Lumo webstore. You can even lease your new home right away!

There are a few alternatives for signing a lease agreement for a shared apartment. The nature of the final agreement has an effect on, for example, the determination of the housing supplement of student financial aid received from Kela as well as the division of responsibilities in the tenancy relationship.

A lease agreement can be signed jointly by at most two tenants, in which case the entire apartment is provided for shared use by the tenants. The tenants agree between themselves on the use of the apartment and its rooms. The tenants are under joint and several liability for the apartment and the obligations specified in the lease agreement. An agreement for a Lumo rental home can be signed by at most two people with joint and several liability: they have shared responsibility for the apartment for observing the terms of the agreement. Please note that Kela considers the residents included in a shared lease agreement to be part of the same household and takes the entire household’s income into account in determining the amount of housing allowance granted, for example. See Kela guidelines.

If an apartment is leased to two people with joint and several liability, the tenants can also sign a sublease agreement with other residents if multiple residents move into the apartment.

Students are also under general housing allowance, see Kela guidelines.

Another alternative for sharing an apartment is for 1–2 residents to sign a lease agreement with Lumo homes and sublease parts of the apartment to one or more residents by signing a separate sublease agreement with each subtenant. Permission from the lessor is required for subleasing more than half of an apartment.

Sublease agreements must be made in writing. As a rule, their contents are the same as ordinary lease agreements: the only exception is the parties to the agreement (the resident and the subtenant). The principal tenant is solely responsible to the owner of the apartment for the apartment, the payment of rent and the observance of the terms of the agreement. Each subtenant pays rent to the principal tenant as specified in the sublease agreement. If the principal tenant terminates their lease agreement, the subtenants’ agreements are also terminated.

Home insurance is one of the most important things you need when renting an apartment. In shared housing arrangements, both tenants should have valid home insurance. Subtenants are also required to have valid home insurance when signing the agreement. The principal tenant’s home insurance does not cover the subtenant’s share.

Our customer service is happy to help regarding any questions about sharing an apartment.

Smoking indoors is prohibited in all of our rental apartments for which the lease agreement entered into effect on or after 1 May 2011.

If the apartment building is defined as an entirely smoke-free building in the lease agreement, smoking is prohibited not only inside the apartment but also on apartment-specific balconies and in yards. In a smoke-free building, smoking is only allowed in the plot’s separately designated smoking area.

If a new resident moves in to share your apartment with you, you don’t need to sign a new lease agreement. However, all changes in residents must be reported to the maintenance company that maintains the building’s list of residents. You also need to submit a notification of your move to Posti and the national Population Information System.

The maintenance company can open the door to an apartment at a resident’s request only for people reported as residents to the maintenance company by the person who signed the lease agreement.

If one of the residents who signed the lease agreement wishes to get out of the agreement, they need to submit a personal termination notice to Lumo Home Centre. The one-month notice period also applies in these cases. The terminated resident remains liable for the obligations stipulated by the lease agreement during the notice period.

The easiest way to terminate a tenancy agreement is to use the My Lumo service. A tenancy agreement can also be terminated by submitting a completed notice of termination form to Lumo Home Centre. Please note that you cannot terminate your tenancy agreement via e-mail. Please send an email containing personal information in encrypted form.

The notice period begins and is binding when the written notice of termination has been submitted either in the online service for residents or physically to Lumo Home Centre. You will always receive a letter of confirmation regarding the termination. The letter will be sent by mail to your home address as well as by e-mail if you have provided us with your e-mail address. If you have not received the letter, please contact our customer service.

Learn more: Termination of lease and moving out

A tenant can authorise another person to act on their behalf in matters related to lease agreements. Such authorisations must always be made in writing and the authorising party must personally sign the power of attorney. Click here to download the power of attorney template (PDF). Please send an email containing personal information in encrypted form.

When a tenant passes away, the tenancy relationship remains in effect under the previous conditions and the tenant’s estate will become the party to the lease agreement. All decisions pertaining to the lease (such as giving notice of termination) are subject to consent by all parties to the estate. One party to the estate can be authorised to handle affairs pertaining to the lease agreement. Click here to download the power of attorney template (PDF).

In the event of disputes concerning leases between a resident and the lessor, if the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation, the resident may submit the case to the Consumer Disputes Board for resolution. Before submitting the issue to the Consumer Disputes Board, the resident must contact the Consumer Advisory Services at Local Register Offices.