Report changes that affect the general housing allowance

You must notify Kela if your circumstances change. Do so by completing an application for a review of your general housing allowance.

The person who originally applied for housing allowance is the only one who can apply for a review of the housing allowance. In other words, the person who applied for general housing allowance represents the entire household. This also means that the person who represents the household must apply for a review even if circumstances have changed because of another member of the household.

This is required in the following situations:

Change in income

• Your household’s income increases by at least EUR 400 per month.

Moving or a change in housing costs

• Your household moves into a new flat or house.
• The rent or maintenance charge paid by your household decreases by EUR 50 or more per month.
• A member of your household moves abroad or stays abroad for a period of time.
• The type of tenure on your flat or house changes, meaning for instance that you buy a home that you used to rent.

Change of residents

• The number of household members or the composition of the household changes.
• The household takes on a subtenant, or a sublease ends.
• You get married.

Your housing allowance can be reviewed if your housing costs increase by at least EUR 50 per month or your household’s income decreases by at least EUR 200 per month. You can use the online calculator for general housing allowance to estimate the change in the amount of your housing allowance. Please note that the calculator only provides an estimate.

If the housing allowance is reviewed, at what point does its amount change?

If you want to stop the payment of your housing allowance

If you no longer need housing allowance, use the OmaKela e-service to ask that the allowance is stopped. You can either send a message via OmaKela or call our customer service number.

How to apply for a review of your housing allowance

1. Log in to OmaKela.
2. On the front page, select the relevant benefit.
3. Under the benefit, select “Ilmoita muutoksista” (Report changes).
4. Complete the application and send it to Kela.

You can also report the changes in OmaKela under Ilmoita muutoksista (Report changes). First select the topic and then the relevant benefit and the type of change you wish to report.

Alternatively you can complete and print out the form General housing allowance AT 1e (PDF). Send your application by post along with the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.