Housing costs and basic social assistance | Our Services | KelaSkip to content

Housing costs and basic social assistance

On this page:

Kela can grant social assistance towards housing costs for a home located in Finland. There are municipality-specific maximum limits for the amount of housing costs that can be recognised under the social assistance scheme.

Parliament has approved the amendment concerning the recognition of housing costs under the social assistance scheme

The legislative amendment will not bring about any major changes to the current practices. Mostly, it will make the criteria for recognising housing costs clearer by codifying them in an act and a decree. However, the amendment will in some respects tighten the criteria for recognising housing costs that exceed the maximum limit. The legislative amendment entered into force on 1 April 2024.

Read more

The following can be recognised as housing costs:

  • in rental accommodation:
    • rent
    • water and heating charges that are paid separately (such as for electric heating)
    • a fee for the use of the sauna
  • In owner-occupied housing (share in a housing cooperative):
    • maintenance fee, additional one-time fee and land lease fee
    • the part of the financing fee used to cover interest payments on housing corporation loans
    • separate water charges and heating costs
    • a fee for the use of the sauna
    • interest payments on personal home loans if taken out to purchase or modernise the dwelling
  • in owner-occupied housing (detached house):
    • necessary costs of maintenance: heating, water and any building-specific charges (such as waste collection, chimney sweep, insurance, property tax and ground rent)
    • interest payments on personal home loans if taken out to purchase or modernise the dwelling
  • in part-ownership accommodation:
    • rent
    • separate heating and water costs
    • a fee for the use of the sauna
  • in a right-of-occupancy home
    • maintenance charge
    • separate heating and water costs
    • a fee for the use of the sauna
    • interest payments on personal home loans if taken out to purchase or modernise the dwelling.

Also the following can be recognised as housing costs to the extent that they are considered reasonable:

Not recognised are, for example:

  • fees for the use of the laundry room (included in the basic amount)
  • parking fees (unless a parking space is necessary for medical reasons)
  • expenses related to domestic appliances or furniture. You can apply to the municipality for supplemental social assistance for these expenses.
  • the part of the financing fee used for repayments on housing corporation loans
  • interest payments on loans if taken out to make the down payment on partial ownership.

Be prepared to provide documentation about housing costs. Housing costs are recognised, to the extent reasonable, up to the municipality-specific limits.

Recognised housing costs by municipality

The amount of housing costs that Kela recognises for the purposes of social assistance has been defined separately for each municipality. The municipality-specific limits for recognised housing costs are determined in the same way both for owner-occupied and rental housing.

If your housing costs exceed the limit set for your municipality

You can only receive social assistance towards housing costs that exceed the limit set for your municipality if there are special grounds specified by law. If your housing costs exceed the limit set for your municipality and you do not have special grounds for higher housing costs as specified in law, we will ask you to look for more affordable housing within three months.

Special grounds for receiving social assistance towards housing costs that exceed the municipality-specific limits include

  • the advanced age or poor health of the benefit recipient or a family member,
  • a non-custodial parent’s need for additional space for parent-child visits,
  • a child with special needs, where continued attendance at the same daycare centre, pre-school or school is in the child’s best interests.

You must provide documentation about your special grounds (for example a medical certificate or a social worker’s statement on the benefit recipient’s situation).

However, it is no longer considered special grounds that there is no housing that meets the criteria for recognised housing costs available in the area where the recipient lives. The customer must be able to prove that they have looked for more affordable housing using all the means at their disposal. If the customer fails to find more affordable housing within 3 months despite actively looking for it, the time limit can be extended.

If the customer does not move to more affordable housing within the given time, the housing costs will be taken into account only up to the municipality-specific limit going forward. This means that the customer does not necessarily have to move from their present home, but after the time limit ends the customer themselves will have to pay for the portion of the housing costs that exceeds the limit for the municipality.

What to do if you have been asked to look for more affordable housing

  • Start looking for more affordable housing immediately and search actively for housing. Send Kela information on your search for housing. You will see what information you need to send in the decision notice you have received.
  • Only apply for housing where the rent is lower than the limit for housing costs in the municipality. Do not limit your search according to, for example, the residential area or the size and characteristics of the apartment.
  • Search for more affordable housing by looking at rental housing owned by your municipality, large rental agencies operating in the municipality, or by private owners. If you need help finding more affordable housing, you can contact the housing counselling services provided by the municipality where you live or by some other organization.
  • Customers who receive social assistance from Kela can receive assistance with their moving costs and with a rental security deposit for a new home, on the condition that the rent does not exceed the limits set for the municipality.
  • If you do not move to more affordable housing within the time limit, we will take your housing costs into account up to the municipality-specific limit going forward. This means that you do not have to move from your present home, but after the time limit ends, you will have to pay for the portion of the housing costs that exceeds the limit for your municipality.
  • If you are having trouble coping with everyday expenses or if you are in a difficult situation, you should contact the social services office of your wellbeing services county. You can apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance from the social services office if you need it.
  • You can always contact Kela if you have questions about Kela’s benefits or if you want to talk about your situation. We can also arrange talks with a social services expert from the wellbeing services county.

Allocation of housing costs in multifamily housing

An apartment or house may be shared by persons who are members of different families. If each tenant has a separate lease, the amount of rent agreed in the lease is recognised as an expense of the person applying for social assistance, provided that the rent is reasonable.

The tenants may also have a joint lease even if they belong to different families who receive income support. In such a case, the rent and other housing costs are divided equally among the persons sharing the home. If the household, in other words the persons who live permanently in the same home, has been granted housing allowance, the allowance is divided as income between the persons who live in the home.

If the applicants want the housing costs to be divided in a different way, they must provide Kela with further information about the situation.

Read more

Last modified 19/4/2024
Go to the top of the pageGo to Types of expenses for which you can get social assistance