renting a flat

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cmichiel
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2003 12:26 am
Location: Herttoniemi

renting a flat

Post by cmichiel » Wed Jul 09, 2003 10:30 am

First of all, thanks a lot for providing this forum since it already has been of great help to us.
We are planning to move to Finland near the end of August (currently living in London). I will be taking up a post-doc position at the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute in Helsinki. We already found a English nursery for our daughter in Herttoniemi. Through LEL we have now found a flat in the same area. However we have problems obtaining the flat because of the fact that I am not a Finnish citizen (Belgian) and they can not check my credit (the tree months deposit is apparently not enough as a guarantee). They still offer to rent me the flat if I can get the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute to sign the contract and have the rent deducted from my salary. However, because this institute is a government institute they already have told me that it is not possible for them to do that. I am going to contact them again but it is highly unlikely that they will be able to change this policy (highly unlikely as well that I will manage to contact anyone at this month of the year). Does anyone know a way around this? Renting a flat through an estate agent is likely to cause the same problem.



renting a flat

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Kemars
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Post by Kemars » Wed Jul 09, 2003 11:19 am

Perhaps you can have employer give a letter of guarantee stating that you are working here. At least I know that Nokia does this type of service for new employees from abroad. It does also help to have a bank account here in finland and have it for at least 3 months, but try to ask for this type of letter, which only states that you will be here working for them for X amount of time.

hope it works out for you.
How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

PeterF
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Re: renting a flat

Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 09, 2003 11:24 am

cmichiel wrote: (the three months deposit is apparently not enough as a guarantee)..
Getting a credit rating when you first come to Finland is often a problem.
When I came I was bit fortunate that I had some funds to transfer here to what is now the Nordea bank from my UK bank.
This put me in personal contact with a very helpfull English speaking lady in the branch of the Bank where I was flat hunting.
She arranged my Nordea bank debit card..(but It still took me 5 years before I got a Finnish Master card Credit card..I still have my UK one)

She also explained before I hit the problem exactly what you are seeing now.
She told me to offer to the land lord the option of direct debit payment of the rent from my bank account. That together with a copy of my contract of employment with Nokia ( and the three months deposit) was adequate.
I suggest you try to make contact with the bank of your potential land lord to see if there is a way to get them to guarantee that your rent will be paid if you bank with them.

cmichiel
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2003 12:26 am
Location: Herttoniemi

Post by cmichiel » Wed Jul 09, 2003 11:25 am

I have send them a copy of the contract with the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (as requested) but this seems insufficient.

cmichiel
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2003 12:26 am
Location: Herttoniemi

Post by cmichiel » Wed Jul 09, 2003 11:30 am

Another problem is that you can not open a bank account from abroad unless your bank is a member of Unico banking group. Even when in Finland, to open a bank account with Okopankki for example you need an official letter with your address in Finland.

PeterF
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Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 09, 2003 11:34 am

One other Idea..The LEL is a Pension Insurance company..(it is not uncommon for these companies to invest in property for rental).
They may be able to get a credit rating (with your permission) from your UK/Belgian bank. Talk to your own bank manager.

Tom and Jerry

Re: renting a flat

Post by Tom and Jerry » Wed Jul 09, 2003 11:51 am

cmichiel wrote:They still offer to rent me the flat if I can get the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute to sign the contract and have the rent deducted from my salary. However, because this institute is a government institute they already have told me that it is not possible
That is a sign that the isännöitsijä of the LEL is not so competent. Rent deducted straight from the salary is normally not even allowed for any employer.

(with a few exceptions).

A normal solution may be also a phone call from the department where you going directly to the LEL, explaining that you will come etc.... That may make things easier.

PeterF
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Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:20 pm

cmichiel wrote: to open a bank account with Okopankki for example you need an official letter with your address in Finland.
Not sure what you mean by "an official letter" ..Who from and who to?
An address in Finland..yes they need that..but dont you have any
contact(s) in Finland whose address you can use temporarily?
That is what I did.
I think your new employer need to do more to help you .
I have tried searching their www site for names:
They could use a good webmaster!! :roll: Only the Finnish language pages have any real info:
BUt...Here are a few leads:
Perhaps they are not all hunting and fishing this month! :wink:
A good start is their general secretary:
Sinikka Tainio-Markelin.

http://www2.rktl.fi/english/organ/index.html

http://www2.rktl.fi/english/units.html

cmichiel
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2003 12:26 am
Location: Herttoniemi

Post by cmichiel » Wed Jul 09, 2003 3:41 pm

Thanks alot for all your suggestions. I asked my bank in Belgium to send LEL my credit ratings. I also managed to contact some of the staff at the Finnish game and fisheries Research Institute (yes, one of them was out fishing) and they were going to chase up on it. Hopefully this will help to get the flat.

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Hank W.
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Re: renting a flat

Post by Hank W. » Wed Jul 09, 2003 4:26 pm

Tom and Jerry wrote:That is a sign that the isännöitsijä of the LEL is not so competent. Rent deducted straight from the salary is normally not even allowed for any employer.
No, they are meaning "työsuhdeasunto". That means, the flat is rented and paid by the employer. Then it is the employer's headache to get the money from the tenant, not the landlords.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

Tom and Jerry

Re: renting a flat

Post by Tom and Jerry » Wed Jul 09, 2003 5:13 pm

Hank W. wrote: No, they are meaning "työsuhdeasunto". That means, the flat is rented and paid by the employer. Then it is the employer's headache to get the money from the tenant, not the landlords.
Of course. Thanks for the correction.


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