Code of conduct and residential disturbances

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The code of conduct and information how to handle serious or repeated disturbances.

Code of conduct

The responsibilities and obligations of the tenant and landlord are set out not just in the Finnish Act on Residential Leases, but also in the City of Helsinki’s code of conduct (Helsingin kaupungin järjestyssäännöt) and in the property’s code of conduct. The property’s code of conduct was drawn up to promote residents’ enjoyment of their homes, health, and safety, so adhering to it benefits everyone.

Tenants are also responsible for making sure that their guests adhere to the Act on Residential Leases and codes of conduct.

Property code of conduct PDF (94kt)

Managing serious or repeated disturbances

When you live in an apartment managed by a property company, you may hear normal noises associated with everyday life from the yard, stairwell, or neighbouring apartments from within your apartment. All tenants are encouraged and advised to show consideration for others in the way they live. When moving around your apartment, keeping pets, playing or listening to music, hosting parties, exercising, or doing noisy work, to give just a few examples, it’s worth considering how much the noise will carry to other parts of the building. In particular during the hours of 10pm–7am, residents must be quiet and are expected to avoid creating unnecessary noise in any part of the property.

If a neighbour is causing a serious or repeated disruption in the building, and in particular between the hours of 10pm and 7am, residents are entitled to submit a notification of residential disturbance to the housing company using either the disturbance report form intended for reporting serious or repeated disturbances PDF (745kt) or via a free-form notification.

What to do in the event of serious or repeated disruptions:

  1. The resident who has been subjected to the disturbance completes a free-form notification of the disturbance or the disturbance notification form. The notification must be signed by the occupants of two different apartments. The notification should be submitted to the apartment service by email, to asuntopalvelu@auroranlinna.fi or by post to Auroranlinna, Eevankatu 2, 00240 Helsinki.
  2. The apartment service will send a written notice or warning to the party causing the disturbance, stating that their rental contract will be terminated if the disturbance continues (at this stage, the party causing the disturbance will not be informed of the name of the witness).
  3. If the disturbance continues, residents of two apartments must submit a new notification of disturbance to the property manager, either using the disturbance notification form or with a free-form notification, in order for the matter to proceed further. The time between the notifications must be no more than six months. The residents must be prepared to appear at the district court as witnesses.
  4. If the disruption continues after warnings have been issued, the landlord will submit an eviction request.
  5. The district court will decide on the case, either at the registry or in court. At this stage, the witnesses may also be called. When the court is deciding on the case, it is important to know whether the disturbance has continued whilst the case is being processed.
  6. If the district court confirms the eviction, it will inform the landlord and the state local office for registration of population.
  7. The district bailiff will inform the landlord of the eviction date. The eviction will be carried out by the enforcement authority.

Smoking

The Finnish Tobacco Act prohibits smoking in all shared areas of the property and in public areas, including lifts, sauna facilities, open staircases and balcony corridors of balcony-access apartment buildings, and ventilation balconies.  Furthermore, in lease contracts signed from 1 January 2019 onwards, smoking within residential accommodation is banned.

Smoking on apartment balconies or terraces is not recommended, as the smoke produced may pose a nuisance to other residents. When smoking, please be considerate to your neighbours when choosing where to smoke and by disposing of your cigarette butts appropriately.

In the event of disturbances, You can contact us by using the Notification of disruptive smoking form.

Disruptive smoking

Smoking is prohibited at the stairwells, lifts and other shared spaces such as property saunas and social rooms. Smoking is also prohibited in children’s play areas and in the yard near the entrances and air intakes of the house and on the shared balconies. Smoke can enter from these places to neighbour apartments, balconies or the stairwell. In addition, there are very few ways in which smoke from a yard or another balcony can be prevented from entering another part of a property.

Our properties will become smoke-free after the complete renovations. At smoke-free buildings, smoking is prohibited in the apartments, on the balconies, on the terraces, and at all common areas of the property, as well as in the outdoor areas. Smoking also means the electronic cigarette. In addition, in leases signed as of 1 February 2019 smoking is prohibited inside the apartments. In lease agreements signed from October 6, 2021, the terms of the contract prohibit smoking inside and outside the apartments.

A resident who suffers from an annoying smoke/smell has the right to report an annoying smoking. Based on the report, the problem will be investigated. Smoke can enter the apartment either from the structures or from outside.

WHEN DISTURBING SMOKE COMES FROM APARTMENT STRUCTURES
Cigarette smoke/smell comes from somewhere in the structure of the apartment, e.g. from the toilet, cooker hood, cabinet, socket, mailbox or any other structure. If necessary, we will try to find out where the annoying smoke comes from and whether anything can be done about it. Make an electronic defect notification for smoke that comes from the structures of the apartment

WHEN DISTURBING SMOKE COMES FROM OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT

Cigarette smoke/smell comes from open windows or a balcony door, for example. Auroranlinna very rarely has the possibility to prevent smoke from entering the apartment, for example from the yard or another balcony, as it would probably require changes to the ventilation system or major structural changes throughout the entire property.

If necessary, we can share a bulletin to the apartments as a reminder, asking smokers to pay attention to the neighborhood. Cigarette smoke/smell is surprisingly easily entered to the balconies and apartments of other apartments. Make a report to annoying smoking that comes from outside the apartment via email: asuntopalvelu @ auroranlinna.fi