Technology and safety in the home

This section contains quick and easy tips about keeping your home safe and keeping domestic appliances in good working order.

Ventilation

Cleaning cooker extractor hoods and replacing the filters when necessary are the responsibility of the tenant.   Watch a video on Cleaning the cooker hood.

Ventilation in your apartment only occurs as intended if the ventilation equipment is working correctly. Obstructive dust(and grease in the kitchen) collects easily between the frame and plate of the ventilation exhaust vents, with the gap in question often only a few millimetres wide. This means that it is very important to clean the vents on a regular basis, using a brush and cleaning fluid, for example.

At the same time, it is also important to ensure that the apartment’s fresh air ventilation vents work, to ensure that contaminated air is not getting into the apartment through the building structures or external door, for example. With both centralised and apartment-specific ventilation systems, the air pressure is set to help the systems remove air from the apartment by sucking it out. This waste air will always be replaced by new air entering from wherever it is easiest to do so.

The apartment’s fresh air ventilation vent filters are provided by Auroranlinna, but residents themselves must replace the filters in accordance with the instructions provided when new filters are distributed to the apartments. Dirty filters stop fresh air from getting into the apartment. The instructions (here only in Finnish) can also be found here:

F-filter: 29-12-2008-12-20-38-TULOILMAVENTTIILIN_KAYTTO_biobe
VS-filter: 29-12-2008-12-18-59-saato-ohjevaihto-ohje_VS-100
Frame filter: 29-12-2008-12-18-8-saato-ohje.vaihto-ohjeF-100

Keeping appliances in good working order

Stove

The stove is permanently connected to the electricity. It may only be disconnected by a professional electrician.

The stove and oven must be cleaned regularly to ensure they work efficiently.

Fridge/freezer

Ensuring your fridge or freezer stays in good working order requires a degree of maintenance on your part. The fridge, chiller and freezer compartment (where applicable), and freezer must be defrosted two to four times a year, unless the appliance has an automatic defrost feature.

Residents must also clean the pipes behind and floor below the fridge/chiller or freezer of any dust and dirt. The fridge/freezer must be carefully unplugged from its electric socket for the duration of the cleaning.

On a fridge/chiller, the defrost water removal piping on the back of the device requires regular cleaning in particular. This piping can get blocked easily, which can lead to water starting to collect in the fridge/chiller.

Maintenance instructions for home appliances can be found here (in Finnish only).

Locks

The front door should be double-locked when the apartment is left empty.

No items of value should be stored in the basement, attic, or outdoor storage spaces. Items that are in good condition and susceptible to moisture or cold should not be stored in unheated attic or outdoor storage spaces.

Auroranlinna recommends that security locks are not fitted on the front doors to apartments. Representatives of the owner of the property and the emergency services must always be able to access the apartment in the event of an emergency.

If there is a security lock on the door, and a door or window has to be broken to gain access to the apartment due to a security lock on a door, the resident will be responsible for repair costs. Providing a key to the security lock to the maintenance company is not an adequate countermeasure here, as there would not be time to go and find this key in an emergency situation. Providing a key to the security lock to the maintenance company is only useful for non-urgent maintenance visits.

If a resident needs to order door opening services as they have forgotten their key, they should always call Auroranlinna’s defect notification service on 010 286 6245. A fee in accordance with the current price list will be charged for opening the door. Doors may only be opened for residents listed in the register of occupants.

Heating

In buildings equipped with hot water heating, the thermostatic radiator valves have been set by professionals to automatically regulate the indoor temperature. The surface temperature of the radiator will vary between lukewarm and hot, depending on the signal it receives from the thermostat. Simply put; the radiators will only be hot if the thermostat tells them to heat the room.

So the temperature in a room can be adjusted using the radiator thermostat, by opening it or closing it slightly within the preset limits. If the temperature falls below +19 °C or rises above +23 °C and room-specific adjustments do not rectify the situation, a defect notification must be submitted. Residents cannot adjust the radiator adjustment valve settings.

Do not cover thermostatic valves with large pieces of furniture or curtains. If you do so, the thermostat will stop the heating and the room will cool down. If the thermostat is located close to a ventilation window, which is then kept open, the thermostat will increase the heating to compensate. This will result in the radiator heating up too much and making the room too hot. What’s more, energy will also be wasted.

Research shows that a suitable indoor temperature is around +20–21 °C. A slightly lower temperature, of around +19 °C, is optimal for sleep.

Lowering the indoor temperature by one degree can reduce the energy required for heating by as much as 5–7 per cent.

Fire safety

Emergency access routes

Emergency access routes must always be kept clear to ensure emergency vehicles can use them. Fire engines and ambulances must be able to get to their destinations without delay and without having to navigate obstacles.

Fire and carbon monoxide alarms

Common sense and the law both require residents to have a sufficient number of fire alarms fitted in their home, and to ensure that they are in good working order. The regulations state that there must be at least one fire alarm for every 60 square metres of the apartment. So in practical terms, a 61 square metre apartment must have at least two alarms.

In addition to fire alarms, homes should also be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is an odourless, tasteless, colourless and poisonous gas that we as humans cannot detect. As carbon monoxide is only slightly lighter than air, special care should be taken over the positioning of the alarm, because carbon monoxide will not necessarily rise straight to the ceiling. A carbon monoxide detector is not a sufficient replacement for a fire alarm, but it is a worthwhile addition to improve safety in the home.

Without working batteries, both a fire alarm and carbon monoxide detector are useless. What’s more, they won’t last forever, and should be replaced at least once every ten years. It is always the resident’s obligation to ensure that the apartment has functional alarms and to replace the battery or entire device when necessary.

If the apartment has fire alarms wired into the electricity mains, the resident must check that the alarms work and submit a defect notification immediately if they find that an alarm no longer works.

Watch a video about fire safety

Naked flames/candles

Taking extra care when dealing with fire is the most important thing you can do to prevent a fire. For this reason, you should always keep an eye on any naked flames, making sure that candles are placed on a non-flammable surface and not left unattended. You must also make sure that pets or small children, for example, cannot accidentally knock over candles or tealights, and that the draught from a window cannot blow curtains into the flame.

Fire in any form is expressly prohibited on balconies. The only kind of barbecue permitted for use on a balcony is an electric one. Gas and electric barbecues may be used on terraces and in private yards. Always pay attention to fire safety on balconies, in private yards, on terraces and in the apartment itself, both when making food and when doing other things.

Using private saunas

If you have a private sauna in your apartment, please be aware that it must not be used for drying laundry or as storage space. Never turn on the sauna heater if there are any loose items in close proximity to it. Such items might include seat pads or towels.

Rescue plan

A rescue plan has been drawn up for each property, and the plans can be found on the page for each individual site .

Fireplaces

Fireplaces in apartments must not be used for open fires under any circumstances. All fireplaces are prohibited for safety reasons.

Washing machines and dishwashers

Dishwashers and washing machines may only be installed in the spaces designated for them. A resident’s own dishwasher or washing machine may only be connected to the water supply and sewage networks by an installation professional. The resident shall be responsible for compensating for any water damage, for example, caused by the installation work, so it is worth establishing what kind of cover and terms your own home insurance has for such damage. A certificate of installation provided by a HVAC installation professional should be retained in case of potential water damage.

All water pipe connections must be pressure resistant. The washing machine tap must always be fitted with a non-return valve (to prevent backflow). A dishwasher must always have a leak protection tray designed specifically for the purpose.

When moving out, residents must always refit any cabinets removed for the installation of a dishwasher.

The water supply and drainage connections to the dishwasher and washing machine must be plugged appropriately after disconnection.

TV and broadband internet

Our properties are usually connected to the DNA cable TV network. Areas without a DNA network usually have a traditional antenna system (DVB-T).  You can check what network your apartment is connected to on our site information pages (linkki Our sites-sivulle).

Permission for any additional antenna installations, such as satellite antenna, must be sought from Auroranlinna. Antenna may not, under any circumstances, be attached to walls or ceilings.

In apartments connected to DNA’s cable network, 25 Mbps property-wide broadband internet is included in the rent. In order to use the housing association broadband, each tenant must activate their connection and possibly purchase a modem as per the instructions provided by DNA. If you would like a faster broadband connection than offered via the housing association’s connection, you can enter into a contract with the operator of your choice at your own expense.

Water supply and drainage fittings and electrical equipments

The sockets in the bathroom and most of the sockets in the kitchen are earthed. You can only plug earthed devices or those with protective insulation into these sockets. Electrical devices must not be used in wet or outdoor spaces when plugged in to a standard socket in another room or space. For example, electric Christmas lights intended for indoor use, placed on a balcony with the cord running inside, can pose a life-threatening hazard. No bathroom sockets may be used whilst the bath or shower is in use.

Defect notifications must be submitted if any wall or ceiling sockets are broken, or if any of the fitted lighting in the apartment no longer works. Installation of and repairs to electrical devices may only be carried out by an installation engineer authorised by the relevant authorities.

This obligation does not cover lightbulbs or fuses that need replacing; the tenant should either replace these themselves or arrange for them to be replaced at their own expense. The tenant is also responsible for replacing the light in the stove or fridge, if necessary.

Leaking taps or toilets that are constantly running must be reported immediately to the Auroranlinna defect notification number: 010 286 6245. In other cases submit an online defect notification.

Do not rinse food waste, fat, grease or coffee grounds down the kitchen or bathroom drains. Please do not flush sanitary towels, nappies, cat litter or any other items down the toilet. Disposing of such items by flushing them down the toilet quickly leads to blocked drains. The tenant will be invoiced for the cost of unblocking the drain in such instances.

Tenants must clean the floor drain in their bathroom, removing loose hair and dust, for example, on a regular basis. If an unpleasant, drain-type odour occurs in an apartment, the cause may be a dried-out floor drain. A dried-out drain trap can be restored to working order by flushing water into it.

Watch a video Cleaning the bathroom floor drain
Watch a video Cleaning drain traps
Watch a video Bathroom fixtures and leakages

General safety instructions

Click here for some general safety instructions
Click here to read the Home Safety Guide (in Finnish and in Swedish)
Click here to watch videos about living safely (in Finnish)

Finib group accident insurance claim form (in Finnish)
If you have an accident on the property, e.g. during cleaning, you can apply for compensation for treatment costs with the above claim for compensation.
If necessary, you can ask for more information about matters related to filling out the application by calling the insurance company AIG Europe’s customer service number 0203 03456 or by e-mail at finlandclaims@aig.com.