• Smoking in apartments is prohibited from 1 October 2026

Going forward, smoking – including the use of e-cigarettes and combustible products that replace snus or other tobacco products – is prohibited inside the apartment, on the balcony, in the apartment’s private yard or terrace area, and in other private spaces associated with the apartment. This prohibition applies to all tenants and all lease agreements from 1 October 2026, including those whose lease agreement does not separately mention a smoking ban. A breach of the prohibition may in future constitute grounds for terminating or even rescinding the lease agreement.

• Landlord’s access to the apartment

The landlord (or their authorised representative, such as a property manager, property supervisor or maintenance company) has the right to access your apartment – for example, to inspect its condition, carry out repairs or show it to prospective tenants. The visit must, as a general rule, be arranged in advance at a time that is convenient for you. If you do not respond within a reasonable time to the landlord’s enquiry about a suitable time, the visit may nevertheless take place after a notification has been given. In an emergency (for example, a water leak or fire), the apartment may be entered immediately without prior notice. Whenever a visit takes place without a specific time having been agreed with you, a notice will be left in the apartment stating the reason for the visit and contact details from which you may request further information. This amendment mainly codifies existing practice into statutory law.

• Tenant’s new disclosure obligation

Going forward, you are required, at the landlord’s request, to provide written notification of who lives in your apartment: the number of residents and, for adults, their name, date of birth and contact details (for minor children, the number of children is sufficient). If you receive such a request, please provide the information without delay.

• Return of the security deposit

If you have paid a security deposit, it must in future be returned – or you must be notified in writing of its retention – no later than 14 days after the end of the lease or the handover of possession of the apartment. If any part of the deposit is retained, the notification must state the grounds and amount of the retention in sufficient detail for you to assess whether the retention is justified.

• New grounds for rescission of the agreement

The landlord will in future have the right to rescind the lease agreement also on the basis of another particularly compelling reason, even if none of the specific existing grounds for rescission are individually met. Such a reason may be, for example, a combination of several breaches, repeated breaches of the same obligation, or a serious breach of the smoking prohibition or the disclosure obligation mentioned above. Minor defaults are not sufficient grounds for rescission, and as a general rule, a written warning must be issued before rescission.

• Property left in the apartment

If you leave belongings in the apartment after the end of the lease, the landlord will notify you in writing. If you do not collect the property within one month of receiving the notification (or within four months of vacating the apartment, if the notification cannot be delivered to you), ownership of the property transfers to the landlord. Clearly worthless items and waste may be disposed of immediately. Please note that you are liable to compensate the landlord for the costs incurred in storing and disposing of the property – it is therefore advisable always to ensure that the apartment and all associated spaces (e.g. storage units) are fully emptied when you move out.

• Termination of the lease in the event of death

If a tenant who lived alone dies, the lease will in future terminate automatically two months after the end of the month in which the landlord received notice of the death, unless the estate of the deceased separately notifies the landlord of its wish to continue the lease.

Information on the date of termination of the lease will be provided to the estate of the deceased or to an heir, or, if no one can be reached, by leaving a notice in the apartment.

The Act will also provide clearer rules on the handling of property left in the apartment after the end of the lease: after the lease has ended, the landlord may move the property left in the apartment to another location for safekeeping and look after it until the estate or another entitled party takes possession. Clearly worthless items and waste may be disposed of immediately.

• Other amendments to the Act

In addition, the Act will be amended in other respects that are not covered in detail in this notice. These amendments apply only to new lease agreements concluded on or after 1 October 2026 and will therefore not affect your current agreement.

If you have any questions about the amendments or about your lease agreement, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service at asiakaspalvelu@colliers.com.