Become a Haso resident, step by step

This page contains instructions for applying for a Haso right-of-occupancy apartment.

To become a Haso resident, you must meet certain criteria. There are only a few of these criteria and their sole purpose is to ensure that apartments are allocated to those who truly need them:

  • Applicants for a right-of-occupancy apartment must be 18 years of age when submitting the application.
  • The recipient of a right-of-occupancy apartment may not own an apartment in the same area, of which the location, size, fittings, residential costs and other features correspond reasonably well to those of the right-of-occupancy apartment being applied for.
  • The recipient of a right-of-occupancy apartment may not possess sufficient assets to fund at least 50 per cent of the free market price of the apartment applied for, or a corresponding apartment; or to renovate an owner-occupied apartment that he or she owns, and which is located in the same area, to correspond to the apartment being applied for.

The conditions specified for the need for a right-of-occupancy apartment do not apply to applicants over the age of 55.

The application process

  1. To apply for a right-of-occupancy apartment, you will first need a queue number. More information on queue numbers on this City of Helsinki webpage. A queue number is cost-free. A right-of-occupancy apartment will be awarded to the applicant with the smallest queue number. 

  2. Check the HASO properties for an apartment that meets your needs. Once you have received a queue number, you can fill in a housing application form on Haso webpage. Haso's new build properties have a sepaterate application process, more information about new builds here.

  3. As soon as an apartment you applied for becomes available, you will receive an offer via email, if your queue number is among the lowest queue numbers. Normally the offer will be send to 50-150 applicants with the smallest queue numbers. After that, you can agree a viewing of the apartment. If you do not wish to purchase the apartment offered, you do not need to do anything. If you are interested to purchase the offered apartment, notify the property manager's office and send the required documents (including wealth report) to the property manager's office via email before the offer time closes.

  4. Agree on a loan with your bank if you plan to cover the right-of-occupancy payment with a loan. Prepare to pay the security deposit, which is €500 at Haso.

  5. The applicant with the smallest queue number will receive the apartment, if more than one of the applicants who received the offer is interested to purchase the apartment. This applicant will be contacted after the offer time closes. Then, the property manager's office will send your reservation to the City of Helsinki Housing Services for approval. Housing Services will check that you meet the criteria for right-of-occupancy apartments mentioned on the top of this page. Getting the approval takes normally 1-2 workdays.

  6. Agree a meeting with the property manager's office to sign the right-of-occupancy agreement. The property manager's office and your bank will send the required documents to both parties.

  7.  Move into your new home and settle in!

Which area should I apply for?

In 2019-2020, turnover was highest in the following areas: Fallkulla, Laajasalo, Kivikko, Myllypuro, Viikki, Viikinmäki ja Vuosaari. Haso also has many apartments in those areas. 

Near to the city centre, for example in Arabianranta area, turnover has been quite low in the past years. Remember also to check whether there are apartments that meet your application criteria in the area you are interested in. For instance, Haso only has 6-room apartments on 3 locations: Haso Kuusama, Haso Paatsama and Haso Tuulaakipuisto.

The distribution of applications for different sized apartments submitted in 2016 were as follows:

  • 2 rooms, 57,6 % of the applications
  • 3 rooms, 49 %
  • 4 rooms, 29,6 %
  • 1 room, 23,2 %
  • 5 rooms, 12,4 %
  • 6 rooms, 4,6 %

Which number will get you an apartment?

In most cases, an available apartment is offered to the holders of the 50-150 lowest queue numbers, whose application criteria meet the specifications of the apartment applied for. Because some of the applicants applied for an order number around 20 years ago, it may take a long time for you to receive an offer if your number was recently issued. 

So far, the apartments located near city centre (e.g. Jätkäsaari, Kalasatama) have been awarded to queue numbers lower than 45,000. Even further away from the centre, it is still quite rare to receive a Hasoapartment with a queue number higher than 200,000. The numbers lower than 45,000 are from 1990's and numbers higher than 200,000 have been given out in 2016 or later. At the beginning of 2021, the newest queue numbers given out were around 290,000-300,000.