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Finland

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

59 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: one month for you, three for the landlord
The Residential Leases Act counts the period from the last day of the month the notice was given in. For the landlord it grows to six months once the tenancy has lasted a year.
14 weeks before
Give notice in writing and keep the receipt
The notice has to be in writing and be provable. Keep the confirmation for the deposit.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Deposit: at most three months' rent
The law caps it at three months. It is paid back after the handover, once any damage has been settled.
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
9 weeks before
Household deduction: part of the labour cost of the move comes back
Moving services and cleaning count as household work in the tax return. The deduction has an annual cap and a deductible.
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Home insurance: report the new address before the move
It has to cover the new address from moving day, and it usually covers the goods during the move itself.
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
2 weeks before
Bulky waste: the waste station, or the collection point in the yard
Municipal waste stations take bulky items, sometimes free for households. Many housing companies also collect bulky waste a few times a year.
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Track the return of the deposit

New home

6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Internet: the housing company may already have a contract
Many buildings have shared broadband in the maintenance charge. Check it before you order a line of your own.
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
2 weeks before
Electricity: a grid contract and a supply contract
The grid company follows the address and cannot be chosen; the supplier can. Make the contract about two weeks before the move.
7 days before
Test the internet connection
1 day before
Handover: record the condition and the meter readings with photos
There is no statutory form, so a signed record with photos is what settles the deposit later.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again
7 days after
Meet the neighbours and the property manager

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Reserve parking outside both buildings
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

3 days after
Notify the move at the earliest a month before, at the latest a week after
One notification goes to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and to Posti at the same time, and it is free.
3 days after
Tell the house manager as well: water charge, name plate, lift
In a housing company the water charge is often per person, so the manager needs the number of residents. The name plate and the booking of the lift go the same way.
7 days after
Forwarding of old mail is a separate paid service
The joint notification updates the address; letters still sent to the old one only follow you with Posti's forwarding service.
7 days after
Authorities read the address from the population information system
Tax, the transport agency, the pension provider and social insurance all get it from there. You do not report it again.
2 weeks after
Early education and school: apply four months ahead
Early childhood education is applied for four months before the need at the latest, in urgent cases two weeks. The school is assigned by the municipality by catchment area.
2 weeks after
Tell the bank, employer and insurers
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
2 weeks after
Health station: it changes with the wellbeing services county
You choose the station yourself, and the choice takes effect a month after the notification. Prescriptions and records follow you.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

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The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.