The Act on Residential Leases will change on 1 October 2026 – these are the key changes  

The changes concern, among other things, smoking, the obligation to report to the people living in an apartment, and the landlord’s right to access the apartment.

Smoking ban extended to existing tenancy agreements

As of 1 October 2026, the smoking ban will be extended to all Y-Säätiö’s apartments. The smoking ban will also apply to existing rental agreements. Following the change, smoking will be prohibited in:

• the interior of the apartment
• the balcony or private terrace area belonging to the apartment
• other private indoor or outdoor areas connected to the apartment
• the building’s shared and communal areas.

The ban applies to smoking in general, including the use of electronic cigarettes. Tenants are responsible for ensuring that their guests and other people staying on the premises with their permission also comply with the smoking ban.

Tenants will be required to report the people living in the apartment

In future, tenants will be required to provide written information on the number of people living in the apartment and the basis for their right to live there. The basis may be, for example, a family relationship.

For adult tenants, the tenants must also provide their name, date of birth and contact details.

The notification can be submitted through asiakaspalvelu@ysaatio.fi.

If the information provided when the rental agreement was signed is up to date, no new notification is required.

Changes to the landlord’s right to access the apartment

In future, the landlord may access the apartment also when a suitable time cannot be agreed due to a reason attributable to the tenant. The tenant will be notified of the visit in advance.

Changes to new rental agreements

The following changes will apply to rental agreements that take effect on or after 1 October 2026. For residents who already live in Y-Säätiö’s apartments, the existing terms of their rental agreements will continue to apply in these respects.

Landlord’s notice periods

The longer notice period for landlords will be reduced from six months to four months. The longer notice period will in future apply to rental agreements that have lasted continuously for at least two years. The shorter notice period will remain for three months.

New grounds for terminating a rental agreement with immediate effect

In future, a rental agreement may also be terminated with immediate effect based on another particularly compelling reason, for example if the tenant’s conduct seriously endangers the peace or sense of security of neighbors.

Property left in the apartment

Following the end of a rental agreement, the law will provide more detailed rules on how property left in a vacated apartment is to be handled. After a specified period, the property may, under certain circumstances, be transferred to the landlord without compensation.

Read more about the changes in Finlex. (in Finnish)