The cost of owning a flat: charge, loan share and leased land

The charge: maintenance + financing

The company charge (vastike) consists of the maintenance charge (running costs, benchmark about €5.5/m²/month for blocks of flats, Tilastokeskus 2025) and the financing charge (repaying the company loan). Land rent may come on top.

Debt-free price and loan share

Debt-free price = sale price + your share of the company loan. A low sale price can hide a large loan share, repaid via the financing charge — always compare the debt-free price.

Taxes and the plot

Buying housing-company shares carries a 1.5% transfer tax (Verohallinto, 2024); the first-home exemption was abolished on 1 Jan 2024. If the plot is leased (often a long city lease in Helsinki), the land rent is part of your costs and can rise sharply when the lease term ends — check the end date and revision terms.

Domande frequenti

What does the company charge cover?

The maintenance charge covers the building's running costs; the financing charge repays the company loan. Together they're the key recurring cost.

What is the loan share?

Your portion of the housing company's loan. It's paid via the financing charge or settled in one payment.

What is leased land (vuokratontti)?

A plot the housing company leases. The land rent sits in the charge, and the lease terms are worth checking.