Selection criteria | Espoon Asunnot

We do not have a queuing system, but we try to offer housing to those who need it the most. Priority is given to those applicants who are most urgently in need of housing, with the most limited financial means and with the lowest income. Please note that we consider a diverse resident structure, and therefore, meeting the criteria below does not guarantee obtaining an apartment.

Level 1 = extremely urgent need of housing

The applicant is homeless

Homeless applicants include those living:

outdoors and in temporary shelters
in night shelters
in care and nursing homes
in a hostel or other temporary accommodation
in supported or crisis housing, or
temporarily with relatives or acquaintances due to lack of housing

The applicant is at risk of becoming homeless through no fault of their own

Homelessness is considered a threat if an applicant:

has been evicted from their current home
becomes homeless due to the demolition of their home
becomes homeless as a result of a forced sale of owner-occupied housing, or
the applicant's current accommodation has been declared unfit for habitation by a decision of a public authority

The applicant has a necessary and permanent need for accessible housing and their current dwelling is not accessible

The applicant has a necessary and permanent need for accessible housing and their current dwelling is not accessible.

The applicant lives in very cramped conditions

Very cramped housing is classified as a situation where three or more persons live in one habitable room or a maximum of 10 m² per person. The kitchen does not count as a habitable room.

The applicant is moving to Espoo where he have a job but no housing

The applicant is moving to Espoo where he have a job but no housing.

Level 2 = urgent need of housing

The applicant has housing costs that are disproportionately high in relation to their income

Disproportionately high housing costs are considered to be when a household spends more than 40% of its gross income on rent and other housing costs for its current dwelling

The applicant has a fixed-term lease, which cannot be renewed

The applicant has a fixed-term lease, which cannot be renewed.

The applicant is over 18 years old and lives with their parents in Espoo

The applicant is over 18 years old and lives with their parents in Espoo.

The applicant lives in cramped conditions

Cramped conditions are defined as a situation where more than one person but fewer than three live in one habitable room or a maximum of 15 m² per person. The kitchen does not count as a habitable room. In single-parent households, a situation where the parent has no bedroom of their own is classified as cramped.

Applicant's own or a family member's permanent illness or disability requires healthier or more suitable housing

Does not apply to the need for accessible housing (see urgency level 1).
The application must always be accompanied by a medical certificate.

A barrier to the separation of a married or cohabiting couple is lack of housing.

Level 3 = in need of housing

All applicants who do not belong to urgency levels 1 or 2

Level 3 applicants include, for example, those:

who have a long and/or difficult commute (not applicable to those moving to Espoo from elsewhere for work, see urgency level 1)
who are starting a family and do not share a home.
whose housing is unsuitable for shift work
whose current housing is unsuitable for other reasons

Applicants who exceed the asset ceiling cannot be offered housing.

Check the income and wealth limits for ARA housing

If your income and wealth exceed the limits for ARA rental apartments, we cannot offer you an ARA rental apartment. However, you can apply for an apartment from our non-subsidised properties, which do not have restrictions on tenant selection.