Housing

Affordable and comfortable housing is a basic need. If it isn't fulfilled, your studies likely won't go as planned. There are many housing options available for students at the University of Turku.

You should start looking for a flat well in advance before arriving in Turku. Neither the University of Turku nor TYY can guarantee or arrange housing for you, but you can get advice from both. The busiest time for apartment hunting is always in the beginning of the semester, so you should look in many different places and start early! On this page we have listed some good tips. Also check out ESN Uni Turku's website for more ideas!

Remember to make a change of address notification (muuttoilmoitus) so that your mail and packages will be delivered to your address in Finland. This can be filled out at any post office or also at www.posti.fi/changeaddress

You will also need to register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). Read more at dvv.fi/en/international-student

Turku Student Village Foundation (TYS)

The Turku Student Village Foundation (TYS) is the primary provider of student apartments in Turku. In addition to the regular student flats, there are around 410 flats specifically reserved for exchange students, which you can read more about here: https://tys.fi/en/exchange-students. These apartments are furnished, and all TYS apartments include water, electricity and Internet. TYS apartments are located in several places around Turku.

Apartment from the general rental market

It can be challenging to find housing for a short period of time on the private rental market. You may need to ask for tips from your tutor, but there are also some web pages that offer information in English. Take a look at different websites and Facebook groups offering apartments.
Here are some examples of useful web pages that offer information also in English:

• Vuokraovi
• Vuokraturva
• Huoneistokeskus
• Lumo
• OVV Asuntopalvelut
• Juli Living

Furnished apartments

• Forenom
• Kotimaailma

Facebook groups

• Turku New Students Accommodation & Orientation
• Turun omatoiminen asunnonvälitys
• Vuokra-asunnot Turku (mostly in Finnish but you can post in English as well)
• Uuteen asuntoon vuokralle

For a shorter period, you can also take a look at:

Hostels:

• Ship Hostel S/S Bore
• Hostel Linnasmäki

Websites:

• Couchsurfing
• Airbnb

Guest houses:

• Majatalo Kupittaa
• Guest House Tapuli
• Bridgettine Convent Guest House (for female students only)

Emergency housing

• Emergency youth shelter (for young people between 12 to 19 years of age)

If you know someone in Turku, you can also consider temporarily bunking at their place. However, you can't expect anyone to automatically accommodate you, and these kinds of arrangements must be based on mutual respect. If you end up living at someone's place temporarily, you must take some time to agree upon the rules of your stay, for example, whether you'll get your own key and what you can use in the apartment.

Starting package for exchange students

As an exchange student, you might not want to buy all kinds of household items for just six or twelve months in Finland. That is why the student unions of the universities in Turku run a starting package storage where you can borrow these items. For more information, see www.tyy.fi/en/starting-package-storage