Designated housing and reimbursement of the service location during work service

You have the right for free housing during your time of service.

Your service location will designate you housing at the start of your service.

The housing for your service will be arranged in a commitment contract made on Sivariweb, on the contract the service location will commit to taking you to carry out your service.

The service location is liable for the housing expenses of their designated housing

• The service location and conscripts cannot make other arrangements about expenses.
• The service locations’ reimbursement starts from the first day of service and lasts until the day of repatriation for every service day in between.
• If you will receive housing benefits from KELA for your first month of service, it will not affect the service locations’ reimbursement for work service days.
• If your housemate receives housing benefits from elsewhere and the benefits directed to them, it does not affect the reimbursements directed to you.
• Housemate’s expenses will not be covered.
• The service location is required to make sure that they have sent reimbursement for the rents or equivalent amount and that it has arrived in your account well in advance before the month’s due date. If your service location is paying the rent directly to the lessor, the service location must make sure it is done before the due date.

If you refuse the designated housing

• Refusal of designated housing will be marked in the commitment contract made on Sivariweb.
• The service location is not obliged to cover any expenses other than their designated housing if you choose your own housing instead.

You can send a requisition to KELA to apply for military allowances’ housing allowance. KELA will not cover the conscripts housing expenses if the service location has neglected their obligation to designate you housing.

Housing assistance for conskripts (kela.fi)

The designated housing can be

A) The service locations’ arrangement (owned or rented apartment by the service location)
B) Your current apartment (rented, owned apartment (own or parents) or living with parents)
C) Housing arranged by you for the time of your service

The service location is always responsible to cover for their designated housing regardless of whether the designated housing has been arranged by the service location, conscripts currently owned housing or housing arranged by the conscript.

A) The service location arranges housing in their own spaces that are suitable for housing or rents the apartments

• Housing that is arranged by the service locations must be warm, spacious, ventilated, well lit, equipped with basic furniture enabling living (At least bed, mattress, curtains, desk, and a chair. There must be enough space for keeping personal items stored. If you must share your room with someone, there must be a locked cabinet or similar for your personal items.
• Also there must be a proper space for storing food items, washing facilities and the possibility to wash clothes.
• You must be able to have a shower in the morning and evening and go to sauna at least once a week.
• If the service locations’ housing is located at the service location the housing must be such that you can have enough rest and freshen up.
• In the service locations arranged housing, the service location will also cover reimbursements related to housing.

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B) Conscript is designated to their current housing

You can be designated to your current rented or owned or parent owned housing. In this case the service location is responsible to cover housing expenses that are directed at you. The service location may ask to see proof from last three months to make sure that you have taken a part in the housing costs.

Covered housing expenses are;

• Rent
• Some other equivalent contractual monthly housing expense (mortgage or interest charge expenses will not be covered)
• Water bill, electricity bill of the housing, sauna fee and waste fee
• Home Insurance bill, if taking a home insurance is the condition for your rental agreement
• Separate agreements between the service location and the conscript about the service locations’ compensation for rent are not possible as the service location is responsible for paying all expenses.

Service location does NOT cover;

• Parking space, internet connection or similar additional fees
• Costs related to mortgage, but you can send a requisition to KELA to apply for military allowances’ housing allowance
• Housemate’s costs
• Housing costs if your designated housing is owned by or rented by your parents and you haven’t taken part in housing costs like paying a rent

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C) Conscript acquires their own housing from the free market, which the service location designates them to

If the service location does not have room for housing and you don’t live close enough to the location, an agreement can be made so that you acquire a rental apartment.

• Housing always must be accepted by the service location.

If housing has not been arranged by the time your service starts, the service location can plan with you in advance about boundary conditions related to housing. Boundary conditions could be about the location of the housing, or the maximum amount the service location is willing to pay the rent.

• If the service location does not accept the housing you have chosen, the service location must plan sufficient housing for you.

The service location does not have to cover your owned apartments’ guaranteed rent. It is still recommended that the service location does take part in paying rent in a situation where you are only renting the apartment for the duration of your work service and won’t be staying in the apartment after the service is over.

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If you want to move during work service

• You must always come to an agreement with the service location about changing your residence.
• If you are renting a new apartment, you have to ask about guaranteed rent and the maximum rent beforehand.
• Notice, if the service location does not designate your housing to your new address means that getting military allowances’ housing allowance is not guaranteed in this situation.
• The service location will update the new address information to the contract.
• The change in the contract will be signed/accepted by the service location in Sivariweb, and by the conscript in Omasivari.