Housing allowance for pensioners is available for these housing costs
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Housing costs covered by the allowance
You can get housing allowance for pensioners (eläkkeensaajan asumistuki) for the housing costs of your permanent home in Finland if you have a low income and you are paid a pension that qualifies you for the allowance.
The housing allowance for pensioners does not cover all of your housing costs. The housing costs that are covered by the allowance vary based on what kind of home you live in.
In addition, the amount of housing costs Kela can take into account varies by municipality. If your actual housing costs exceed the maximum limit for housing costs that applies in your municipality (maximum housing costs), Kela will use the maximum housing costs to calculate your housing allowance instead of your actual costs.
If you live in a rented home or you are a subtenant, you can get housing allowance for your
- rent
- water and heating costs if they are not included in the rent.
If you have a subtenant, Kela will take only your share of the rent into account as your housing costs.
If you pay separately for water and heating and your water charge is based on how much water you use, Kela cannot take your actual costs into account. Instead, Kela will use default water and heating costs that are defined in a government decree when calculating your housing allowance. Check how much Kela can take into account as water and heating costs.
If you live in an assisted living facility for the elderly or in a rented senior apartment, you can get housing allowance for your
- rent
- water and heating costs you pay separately.
You cannot get housing allowance for
- service charges that are included in the rent
- electricity as it will be deducted from the rent.
If you live in a single-family home (omakotitalo) owned by you or your partner, you can get housing allowance for
- interest on loans taken out for buying or repairing your home
- water, heating and maintenance costs
- ground rent.
Kela does not take your water, heating or maintenance costs into account at their actual amounts when calculating your housing allowance. Instead, Kela uses default amounts that are defined in a government decree.
Kela takes the following maintenance costs into account for single-family homes:
- EUR 47.84 per month for a single-family home that was completed or modernised in 1974 or later.
- EUR 62.19 per month for a single-family home that was completed or modernised before 1974.
Check how much Kela can take into account as water and heating costs.
If you move permanently into a public long-term institutional care facility in Finland, Kela can pay you housing allowance for pensioners for the housing costs of your previous home for a maximum of 9 months.
If your partner moves permanently into a long-term institutional care facility and Kela has paid housing allowance to both of you, you must tell Kela about the change. We will then review your housing allowance. Kela will stop paying your partner housing allowance from the start of the next month after they moved into the institutional care facility and start paying you housing allowance for pensioners that is based on your income and housing costs alone.
If you live in a right-of-occupancy home (asumisoikeusasunto) or partial-ownership home (osaomistusasunto), you can get housing allowance for your
- residence charge (käyttövastike) or rent
- water and heating costs you pay separately
- interest on loans taken out to buy the right-of-occupancy (right-of-occupancy home) or the partial-ownership home.
If you pay separately for water and heating and your water charge is based on how much water you use, Kela cannot take your actual costs into account. Instead, Kela will use default water and heating costs that are defined in a government decree when calculating your housing allowance. Check how much Kela can take into account as water and heating costs.
Water and heating costs
If water and heating costs are not included in your rent or your maintenance or residence charge (vastike) and you do not pay a separate fixed water charge, Kela uses the default water and heating costs set out in a government decree when calculating your housing allowance. This means that Kela does not take your water and heating costs into account at their actual amounts.
Kela takes a maximum of EUR 32.40 per person per month into account as the water charge.
You can get housing allowance for the heating costs of a reasonably sized home. If you live alone, a reasonably sized home is up to 70 square metres. If you have a partner, a reasonably sized home is up to 85 square metres.
Heating costs (EUR per square metre per month)
| Location of the home | Built in 1974 or later | Built before 1974 |
| Municipality in heating costs category 1 | 2.07 | 2.69 |
| Municipality in heating costs category 2 | 2.20 | 2.86 |
| Municipality in heating costs category 3 | 2.35 | 3.06 |
Heating costs category 1: Askola, Aura, Espoo, Eura, Eurajoki, Hamina, Hanko, Harjavalta, Helsinki, Honkajoki, Huittinen, Hyvinkää, Iitti, Imatra, Inkoo, Jämijärvi, Järvenpää, Kaarina, Kankaanpää, Karkkila, Karvia, Kauniainen, Kemiönsaari, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Kokemäki, Koski, Kotka, Kouvola, Kustavi, Laitila, Lapinjärvi, Lappeenranta, Lemi, Lieto, Lohja, Loimaa, Loviisa, Luumäki, Marttila, Masku, Merikarvia, Miehikkälä, Mynämäki, Myrskylä, Mäntsälä, Naantali, Nakkila, Nousiainen, Nurmijärvi, Orimattila, Oripää, Paimio, Parainen, Parikkala, Pomarkku, Pori, Pornainen, Porvoo, Pukkila, Punkalaidun, Pyhtää, Pyhäranta, Pöytyä, Raasepori, Raisio, Rauma, Rautjärvi, Ruokolahti, Rusko, Salo, Sastamala, Sauvo, Savitaipale, Siikainen, Sipoo, Siuntio, Somero, Säkylä, Taipalsaari, Taivassalo, Turku, Tuusula, Ulvila, Uusikaupunki, Vantaa, Vehmaa, Vihti, Virolahti and the municipalities in the Åland Islands.
Heating costs category 2: Akaa, Alajärvi, Alavus, Asikkala, Enonkoski, Evijärvi, Forssa, Halsua, Hartola, Hattula, Hausjärvi, Heinola, Heinävesi, Hirvensalmi, Hollola, Humppila, Hämeenkyrö, Hämeenlinna, Ikaalinen, Ilmajoki, Isojoki, Isokyrö, Janakkala, Jokioinen, Joroinen, Juupajoki, Juva, Kangasala, Kangasniemi, Kannus, Karijoki, Kaskinen, Kauhajoki, Kauhava, Kaustinen, Kihniö, Kokkola, Korsnäs, Kristiinankaupunki, Kruunupyy, Kuortane, Kurikka, Kärkölä, Lahti, Laihia, Lappajärvi, Lapua, Lempäälä, Lestijärvi, Loppi, Luoto, Maalahti, Mikkeli, Mustasaari, Mänttä-Vilppula, Mäntyharju, Nokia, Närpiö, Orivesi, Padasjoki, Parkano, Pedersöre, Perho, Pertunmaa, Pieksämäki, Pietarsaari, Pirkkala, Puumala, Pälkäne, Rantasalmi, Riihimäki, Ruovesi, Savonlinna, Seinäjoki, Soini, Sulkava, Sysmä, Tammela, Tampere, Teuva, Toholampi, Urjala, Uusikaarlepyy, Vaasa, Valkeakoski, Vesilahti, Veteli, Vimpeli, Virrat, Vöyri, Ylöjärvi, Ypäjä and Ähtäri.
Heating costs category 3: All other municipalities.
Housing costs that are not covered by the allowance
You cannot get housing allowance for example for the following housing costs:
- electricity charge that is included in your rent, maintenance charge or residence charge
- other itemised charges that are included in your rent, maintenance charge or residence charge, such as charges for a parking space, a garage space, internet, cable TV, laundry room, sauna, cleaning, waste disposal, an emergency phone or storage
- rental security deposits or advance rent payments
- real estate brokerage fees
- real estate tax
- insurance related to housing.
The amount of housing costs Kela can take into account
There is a maximum limit for the amount of housing costs that Kela can take into account when calculating the housing allowance for pensioners. If your housing costs exceed the maximum limit, you will have to pay the costs that exceed it yourself. Kela can take your housing costs into account up to the maximum limit. Kela will then deduct a basic deductible (perusomavastuu) and sometimes also an additional deductible (lisäomavastuu) from this amount.
The maximum limit for housing costs is different in different municipalities. Municipalities are divided into three categories: the Helsinki capital region, other large municipalities and other municipalities.
Check the maximum limit for housing costs in your municipality
- A house or apartment in the Helsinki capital region: The maximum housing costs are EUR 9,287 per year and about EUR 774 per month.
- A house or apartment in another large municipality: The maximum housing costs are EUR 8,541 per year and about EUR 712 per month.
- A house or apartment in any other municipality: The maximum housing costs are EUR 7,493 per year and about EUR 624 per month.
The Helsinki capital region includes Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa.
Other large municipalities are Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Järvenpää, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Kouvola, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Lohja, Nurmijärvi, Oulu, Pori, Porvoo, Raisio, Riihimäki, Rovaniemi, Seinäjoki, Sipoo, Tampere, Turku, Tuusula, Vaasa and Vihti.
Other municipalities are all other municipalities that are not listed above.