Your home should be a safe haven: a place untouched by work stress or a sudden downpour on your way back. Creating such a place for all residents lies at the heart of Lumo Homes’ operations. Based on the most recent sustainability survey, residents appreciate the housing and building safety the most.

We asked Lumo Homes’ Head of Property Management, Ville Kilpi, what housing safety is made of. According to him, safety comes down to a sense of effortlessness, quick response times, and shared responsibility.

“Safety is of course built on physical elements, such as effective locking systems, entry codes, and functioning smoke alarms. But the most important factor is cooperation with our partners and residents,” he says.

The sense of safety starts with the basics: locks work, buildings and yards are kept tidy, and residents follow shared house rules. Lumo Homes’ maintenance and cleaning partners also keep an eye out for any potential issues.

“Maintenance company staff make their rounds in the buildings and outdoor areas several times a week. They report anything that’s broken immediately or take care of any burnt-out lights,” Kilpi explains.

Some safety-related matters are the residents’ own responsibility. For example, Lumo Homes requires tenants to have home insurance, and residents are expected to report any water damage or a broken smoke alarm without delay.

Effortless living environments support safe living. Lumo Homes are located close to good transport links and services. Because Lumo Homes has a wide range of flats across Finland, residents can also move easily from one home to another if, for instance, their workplace relocates to a different district or city. This helps maintain stability in housing even when the plates of everyday life shift.

“As a landlord, it’s important for us to support our residents through different life changes,” Kilpi says.

It is the landlord’s responsibility to provide residents with the essentials – the framework for safe living. This includes addressing disturbances. Noise from a constantly barking dog or repeated loud parties is, according to Kilpi, an unpleasant but overall rare phenomenon.

“One-off parties are part of life, and residents can notify their neighbours politely in advance. With recurring disturbances, however, we act immediately,” Kilpi says.

In most cases, a conversation with the resident is enough. When necessary, the landlord intervenes with a notice or a warning. In the worst case, the tenancy agreement may be terminated or cancelled. Up to a certain point the landlord aims to resolve the issue together with the resident, but after that the process follows legal guidelines.

“It’s important for us to approach residents with empathy. Naturally, we follow the legal processes and notice periods,” Kilpi says.

Ville Kilpi returns to Lumo Homes’ core idea of community and shared responsibility. A sense of safety is strengthened by familiar neighbours as well as familiar representatives from the maintenance company or the landlord. Residents have access to both customer service and housing advice. If there’s an emergency, help is always available.

“The feeling of safety comes from greeting your neighbour – and your neighbour greeting you back,” Kilpi says. Whether it’s getting to know the people next door or replacing a fuse, the residents and Lumo Homes’ housing experts build safety through small everyday actions.

Neighbourhood community is strengthened through resident evenings and events, and most Lumo Homes buildings have shared spaces for everyone to use, from workrooms to fitness rooms.

“Active residents can set up a local Lumo Team, which organises workshops, yoga sessions or children’s parties in their buildings. The team operates according to an agreed activity plan, and we support this financially,” Kilpi says.

And when it comes to shared responsibility for physical safety? For example, yards and walkways are regularly monitored to prevent accidents in slippery conditions. The cleanliness of shared spaces, waste rooms and stairwells also comes up in resident feedback from time to time.

“Maintaining cleanliness is a good example of doing things together. Tidying up after yourself and taking care of rubbish shows care for both your neighbours and the building,” Kilpi says. And it is through care that a sense of safety is built.