Many Finns or people who have moved to Finland live in apartment buildings in the city, which accommodate many people from different life situations and backgrounds.

However, there is at least one thing all residents have in common: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” – or "When in Finland, do as the Finns do".

In Finland, all people are, in principle, on an equal footing with each other – regardless of their gender, age, ethnic background, national origin, religion, other beliefs or, for example, sexual orientation.

Finns enjoy spending a lot of time on their own or with friends and family. They prefer to keep their distance from others and do not usually greet strangers. Finns will only intervene when necessary, but they are happy to guide those who are lost or need help. Silence is appreciated and looking into the eyes is a sign of honesty. Talking loud is considered rude, even disturbing.

Finns have a lot of pets, especially dogs, which are also considered part of the family. Dogs barking or children playing loudly is not at all acceptable to others, but different sounds of life are, however, part of living in an apartment building. However, continuous noise that disturbs the neighbours is not allowed.

Sauna is a sacred place for many Finns where they can relax. Many apartment buildings have a sauna that can be booked either for an individual resident or for the family, or it can also be used during a communal “jog sauna” shift with separate hours allocated for women and men. Finns usually use the sauna naked, unless otherwise agreed during the shared sauna shifts.

In Finland, shared rules and compliance with these rules are valued. It is the responsibility of those living in an apartment building to follow the building’s regulations.

Each building has its own regulations that all residents must comply with. The regulations can usually be found on a physical or electronic notice board. If you do not follow the regulations, you may receive a warning or, in the worst case, eviction, in which case you will have to move out of your apartment.

The regulations specify and provide information about, among other things, allowed and prohibited sounds noises caused by everyday life, waste sorting and recycling, smoking and pet care. Looking after your own apartment, taking care of your waste, observing the rules of the common areas of the building and letting all residents of the building live in peace can be considered as a general rule. You should carefully study the regulations closely so that you know how to “do as the Romans do”.

There may be some rules related to living in an apartment building in Finland that new migrants are unfamiliar with. For example, you must remain as silent as possible at night, only toilet paper can be flushed down the toilet and the residents themselves are responsible for the correct sorting and recycling of waste.

Many immigrants are also delighted by the world's best drinking tap water, the fridge-freezer and stove included in all homes by default, the internet access included in the rent and the common areas, such as the free use of the building’s washroom, club room and the storage for personal belongings. If something needs fixing, help is available quickly and free of charge – usually through the property manager.

The building’s regulations provide a good basis for living in an apartment building, but each resident can make their own home and life personal in all other respects.

We at the Lumo homes will help you build an effortless everyday life.