Representative Council decided on amendments to housing regulations
What will change?
The housing regulations and the administrative regulation for halls of residence were merged into one housing regulation. With the changes, the names of the resident democracy bodies, for example, are in accordance with ARA’s recommendations. Housing offers will be better targeted at those who have the greatest and most urgent need for housing. As the guidelines are clarified, it will be faster to resolve changing situations during tenancy. Read more about the changes below! The revised regulations will be updated on AYY’s website as soon as possible.
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The names of housing bodies are changed according to ARA’s recommendations. This year, we will already have residents’ meetings instead of building meetings and a tenant council will be called a residents’ committee.
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The chair of the residents’ committee will still be called a castle warden, but the duties of castle wardens will no longer be prescribed in the regulations. Castle wardens will continue to receive a small fee for performing the tasks specified in the separate guidelines for castle wardens. If the chair of the residents’ committee does not want to take over the duty of the castle warden, the residents’ meeting may elect another trustee for the position.
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The Housing Committee (ATMK) will be dissolved by the end of 2022, as it is not a housing body under the Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings. Employees in the housing sector will address the issues that the committee has addressed in the past.
Residents’ meetings
- The ordinary residents’ meeting is held at the end of the year as usual. AYY will inform the chairs of residents’ committees (castle wardens) about the date of the meeting. There will also be changes to the convening of the residents’ meeting: the meeting must be convened promptly if required by at least one-tenth of the persons entitled to vote to address the specified matter. The residents’ meeting is convened by AYY’s employee responsible for residential activities if there are no other conveners.
Housing Cooperative ASY
- The duties of the housing cooperative are not further defined in the regulations as AYY operates according to the guidelines of ARA’s resident democracy guide and the Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings. The cooperative will continue to operate and more information will be provided at the upcoming residents’ meetings. Residents’ democracy and residential activity sections will also be updated on AYY’s website later on.
- New and continuing students may move into AYY housing already two months before their studies begin. This update reduces the number of empty apartments in the summer and helps with the busiest moving time in the autumn. Students who start their studies in January can also move in AYY housing two months before their studies begin. However, AYY cannot guarantee this opportunity because the number of applicants and the categories of urgency vary, and AYY does not have vacant apartments at all times.
- The consumption of the right of residence period is suspended when a resident is undertaking military service, non-military service or voluntary military service during studies.
- The resident selection appendix (current scoring appendix) will be drafted for the discussion of the Representative Council in early 2023. Resident selection for student housing must also comply with the instructions of ARA and municipalities.
- Housing offers will be better targeted to those with the greatest and most urgent need for housing.
- In the future, you can also apply for a two-room apartment alone, but the resident selection favours applications from two or more people.
- All applicants must be members of AYY, excluding parents, children and common-law partners/spouses.
- If one party of a joint lease moves out of a friends’ apartment, the remaining tenant may apply for a friend swap. The new resident must have the right of residence for AYY housing but does not already have to be AYY’s tenant as previously.
Why are the regulations amended?
Housing regulations are modified to better correspond to ARA guidelines, the Act on Residential Leases and the Act on Joint Management of Rental Buildings. This is to ensure that residents' rights are fulfilled. In addition, the changes were driven by the wish to target housing to AYY members. The previous regulations allowed too many apartments to be rented to non-members. The duties of the renter are also more clearly transferred to employees, which streamlines rental operations. It will be faster to process tenants’ affairs and applications and to address changing situations during tenancy.
When will the changes enter into force?
The new housing regulations are valid from 1 November 2022, but some of the changes will take effect with a delay, as there is a transition period until 2023. The new regulation is followed in all matters where the information has been updated on the website and in the Domo system.
Changes in residents’ democracy will be made immediately — the 2023 resident democracy bodies will be elected according to the new regulations and legislation at residents’ meetings in November. The lease terms will be updated and the lease templates renewed approximately in the spring of 2023. System changes related to the resident selection have been prepared and will be implemented gradually in the resident selection process at the beginning of 2023. Other system changes will be implemented during 2023.
Amendment to the Act on Joint Management on the horizon
In addition to AYY’s amendments, the Act on Joint Management governing residents’ democracy, will be revised in early 2024. The new act supports and facilitates participation in residential activities and allows notices of meeting to be sent electronically, for example. The act also adds flexibility to residents’ democracy, such as the opportunity to use other electronic means of participation alongside meetings.
The new housing regulations will soon be updated on AYY’s website.
Further information:
Minna Merensilta, Service and Rental Manager
minna.merensilta@ayy.fi
+358 40 654 637
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