Housing company finances and share of the company loan: how to read whether the company is sound (2026)

Look at the debt-free price first, not the sale price. The debt-free price tells you what the home really costs: it is the sale price plus the share of the housing company’s loan that comes with this home. In the Consumer Ombudsman’s example the debt-free price 499,000 e is made up of a 199,600 e sale price and a 299,400 e share of the company loan. If you compare only sale prices, you are comparing only the deposit, not the price of the home.

The debt-free price is the real price tag

Debt-free price = sale price + share of the company loan. The sale price is the sum you pay the seller. The share of the company loan is the part of the housing company’s joint loan that falls on this home, and you pay it either off in one go or monthly as a financing charge.

Breakdown	Sum
Sale price (you pay the seller)	199,600 e
Share of the company loan	299,400 e
Debt-free price	499,000 e

Two homes with the same debt-free price of 499,000 e can look very different in the listing: in one the sale price is 450,000 e with a small loan share, in the other the sale price is 199,600 e with a large loan share. The monthly cost, and how much of your own money you need at the time of purchase, are different. The share of the company loan can usually be paid off, after which the financing charge disappears. Check the manager’s certificate for whether the company allows paying off the loan share and when.

The charge splits into two parts

The total charge (yhtiövastike) is the monthly payment you make to the company. It splits into two parts, and they must be read differently.

Charge type	Where it goes	What you read from it
Maintenance charge (hoitovastike)	Upkeep: heating, water, property management, repairs	The company’s running condition and cost level
Financing charge (capital charge)	Interest and repayments on the housing company loan	The monthly cost of the share of the company loan

The maintenance charge tells you how much living physically costs. According to Tilastokeskus, the maintenance charge in 2024 averaged 4.86 e/m2/month in apartment blocks and 3.69 e/m2/month in terraced houses. A clearly higher figure can point to costly energy, old building services, or upcoming repairs. A clearly lower one sometimes to the company having deferred repairs, which shows later as a rise.

The financing charge tells you what a large share of the company loan costs per month. It is worth paying special attention here: if the loan share is large and the housing company loan’s interest-only period (lyhennysvapaa, the time when only interest is paid) is ending, the financing charge can rise clearly once repayments begin. In new-build homes this is common. Always ask when the interest-only period ends and how much the charge rises then.

The basis for the charges and shares of the company loan is in chapter 3 of the Housing Companies Act (asunto-osakeyhtiölaki).

Three documents that tell the truth

The listing tells you what the seller wants you to see. These papers tell you what is true.

The manager’s certificate. This is the single most important document. The manager’s certificate (AOYL 7:27) carries the home’s share of the company loan, the charges, any payment arrears, and a reference to the maintenance-needs assessment. Always ask for it and read it before an offer, not after. Check the certificate’s date: an out-of-date certificate does not tell you the current situation.

The maintenance-needs assessment. The maintenance-needs assessment (AOYL 6:3) is an assessment drawn up yearly by the board of the repair needs for the next five years. If it lists a pipe renovation, facade, or roof in the coming years, the upcoming renovation can raise the charge or bring a new share of the company loan. This is the paper that tells you whether a big bill lies ahead.

The financial statements and annual report. From these you see how the loan total has developed, the repair history, and whether the company has saved money for future repairs or borrowed everything.

How to go through the company before an offer

1. Work out the debt-free price: sale price + share of the company loan. Compare this, not the sale price.
2. Split the charge: the maintenance charge separately, the financing charge separately.
3. Check the interest-only period in the financing charge: when it ends, how much the charge rises.
4. Read the manager’s certificate: share of the company loan, charges, payment arrears, date.
5. Read the maintenance-needs assessment: what repairs fall within five years.
6. Ask the manager: whether the loan share can be paid off, when, and whether the general meeting has decided on upcoming renovations.

A sound company does not mean a debt-free company. A large share of the company loan can be perfectly sensible if the loan terms are good and the repairs have been done properly. The bad sign is when repairs have been deferred, the maintenance-needs assessment is empty or old, and no one can tell you when the financing charge changes. Unknown does not always mean bad, but it means you have to ask before you commit.

When you find a listing that interests you, paste its address into Heimer. It reads the debt-free price, splits the charges, and surfaces the share of the company loan and the upcoming repairs for you, so you see the monthly cost and the risks before an offer.