Owned plot vs rented plot
How vuokratontti and plot redemption affect price, monthly costs, and long-term risk when buying an apartment share.
Finnish housing companies sit on either an owned plot (oma tontti) or a leased plot (vuokratontti). This difference can matter as much as the apartment’s €/m².
On an owned plot, the housing company (and therefore the shareholders) own the land. There is no separate ground rent payable to an outside landowner.
On a rented plot, another entity — often the city or a private lessor — owns the land and charges ground rent. That cost is usually passed through to shareholders via the maintenance fee or a separate charge.
Read the lease length and renewal terms. A lease that expires or is revised in the near term can mean sudden rent hikes; long remaining terms are usually easier to plan around.
Ask whether the plot share is redeemable (lunastettavissa) and at what price. Optional rental (valinnainen vuokratontti) lets some buyers pay off their share at purchase — often tens of thousands of euros.
Is vuokratontti a deal-breaker? Not automatically — but only if you understand the lease, the rent path, and how ground rent sits in the hoitovastike. Pair it with renovation risk and true monthly cost.
When comparing listings, note who the lessor is, when the lease ends, and whether rent can be revised. Missing plot details are a reason to ask the broker before you bid.
What Real Estate Experts Say
“Whenever you buy an apartment on a leased plot, the buyer should study the plot lease agreement carefully, because the location — the plot — affects the apartment’s value.”
Tuomas Viljamaa, Kiinteistönvälitysalan keskusliitto“A leased plot is not automatically a bad thing, but you need to understand what you are buying. I would pay attention to the length of the agreement and when it is renewed. It is also important whether the plot can be redeemed.”
Antti Tolonen, Hypo