Application guide

Applying for an apartment is always exciting, so we wanted to make it as easy as possible. In this application guide, you will find answers to the most common questions that may arise during the application for a Koas apartment.

We recommend to carefully familiarize yourself with the application guide before submitting an application. If everything is already clear, you can directly fill out the application here:

Who can apply for an apartment?

Koas is a student housing foundation, so when applying for an apartment, the applicant must be enrolled in an educational institution after primary school. For example a university, university of applied sciences, high school or vocational college.

We check the right to study and the applicant’s credit information before making an apartment offer.

New student, you can apply for an apartment once you have received a place to study. In the housing application, please add a link to your acceptance letter found in the Oma Opintopolku platform to the additional information field, if applicable.

New student, add a link to the acceptance letter found in the Oma Opintopolku to the additional information on the housing application.

When to apply?

You should start looking for an apartment as soon as you have accepted a study place and you want to live in Jyväskylä. You can apply for apartments all year round. However, you should note that it may take time for an apartment that matches the search criteria you have set becomes available. For example, waiting for a city center studio to become available can take 6-12 months.

Pro tip: Wider search criteria may help you to get an apartment offer faster!

What kind of apartments can I apply for?

Koas apartments are studios, shared apartments for two or three students, studios with shared kitchen, and family apartments, i.e. two-room, three-room or four-room apartments.

Shared apartment

A shared apartment is the most common form of housing, especially for a new student. The shared apartments for two and three students each have their own, locked rooms and a shared bathroom and kitchen. The shared apartments also have a WiFi router ready. It is possible to apply for rooms in shared apartments together with a friend. In this case, both applicants must make their own apartment application and mention the roommate request in the additional information field.

A studio with a shared kitchen

A studio with a shared kitchen is shared apartment. Both residents of the unit have a separate entrance to their own room and a personal bathroom. Kitchen is shared.

Studio

Studio is a one-room apartment with its own kitchen in the room and own bathroom. Studios are intended for one person primarily.

The waiting time for studios is about 6–12 months, depending on the location and popularity of the housing location. You can wait for a studio apartment or other apartment that meets your search criteria to become available while living in a shared apartment.

Family apartment

Family apartment is an umbrella term for two-room, three-room or four-room apartments. These are intended primarily for couples and families with children. At least one of the couple must be a student. You can also apply for a family apartment alone.

Pets

Pets are welcome in studios and family apartments, with the exception of the animal dust-free area of Koas Seminaarinmäki. With shared apartment contracts, pets are prohibited because of other residents. However, if you wish, you can rent the entire shared apartment just for yourself, in which case keeping a pet is possible.

What is included in the rent?

Living at Koas is easy, because one affordable rent includes almost everything essential for student life:

Your own apartment or room from a shared apartment
Green electricity and real estate services
Water in majority of housing locations (see exceptions here)
Fast internet connection and cable TV
Use of the laundry room and shared sauna time slots
KOAS Meeting Room study space and KOAS Bike electric bicycle with reservation
Deposit €0.

Depending on the housing location, the rent may also include various other facilities and services, such as a gym, lounge or study facilities.

How to apply?

Housing application is done electronically via Koas website.

Get to know the housing locations first to familiarize which ones you plan to apply for. Fill out a separate electronic application for each type of apartment you want (studio, shared, family apartment). You should make the application criteria as broad as possible to maximize your possibilities to getting an apartment.

Important aspects to note while applying:

Since there are more shared apartments available than there are studios, it is worth applying for a shared apartment, even if you primarily want a studio apartment or a family apartment.
You can queue for another apartment while living in a two- or three-person shared apartment.
If you are applying for a shared apartment together with a friend, mention the preferred roommate in question in the additional information field of the application.
You can apply for a family apartment alone or with your spouse.
If two people are moving into a studio under 35 sqm, we charge an extra person charge of €25/month.
Income field in the application: income before the start of studies, study grant, housing grant, education grant, subsistence grant, occasional income and student loan are not counted as income.
Assets field in the application: state if you have, for example, securities or an owner-occupied apartment. You do not need to declare an owner-occupied apartment in another city as asset.
After submitting the application, you will receive a confirmation in your email. The application is valid for 90 days. Along with the confirmation, you will receive instructions for updating the application. You can edit your application later or renew it after receiving a notification to your email that the application has expired.

How do I accept the apartment?

You will receive an apartment offer in your email when the apartment that matches your wishes becomes available. Please note that the apartment offer can also come with less than a calendar month’s notice before the start of the contract.

If you like the apartment offer, accept the apartment according to the instructions received in the email. If you do not want the apartment offered to you, remember inform us. After that submit a new application if it is needed.

When you have accepted the housing offer, sign the lease agreement using electronic identification according to the instructions received in the email. If you have applied for an apartment with your spouse, both parties sign the rental agreement. If you are a minor (under 18 years of age), your guardian must also sign the rental agreement.

Where can I get the keys?

You can get the keys to your new home from the Koas Keybox that is usually located fairly close to your building. The earliest possible time to pick up the keys is on the first weekday of the lease start month, starting at 12 noon.

During the month before the start of the contract, you will receive the information for picking up the key in your email.

Read more about keys

How do I change apartments?

If your living situation changes during your stay or you want to apply for a new apartment for other reasons, you can apply for a change of apartment. You can apply for either to another Koas housing location or to a different type of apartment.

A transfer fee of €60 is charged for the exchange.

The person changing the apartment pays the rent only for the new apartment, even if the notice period for the old apartment is not fulfilled. In family apartments, a notice period of one calendar month is always observed.

Read more about changing apartments within Koas

Need help or have questions?

Contact info