Property, Vehicles, and Contracts After a Death in Finland

When someone dies in Finland, their property doesn't automatically transfer to heirs, their lease doesn't end, and their contracts keep running. Each asset type has a separate process and different urgency levels. Here's what needs to happen, and in what order.

Terminating a Lease — The Most Urgent Task

Under the Finnish Act on Residential Leases, a tenancy agreement does not end when the tenant dies. The deceased's estate (kuolinpesä) becomes jointly liable for the rent, and the clock starts ticking immediately.

The rule: The statutory notice period is one full calendar month, calculated from the last day of the month in which written notice is delivered to the landlord.

Why timing matters:

• If you deliver the termination notice on January 15, the lease ends February 28. The estate pays rent for both months.
• If you delay until February 1, the lease runs until March 31. That's an entire extra month of rent because you were one day late.

Requirements for the notice:

• Must be in writing
• Must be signed by all estate shareholders, or by a representative holding power of attorney from all heirs
• Must be delivered to the landlord via registered post or verified email

This is often the most costly administrative mistake families make. Every day of delay within the last week of a month can trigger an additional month of rent liability.

Real Estate and Apartment Shares

Finnish property registries don't update automatically when someone dies. The estate must take active steps.

Apartment Shares (Asunto-osake)

Most Finnish apartments are owned as housing company shares, not freehold. The estate should:

1. Notify the housing company of the death
2. Continue paying monthly maintenance charges (hoitovastike) — the estate is liable for these
3. Apply for a "clarification of ownership" (selvennyskirjaus) from the National Land Survey (Maanmittauslaitos)

The clarification isn't legally mandatory, but it makes selling the property much easier. Without it, a buyer would need access to the complete perukirja and genealogical chain — both highly sensitive documents.

Real Property (Land and Houses)

The same process applies through Maanmittauslaitos. The estate can hold property indefinitely as an undivided estate (jakamaton kuolinpesä), but any sale or transfer requires:

• The completed perukirja
• Consent from all estate shareholders
• Registration of the new ownership with Maanmittauslaitos

Vehicle Registration (Traficom)

The Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) has specific rules for deceased estates:

• No registration notification needed when ownership transfers from the deceased to the joint estate — this happens automatically
• When selling a vehicle: Only one estate shareholder needs to sign the deed of transfer (luovutuskirja), provided they have consent from the other heirs
• Missing registration certificate: If the physical registration document (Part II) is missing, any shareholder can order a replacement at a local inspection station by presenting the perukirja or a virkatodistus

The estate can continue to use and insure the vehicle during the settlement period. Transfer to a specific heir happens during the final distribution (perinnönjako).

Cancelling Other Contracts

After the lease and property are handled, work through these:

• Phone and internet contracts — contact the provider with the death certificate. Most Finnish operators will terminate without penalty.
• Insurance policies — notify insurers promptly. Some policies (like group life insurance through an employer) may have benefits payable to the estate.
• Subscriptions and memberships — cancel systematically. Finnish service providers generally require a death certificate before cancelling in the deceased's name.
• Electricity and utilities — if the estate is terminating the lease, contact the utility companies to close accounts as of the lease end date.

Important: The estate is liable for all ongoing costs until contracts are formally terminated. Cancellation doesn't happen automatically upon death.

The Someone Died in Finland: English Speaker's Emergency Guide includes lease termination templates, a contract cancellation tracker, and step-by-step instructions for Maanmittauslaitos and Traficom filings.

See more Finland guides →