Short answer
A tenant can end a lease that is valid until further notice with one month's notice. A landlord needs three months, or four months once the tenancy has lasted at least two years (Act on Residential Leases, section 52). The period is counted from the last day of the month in which the other party receives the notice. The notice must be in writing, and you must be able to prove that it was received. The rules changed on 1 October 2026. For agreements made before that date the landlord's notice period is still six months once the tenancy has lasted a year.
Calculate the end date →Free calculator: choose who gives notice and the day, and see the last day of the tenancy.
Notice periods at a glance
| Situation | Agreement made on or after 1 October 2026 | Agreement made before 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant gives notice | 1 month | 1 month |
| Landlord gives notice, tenancy under 1 year | 3 months | 3 months |
| Landlord gives notice, tenancy 1–2 years | 3 months | 6 months |
| Landlord gives notice, tenancy at least 2 years | 4 months | 6 months |
Agreements made before 1 October 2026 keep the earlier rule for the landlord's notice period unless the parties have agreed otherwise after that date (entry-into-force provision of act 531/2026). A term that shortens the landlord's notice period or lengthens the tenant's is void (section 52).
How the period is counted
The notice period runs from the last day of the calendar month in which the notice is served, which means the day the other party receives it (section 52). The day within the month does not matter: a notice received on 2 March and one received on 30 March end the tenancy on the same day.
Example: the notice is received on 12 March 2027, so the period runs from 31 March 2027.
- Tenant gives notice: the tenancy ends on 30 April 2027.
- Landlord gives notice (3 months): the tenancy ends on 30 June 2027.
- Landlord gives notice (4 months): the tenancy ends on 31 July 2027.
If the notice arrives only in April, each of these dates moves one month later. Give notice well before the end of the month.
How to give notice so that it is valid
- In writing. An electronic notice counts as written when it can be saved and reproduced (section 5 a).
- A landlord's notice must state the day the tenancy ends and the reason for the notice (section 54).
- A tenant's notice goes to the landlord or to whoever collects the rent for the landlord, but not to a bank. A tenant does not have to give a reason (section 54).
- Verifiable delivery. You must be able to show that the other party received the notice, and when (section 13 a).
A notice that does not meet these requirements has no effect (section 54).
What counts as verifiable delivery?
- The recipient acknowledges the notice in writing, for example electronically with their bank ID.
- A letter delivered against an advice of receipt, or delivery by a process server, in the way a court summons is served.
- New from 1 October 2026: the notice is sent to an electronic channel and a separate alert message to a second channel, for example e-mail and a text message. Both channels must have been agreed individually and in writing. The notice is then considered received on the third day after the alert message was sent, unless something else is shown.
An ordinary e-mail or a chat message is therefore not enough unless the recipient acknowledges it. A lease term that allows a termination notice to be delivered in some other way is void (section 13 a).
Giving notice online with a bank ID
With the termination notice template you fill in the notice in your browser, sign it with your Finnish bank ID and send it to the recipient, who acknowledges it with their own bank ID. The signature certificate shows the day and time of the acknowledgement. It costs €1.49 per signer, and you can pay the recipient's share as well, €2.98 in total. If the recipient does not acknowledge the notice, deliver it in another verifiable way.
The form and the notice it produces are in Finnish. The fields are:
| Field in Finnish | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Irtisanoja | Who gives notice: “Vuokralainen” (tenant) or “Vuokranantaja” (landlord) |
| Irtisanojan nimi | Your name |
| Irtisanojan sähköposti | Your e-mail address |
| Vastaanottajan nimi | Name of the person or company receiving the notice |
| Vastaanottajan sähköposti | The recipient's e-mail address |
| Vuokrattavan huoneiston osoite | Address of the rented home |
| Vuokrasuhteen alkamispäivä | First day of the tenancy (optional) |
| Vuokrasuhteen päättymispäivä | Last day of the tenancy, for example 30.4.2027 |
| Irtisanomisen peruste | Reason for the notice: required from a landlord, optional for a tenant |
| Puolison suostumus | Your spouse's consent, when the home is your shared home (optional) |
| Muutto, avaimet ja tarkastus | Moving out, returning the keys and the inspection (optional) |
The calculator fills in the role and the end date for you.
Fixed-term leases
A fixed-term lease ends when its term ends, without notice (section 4). During the term it can be terminated only in the situations listed in the act (section 51). A court can, for example, allow a tenant to give notice if an illness or a disability changes the need for the home, or if the tenant moves to another town because of studies or work. A landlord can get permission if they need the home for themselves or a family member for a reason they could not foresee when the lease was made. The other party is then entitled to reasonable compensation (section 55). The landlord and the tenant can also agree together to end the lease early.
When the home is shared by spouses
When spouses live together in a rented home, one spouse may not give notice without the other's consent, even if only one of them is named as the tenant (section 53).
Can a tenant contest the landlord's notice?
Yes. At the tenant's request a court declares the notice ineffective if it is unreasonable in the tenant's circumstances and there is no acceptable reason for it. The claim must be brought during the tenancy and within three months of receiving the notice (section 56).
When the tenancy ends
- Moving day is the last day of the lease unless something else is agreed (section 68). In agreements made before 1 October 2026 the moving day is, under the earlier rule, the first weekday after the lease ends unless something else was agreed.
- The deposit must be returned, or the landlord must state in writing what is withheld and why, within 14 days of the end of the lease or of the later handover of the home (section 8).
Frequently asked questions
I am leaving Finland. How much notice do I have to give?
One month, counted from the end of the month in which the landlord receives your notice. A notice received on 10 June ends the tenancy on 31 July. Rent is due until the tenancy ends.
Can my landlord end the lease without a reason?
A landlord's notice must state the reason, and without it the notice has no effect (section 54). A tenant can also ask a court to declare a notice ineffective when it is unreasonable and there is no acceptable reason for it (section 56).
Can I give notice by e-mail or in a chat app?
Not on its own, because the notice has to be delivered verifiably. An electronic notice is fine when the recipient acknowledges it, for example with their bank ID, or when electronic delivery and an alert message have been agreed in writing (section 13 a).
Does the 2026 law apply to a lease signed earlier?
Mostly yes: the act applies to earlier agreements as well, including the rules on how a notice is delivered. A few provisions keep their earlier form for agreements made before 1 October 2026 unless the parties agree otherwise. The most important one is the landlord's notice period: six months once the tenancy has lasted a year, otherwise three.