Survey: More and more people are considering switching from an owner-occupied apartment to a rental home – this is what is being sought

SATO Corporation, Press release 9 September 2026 at 08:00 am

Rental housing is attracting a growing number of people and has also become a more appealing option for owner-occupiers. However, the criteria for a dream home vary greatly depending on the home seeker’s age and the location where they are looking for a home. The findings are based on the latest survey of Vuokraovi online service and search data from SATO and Vuokraovi websites.

Demand for rental homes has risen to a record level this year. Search activity on Vuokraovi.com increased by as much as 45% between January and July 2026. At the same time, there has been an increase in people moving from owner-occupied homes to rental ones. Around one in four Finns (28%) looking for a rental home currently live in an owner-occupied apartment. This share has increased by 5 percentage points from 2024 (23%).

“Finns have become more positive about rental housing. It is associated with flexibility, ease and freedom, all of which appeal to home seekers as the uncertain economic situation continues,” says Laura Lahtinen, Housing Expert at Vuokraovi.

The increase in search activity is also reflected in apartment showings. Between January and July 2026, apartment showings held by SATO, one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers, attracted 8% more home seekers than during the same period last year.

“Many people are looking to move to a larger or more affordable home, for example. Rental housing makes this possible without having to worry about rising interest rates or being stuck with two homes,” says Laura Laamanen, Chief Commercial Officer at SATO.

Rental apartment search criteria vary considerably by location: Luxury in Helsinki, renovated apartments in Tampere

Rental apartments are primarily chosen based on the rent, value for money and location. However, the criteria for a dream home vary considerably by location. These local differences can be seen in the search data of both Vuokraovi and SATO.

In Helsinki, for example, people are looking for a touch of luxury in their rental homes. Search terms such as “sea view” and “bathtub” stand out in the capital region, but not elsewhere. In Tampere, “renovated” stands out as a search term, indicating interest in renovated apartments. In Turku, searches by area are more prominent: Herttuankulma, Portsa, Satama and Kauppatori, for example, all rank among the top 30 search terms.

Good transport connections have traditionally been an important search criterion for home seekers. Based on SATO’s data, rail transport is particularly important in cities where it has been expanded in recent years, such as Tampere and Helsinki.

“Rental housing can provide access to certain areas or lifestyles that may be out of reach when buying a home. Preferences regarding the neighbourhood or specific amenities in the apartment are particularly important in large cities, where buying a home is expensive,” says Lahtinen.

In addition to location, the age of home seekers affects what they look for in a rental apartment. For those under 30, it is important that the apartment’s kitchen and bathroom meet their expectations. Those aged 60 and over, on the other hand, are not ready to move into an apartment without a balcony and a lift.

Digital services have become the norm for all age groups: “What matters the most to residents is that reported faults are fixed quickly”

People mainly want to use digital services when dealing with matters related to rental housing. However, there are certain situations where more personal service is preferred.

Although 63% already prefer to sign their lease agreement electronically, 27% of respondents still would like to sign the papers in person. In addition, around a third of tenants prefer to contact their housing provider (33%) and report faults (24%) by phone or in person.

According to SATO’s Laamanen, smooth service is becoming increasingly important when choosing a housing provider.

“Most of our residents report faults through the OmaSATO digital service. However, what matters even more for them is that any issues are fixed promptly by their familiar House Expert.”

The importance of personal service increases steadily with age. However, preference for digital services is not highest among the youngest age group, those under 30, but among 40 to 49-year-olds.

About the survey

Rental Housing Survey 2026 published by Vuokraovi.com was conducted between 15 May and 4 June 2026 as a pop-up survey, with respondents randomly selected from visitors of the Vuokraovi.com website. Responses were collected from 1,441 respondents. The corresponding survey from 2024 was used as comparison data.

Data on rental apartment search criteria was sourced from both the Vuokraovi.com website (number of searches and apartment search terms) and SATO’s website (number of views of different available apartments). The data was collected between January and July 2026.

For more information, please contact:

Laura Laamanen, Chief Commercial Officer, SATO, tel. +358 20 1344 360, laura.laamanen@sato.fi

Laura Lahtinen, Housing expert, Vuokraovi, tel. +358 40 509 4757 laura.lahtinen@almamedia.fi

Media contact:

Terhi Jokinen, Senior Communications Specialist, tel. +358 20 134 4307, terhi.jokinen@sato.fi

SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 27,500 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.

SATO aims to provide excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders.

SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs. In 2025, SATO celebrated its 85^th anniversary. www.sato.fi/en