Student Housing in Jyväskylä

Hey everyone!

The application period is approaching and it is time to address some practical issues. “Where am I going to live there?” “Do I have to make a bonfire to stay warm in the winter?”  In this post I will discuss housing in Jyväskylä from the student’s perspective.

Kortepohja. Photo by @NordicArtNetwork

Student housing in Jyväskylä and in Finland in general is extremely well developed. Typically the student is able to rent a shared or private student apartment from the selection of houses across the city. There are at least three primary housing options in Jyväskylä, 2 of which are student-dedicated housing -  Kortepohja (check it here) and KOAS (website), and the third is renting from private individuals. Private options are listed at Vuokraovi aggregator (here). Private renting may be difficult to do  from outside of Finland, so consider this as  “plan B”  in case you didn't get the flat from the first two places.

A typical student dormitory in Finland is an apartment building with shared or single flats. Shared accommodation has a common kitchen and bathroom and own rooms. Apartments are rented unfurnished, except for kitchen and bathroom appliances. If you are an exchange student, there will be furnished  accomodations available. laundry sauna and common lounge area usually available as well as the possibility to rent miscellaneous home stuff. Wifi, electricity, water, etc. are included into the fixed rent. And yes, central heating works well, so keep the wood for barbecue.

The application process is simple, you need to fill in the form about yourself and your preferences and include the letter of acceptance from the university. You will be offered with an option which can be confirmed by paying a rent and maybe a deposit or fee. Declining the option will put you back to the waiting line so fill the application wisely. The months are indivisible, meaning that you have to pay the full monthly rent even if you arrive on, say, 25th.

About companies - one housing provider, Kortepohja,  provides housing in the apartment buildings allocated together in a student village, situated just about 3 km north-west from city center and University main campus area. Kortepohja is a favorite place for students to stay mainly because of the community feel of it. Living in Kortepohja, you will always be close to your fellow students and whatever happens - you will not miss it. The apartments are neat and there is a spacious gym and the student restaurant which serves 7 day/week. Plus, there are spaces for group work and nice yard with grill place. Overall Kortepohja is definitely a great place for outgoing students for whom social interactions are an essential part of studentship.

Pros
* Well renovated apartments
* Spacious gym and student restaurant on site
* Community!!
Cons
* Rent is above average
* Location
* Can be noisy

Student restaurant Rentukka, Kortepohja. Photo by @NordicArtNetwork

KOAS is another provider of student housing. The main advantage of KOAS housing is location diversity. Student houses are scattered all around Jyväskylä in the vicinity of the university. Houses are grouped together into small neighborhoods, each having small local gyms, saunas and laundry. House conditions vary, but generally everything is pretty neat.
Pros
* Many different locations across the city
* Rent is lower
Cons
* Less students around

KOAS Ainola. Photo by Polina Feshchenko (@alienhustle)

The third option is private renting which can be done at Vuokraovi aggregator. It may be tricky to rent a flat from abroad as your presence may be required in the process. However upon arrival this option can be considered, so I had to mention it. 

That is pretty much all you need to know regarding the housing. There is no stress in getting the accommodation as student, the apartments are spacious and cozy and the experience is mostly positive.

Got burning questions - don’t hesitate to ask the ambassadors!

Have a great time!
Alex