Tampere to end phased rent hikes for housing leasehold plots from May 2026

According to the City of Tampere, phased rent increases for housing leasehold plots will end in May 2026, a change that will affect hundreds of residential lease agreements expiring across the city between 2026 and 2029: 55 leases end in 2026, 104 in 2027, 77 in 2028 and 112 in 2029.

City officials say the staged system reduced land rent income and was not based on law, existing contracts or demonstrated need. Under the new rules, renewed leases will move immediately to the new rent level rather than through a gradual transition.

The updated housing and land policy tightens the conditions for rent reductions. Relief can now be sought only when a building on the lease plot is protected under the detailed plan or by law; no more than 80 percent of the plot’s building rights have been used; and any unused building rights cannot be realised because of the protection or technical constraints. Tenants must obtain, at their own cost, an expert statement—such as from an architect—explaining why further construction is impossible. Aesthetic or national heritage grounds tied to RKY assessments no longer qualify for reductions.

Applications are filed via an electronic form; those affecting 2026 must be submitted by the end of August 2026. Approved applications change the rent from the start of the following year.

The new guidelines expand opportunities to buy a lease plot: purchase rights now cover the entire central city master plan area rather than only the downtown strategic plan zone. Purchase, however, is limited to housing company plots with protected buildings where the tenant has paid all municipal charges. Heli Toukoniemi, the city’s land use manager, urges tenants on leasehold plots to review the new policy early and check how it affects their plot and lease agreement.