Can I make noise in an apartment building in Finland?
Within reason yes — the '10 pm law' is a myth, but house rules are not. Finnish law sets no general quiet hours: the Public Order Act targets public places, not the sounds of a home. Housing noise is judged by reasonableness — children, a washing machine and the occasional party belong in an apartment building even in the evening, and neighbours must tolerate them. What actually binds you are the housing company's rules (typically quiet 22–07): they oblige residents under company law, even though the police do not enforce them. Repeated and unnecessary disturbance brings a warning and ultimately possession takeover of an owner's flat, or termination of a tenant's lease.
📋 The rules
- There are no statutory quiet hours — the Public Order Act targets public-place noise, not home sounds.
- House rules (e.g. quiet 22–07) bind residents under company law — breaches carry consequences.
- Assessment is reasonableness: ordinary living sounds must be tolerated, repeated and unnecessary disturbance not.
- Renovation noise belongs to daytime — notify neighbours of bigger works and follow the company's renovation hours.
- Serious or continuous disturbance: the company can warn and take over an owner's flat, or a landlord terminate a tenant's contract.
🔓 Exceptions
- One-off life events (birthdays, New Year) are tolerated more broadly — advance notice to neighbours softens things.
- Deliberate harassment (speakers against the wall) can even qualify as stalking or violating domestic peace.
- Renovation noise belongs to daytime: notifying neighbours in advance and keeping to the company's renovation hours is what makes it tolerable.
⚠️ Penalties
A house-rule breach is not a crime but a company-law matter: first a remark, then a written warning. If unreasonable disturbance continues, an owner's flat can be taken into the company's possession for up to three years — you lose control of your home while still owning it. For a tenant the same path ends in termination of the lease. Police step in only for serious violations of domestic peace, though deliberate harassment can cross that line too. In the end it turns on documentation: dates and times, not recollections.
📎 Sources
- Finlex · Limited Liability Housing Companies Act 1599/2009 →
- Finlex · Public Order Act 612/2003 →
- Minilex · Disturbing behaviour and taking possession of an apartment →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Must I be silent after 10 pm?
The law does not say so — but the housing company's house rules typically do, and they bind every resident. Normal living sounds are fine even after ten; party racket and continuous banging are not.
Can I run the washing machine at night?
No law bans it, but the house rules may — so check your own company's rules. Reasonableness favours daytime use in a poorly insulated building, where the spin cycle carries straight through the floor.
What do I do about a noisy neighbour?
Report it to the property manager or board in writing and document the dates and times. The company issues a warning, and repeated disturbance can end in possession takeover; for acute night noise, call the police.
Can neighbours complain about a crying baby?
They can complain, but nothing follows — children's sounds are ordinary living that neighbours must tolerate. The test looks at whether the disturbance is unnecessary, not at how annoying it feels.
Do house rules bind tenants too?
They do — house rules oblige every resident, tenants included. Only the consequence differs: for a tenant, repeated disturbance leads to a warning and then termination of the lease, not possession takeover.
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