Home care advice

Before you move into your new home, we have inspected it and made sure that everything is in good condition. While living in the home, it is your duty to do minor maintenance work and inspections. You are also obliged to notify us as soon as possible of breakages or damages that occur, and are the responsibility of the housing company’s maintenance team.

Here, we have outlined the most common maintenance work that should be performed in your home. If you are unsure how to do this, or who’s responsibilty a specific task is, feel free to contact us and we will consider the matter together.

Toilet and wet areas

Wet areas are always at risk of moisture damage. Therefore, it is important that the wall and floor surfaces in the bathroom are in good condition and that the toilet seat and sink are intact and correctly connected and that the drainage system drains properly. By wiping the bathroom floor with a wet scraper after the shower, you speed up the drying of the floor and reduce the risk of water damage. If your bathroom has underfloor heating, it should be kept on all year round. Underfloor heating keeps your floor dry and effectively protects against moisture and mold damage.

Repairs to the toilet seat are always carried out by the housing association. If you notice defects in your toilet seat, you should contact our servicemen immediately.

To keep the sink and water trap clean is the tenant’s responisbility. The water trap should preferably be cleaned twice a year. If you have a washing machine connected to the water trap, it should be cleaned even more often. If you do not know how to clean the water trap, you can contact our service people, who will give you advice.

All plumbing maintenance in the home is handled by the housing company. If you notice that the faucet or its seal are leaking, contact our service personnel.

The floor drain should be opened and cleaned at least a couple of times a year. Over time, hair and dust accumulate in the floor drain, which can clog the well. This can lead to the water flowing out over the bathroom floor and in the worst case also outside the bathroom. In addition, a clogged well can cause a bad smell in the bathroom. If you need advice on how to clean your floor drain, you can contact our service people.

The tenant is responsible for ensuring that the washing machine’s connections are in good condition. Remember to regularly check the washing machine’s water and drain connection. Never leave the machine running unattended. Close the washing machine’s water tap and the power after each wash.

The sauna is intended for bathing in, not for drying clothes or storing things in. Check sauna heaters at regular intervals and make sure that the thermostat works and that the sauna is switched off when not in use.
When you have finished bathing, you should wipe the sauna and leave it for a short while to avoid moisture damage. Then open the bathroom door and open the drying valve so that the moist air is removed from the sauna.

The kitchen

In the kitchen, there are various pieces of equipment that need to be taken care of in order for them to function correctly.

The tenant is responsible for ensuring that the refrigerator and freezer function properly and do not cause water damage or fire. The freezer should be defrosted at least once a year and more often if ice formation occurs. Do not leave the house when you are defrosting the freezer, as water can easily run onto the floor and cause damage. Also remember a couple of times a year to pull out the fridge-freezer and vacuum behind. Dust behind the fridge-freezer can cause a fire due to poor air circulation. Poor air circulation also increases electricity consumption.

In your apartment there are the necessary fittings to install a dishwasher. Dishwasher connections cause the most water damage in Finland. Therefore, the installation must always be performed by a professional. You are responsible for the installation being carried out. In addition, you should regularly check the dishwasher water and drain connections and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

We recommend that you use a base for the dishwasher that collects and drains any leaking water. This helps to detect a leak sufficiently quickly to prevent serious damage.

Never leave the tap open or the dishwasher running unattended. Always close the dishwasher tap when the machine is not running.

Check regularly that the kitchen water trap is not leaking. The water trap is located in the same cabinet where you store rubbish. This means that you can easily bump into the water trap which could cause it to start leaking. The kitchen water trap should also be cleaned a couple of times a year. Also check the kitchen faucet regularly and if you notice any leaks or have questions, contact our service people.

If you have a cooker hood with a grease filter, it should be cleaned regularly. Wash the filter with warm water and detergent or put it in the dishwasher. In some cases, the filter may need to be replaced. In that case, contact our service people.

If your cooker hood has an active carbon filter, you should also clean it regularly or replace it with a new filter.

You should replace the lamp in the cooker hood yourself.

Clean the stove and oven regularly. Pull out the stove now and then and clean under it and on the sides. You should replace the lamp in the stove yourself. If your stove does not work properly, you can consult our servicemen.

The balcony

The balcony forms part of the home and should therefore be maintained. Remove debris. Remove water and snow from the balcony that could lead to moisture problems. When cleaning the balcony, you should pay attention to the fact that debris, water or snow does not come on the neighbor’s balcony. The pipe that carries water from the balcony should be kept clean of leaves and other debris.

Windows

A properly sealed window reduces energy consumption, prevents dust and dirt from entering the apartment and eliminates noise from outside traffic. Check your window seal in connection with washing your windows and contact our service personnel if you believe that the seal should be renewed.

Electrical equipment and lamps

All electrical installations in the home should be done by professionals. Contact our service personnel immediately if you notice defects or faults in the home’s electrical equipment.

When you move in, we check that the lamps work in the bathroom and that the lighting works in the kitchen. During your stay, you are responsible for replacing broken lamps and fluorescent lamps.

Fuses protect the electricity user from accidents in the event of a serious fault in the electrical equipment or if the electrical equipment is used incorrectly. Fuses also protect power lines from overload. If the fuse has blown or burned, no power is routed to specific electrical equipment or spaces. A disposable fuse should be replaced with a new one, whereas it is sufficient to turn an automatic-type fuse back to the operating position.

Radiators

Remember to never cover the radiator elements with curtains or furniture as this interferes with the thermostat’s function and can pose a fire hazard. Vacuum regularly under and behind the elements.

Recommended indoor temperature is between 20 and 22 degrees.

During the hot summer months, the battery valve can wedge. This may cause the water to not move freely in the battery or there may be air in the battery. Check the elements’ thermostat at the beginning of the period when heat starts to be needed. If you are unable to heat the battery, contact our service personnel.

If your electric heating element does not work, you should contact our service personnel.

Fire alarm

In each floor of the home, there should be at least one smoke alarm for every 60 m². When you move into the home, we make sure that your smoke alarm is in good condition. During the period of residence, you are responsible for ensuring that there are a sufficient number of working smoke alarms in the home. Remember to test your smoke alarm a few times a year. Press the test button. The smoke alarm should now beep. If nothing happens, the smoke alarm is broken or the battery is exhausted. If you have any questions, you can contact our service people.