How to move in TYS apartment like a pro
Excited and exhausted – this is how most students feel arriving to Turku for the first time after a long trip from their home-countries. But how to get the key for your new home? What if you arrive at night or at the weekends? Who to ask for assistance if something goes wrong? Follow this guide to make your TYS apartment move-in day stress-free!
These instructions will help you only if the following two conditions are true for you:
- You already received and accepted a housing offer from TYS (read more in our previous blog).
- You arrive to Turku and want to move in your TYS apartment after the beginning of your first lease month and no earlier than the first moving in day of the month.
At TYS Housing Office (Inspehtorinkatu 12A, 20540, Turku), the first moving in day of the month is the first working day of the month starting from 12:00. You can check the first moving in days for each month on TYS website.
Are you arriving to Turku some time before the first day of your lease? Read about short-term accommodation options.
Scenario 1: You arrive within TYS Housing Office opening hours
If you arrive on the moving in day or some day later during the month, simply pop in to the TYS Housing Office (Inspehtorinkatu 12A, 20540, Turku) and pick up your keys. Note that on the first moving in day of the month you can receive your key starting from 12:00. Check the TYS opening hours before planning your key pick-up. To receive your keys from TYS office you’ll need your ID.
You do not have to drag your luggage all around Turku to receive your key in person from TYS office, ask your tutor or a friend to pick up the key from TYS for you and meet you at the apartment location or Turku bus/train station. If your tutor has an opportunity to help you with that, inform TYS via an email with the full name and date of birth of the person picking-up your keys in advance before your arrival. The person picking up the key must have their ID with them.
Scenario 2: You arrive outside of TYS Housing Office opening hours
TYS office opening hours are limited, and many students arrive when the office is closed, or at the weekends. In this case you have two options of how to get your keys:
- Ask your tutor to pick up the keys from TYS for you when the office is open and meet you at the apartment location or Turku bus/train station. If your tutor has an opportunity to help you with that, inform TYS via an email with the full name of your tutor in advance before your arrival. Your tutor must have their ID with them when they pick up the key. Keep in mind that if you arrive too early in the morning or too late at night your tutor may not be able to meet you in person, so, it is better to go for the second option:
- If your tutor is not going to be available at the time of your arrival, you can ask TYS to place your key in a pick-up locker located in the vestibule of the Tyyssija A-staircase (Inspehtorinkatu 12A, 20540, Turku). You will receive a password to open the locker and will be able to get your key at any time of day and night. Note that you must email TYS office no later than 12:00 midday on the previous working day before your arrival to request the key placement in the locker.
TYS created a video showing how to pick up your keys from the self pick up locker:
Not all TYS buildings are marked on Google Maps, so make sure to find your new home location on the TYS Student Village map before you arrive to Turku. If you are going to live at TYS housing location outside Student Village, you can check the locations list on TYS website and TYS apartment brochure.
If something goes wrong
TYS has been providing housing for students for over 50 years, and moving in process goes really smoothly for the majority of the new tenants. However, life is full of surprises, and especially when moving to a new country, we have much less control over things. So, it is good to know a plan B, C, and even Z in case something goes wrong. We collected a few examples of such situations and quick solutions for them
If you picked up your key and moved in your TYS apartment but locked yourself out or lost the key
Doors work differently in different houses, but in most TYS apartments you do not need the key to lock the door – it locks automatically when you close it. This means that if you go out of your apartment and close the door but forget the key inside, you will not be able to open it.
Depending on the time this accident happens, you have two options:
- Within TYS office hours: go to TYS office if your apartment is nearby/ call TYS customer service +358 2 275 0200.
- Outside TYS office hours: call Arkea Oy, the door opening service for TYS housing +358 2 284 6998 (for all locations except ltakajo). For Iltakajo the number is +358 2 275 2138.
The door opening service provided by Arkea Oy will be able to unlock your apartment at night-time or at the weekends, the cost is 50€ (+ a possible invoice fee 10€).
You will need to be able to prove your identity. If you lose your key, TYS may charge you a fee for a new one and for changing the lock.
TYS has an insurance that covers one door-opening service per calendar year for their tenants. This means that if you lock yourself out for the first time, you can refund the money for calling the door opening service by filling in the Refund Claim form.
If you picked up your key, but it does not work for your apartment
This is a very unlikely situation, so, firstly, try to unlock the door multiple times – ask a neighbour to help you, if it is not too late or too early to disturb them. If you made sure the key does not work, there are two options:
- Within TYS office hours: go to TYS office if your apartment is nearby/ call TYS customer service +358 2 275 0200.
- Outside TYS office hours: call Arkea Oy, the door opening service for TYS housing +358 2 284 6998 (for all locations except ltakajo). For Iltakajo the number is +358 2 275 2138.
The door opening service provided by Arkea Oy will be able to unlock your apartment at night-time or at the weekends, the cost is 50€ (+ a possible invoice fee 10€).
You will need to be able to prove your identity.
TYS has an insurance that covers one door-opening service per calendar year for their tenants. This means that you can refund the money for calling the door opening service by filling in the Refund Claim form.
If you moved in TYS apartment, but something is broken or does not function properly
TYS pays close attention to the conditions in their housing, that is why when you arrive to your apartment, you need to fill in a moving-in Inspection Form on your Tenant Page as soon as possible – ideally, on the day of arrival. In this form you will be asked to provide your overall evaluation of the state of the apartment.
Additionally, if you detect any faults and damage in the apartment, you need to report them by filling in the Fault Report form.
You can and are legally required to notify TYS about any damage caused to the apartment throughout your stay at TYS, so you can submit a Fault Report at any time. You will not be charged for any faults that are considered normal wear and tear of the apartment. However, you may be charged a fee for fixing faults and damage caused intentionally, through neglect, or as the result of carelessness by you, your guest or your pet.
What if you have to arrive to Turku before the first move-in day of your TYS apartment?
Depending on how long before the beginning of your lease you want to arrive to Turku, there are several options:
The simplest and most reliable option is to book a hostel/hotel room or Airbnb.
You can also use student chats on Telegram and WhatsApp and try to find someone subletting their TYS apartment while they are on holiday or study trips. In case you choose to stay at an apartment sublet by a TYS tenant, make sure to follow TYS sublease regulations.