Asuntosäätiö
- Tuulikuja 2,
- 02100 Espoo
What should I do when a close relative living in a right-of-occupancy home passes away?
On this page you will find instructions on how to act when a close relative living in a right-of-occupancy home passes away.
What happens to a right-of-occupancy home if the holder of right-of-occupancy passes away?
When the holder of right-of-occupancy passes away, the right-of-occupancy agreement can be either transferred or terminated, i.e. it is
- transferred to another person or
- terminated and the apartment is surrendered back to Asuntosäätiö.
“Estate” refers to the deceased person’s assets and liabilities. A right-of-occupancy home is included in an estate. Depending on the context, the term “estate” may also refer to the shareholders of an estate collectively.
“Shareholders of the estate” refers to persons who may be entitled to a share of the deceased person’s property. Shareholders of the estate include the deceased person’s heirs, surviving spouse (pursuant to the Marriage Act) and any potential beneficiaries of a general-legacy will.
What happens first when a close relative passes away? What documents do I need in order to start the processing of the estate?
The processing of an estate usually begins when a close relative or relatives of the deceased person contact our customer service and inform us of the death of the resident.
In order to receive information about the right-of-occupancy agreement from us, the relative or relatives must submit a report on the family relationships of the deceased (referred to as “sukuselvitys” by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and “virkatodistus” by Finnish parishes). The report allows us to ascertain that the person contacting us is a shareholder of the deceased person’s estate and is thus entitled to information about the right-of-occupancy agreement. Shareholders of the estate may also authorise another party to receive information about the agreement on their behalf through a power of attorney.
What documents do I need in order to terminate the right-of-occupancy agreement?
When an estate wishes to terminate the deceased person’s right-of-occupancy agreement, the shareholders must submit to Asuntosäätiö:
- a completed termination of agreement form signed by all shareholders of the estate. The shareholders may also authorise a single person to sign the termination of agreement form on their behalf through a power of attorney, which must be signed by all shareholders of the estate.
- a report on the family relationships of the deceased from the age of 15 until the date of death and
- a notification of the will. The shareholders of the estate must inform us whether a known will exists or not. The beneficiaries of a so-called general-legacy will count as shareholders of the estate, and they must sign the termination of agreement form or power of attorney as well. A copy of the will, if one exists, must be submitted as well.
Once Asuntosäätiö has received the abovementioned documents, we can start processing the termination of the right-of-occupancy agreement. The period of notice for terminating a right-of-occupancy agreement is three months, calculated from the delivery of the documents.
In order for us to refund the right-of-occupancy payment, before the right-of-occupancy agreement is terminated, the shareholders of the estate must submit the
- original right-of-occupancy agreement and
- an estate inventory deed.
What documents do I need in order to transfer the right-of-occupancy agreement to another person? Who can the right-of-occupancy be transferred to?
The right-of-occupancy agreement may be transferred to the spouse or relative in the ascending or descending line of the deceased or to a permanent resident of the home. When an estate wishes to transfer the deceased person’s right-of-occupancy agreement to another person, the shareholders must submit to Asuntosäätiö:
- a completed transfer of agreement form signed by all shareholders of the estate
- an estate inventory deed
- a deed of estate distribution and
- the original right-of-occupancy agreement, if it is hand-signed.
Download necessary documents here (in Finnish)
Questions? Contact us!
Asuntosäätiö's service numer
+358 94246 9333
You can contact us in all matters related to housing and applying for an apartment on weekdays from 9 am to 1 pm. In matters related to fault reports, you can contact us 24/7.