FAQ – Porthania Flats

Who can stay at Porthania Flats and how can I book accommodations?

Both private and corporate customers can stay at Porthania Flats. For private persons, booking can be made directly on our website through our online booking system by filling in up-to-date personal data and verifying payment details in our system.

Book your accommodation at https://unihome.fi/wp/en/book 

Persons under 18 years of age cannot make a reservation.

What if I have problems making my reservation? 

Don’t hesitate to contact our sales team: sales@unihome.fi or call us at +358 29 412 4727.

Our sales team is available on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What is included in the price of the accommodation? 

The basic price of short term reservation includes the well-equipped apartment of your choice and a remote reception that answers your questions daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on 029 41 24555 or by email at reception@unihome.fi.

For stays longer than a week, a weekly cleaning service is also included.

Can I stay with a pet?

Unfortunately, you cannot bring pets to Porthania Flats.

Does the accommodation price include breakfast?

Porthania Flats does not serve breakfast, so it is not included in the price.

How does pricing work?

Short-term booking is comparable to a regular hotel reservation.

The price of the apartment is affected by the size of the apartment and the cancellation terms of the reservation. The fee for a short-term reservation is always charged at the start of the booking. The pricing of longer bookings is based on the duration of your stay; the longer you stay, the lower the price per night. The first fee for a longer booking is always charged at the time of booking or upon check-in.

You can pay for your reservation in our online booking system by debit or credit card. We can also send you a payment link for the booking on the first day of each starting calendar month.

Can I cancel my reservation?

There are separate cancellation terms for short-term bookings, which are already known to the customer before the reservation has been confirmed, i.e. paid for.

Please contact the accommodation destination by email regarding your cancellation. You can ask for more information about your booking and cancellation terms by email at sales@unihome.fi.

We recommend that travellers take out a personal travel insurance policy (including those living in Finland). This allows you to claim compensation for unexpected and unpredictable expenses and losses.

Can I bring guests to my apartment? Are guests allowed to use the facilities and services included in the accommodation?

You can bring guests to Porthania Flats, Guests can also spend the night with you. However, if your guest stays with you for the night, this needs to be agreed with the staff separately.

Please also note that the number of temporary guests must not exceed the maximum capacity of the number of people specified for the room.

Please note that having parties is prohibited.

Please check the services available to guests from our staff at reception or by email at reception@unihome.fi

Can I pay for my reservation when I arrive?

Porthania Flats does not have reception on site, therefore accommodation must be paid in advance or payment must be agreed before the arrival date.

If you want to pay the reservation in cash, you can pay at the reception of our Töölö Towers destination at: Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 23 A, Helsinki.  

What payment options are available?

We accept all major European payment cards and American Express and Alipay cards.

You can also pay with Apple Pay and Google Pay.

We cannot accept Nordea MobilePay payments or Pivo Wallet payments, nor do we accept checks.

Billing is only possible in Finland and for our corporate contract customers.

Can I book an apartment for business use or in the name of a business?

Apartments can be booked either as a private or corporate customer.

Please contact our business sales team at sales@unihome.fi and we will help you with your reservation.

When making the reservation, please indicate your business ID (VAT number), the name of the company staff member and the billing instructions. Billing is only available for businesses.

Please provide the name, contact information, telephone number and email address of each guest separately.

Can I receive housing allowance while living at Porthania Flats? 

Kela general housing allowance is not awarded to those living at Porthania Flats.

Can I shorten or extend my booking?

Please contact our sales team for questions about shortening or extending your booking.

The reservation may be extended subject to availability.

If you wish to shorten your reservation, no fees will be refunded to you for unspent nights in accordance with our cancellation terms.

Can I see the apartment before making a reservation?

Our rooms can be viewed through our website and by using the information found there. If you have any specific questions that you have not found an answer to, you can contact us at sales@unihome.fi and we will be happy to answer any questions and tell you more about our apartments if necessary.

What if I need more storage space?

Porthania Flats does not have extra storage space outside the apartments.

I’m travelling by car, where can I park?

You can leave your car in the pocket park or alternatively in the P-Kluuv parking garage, where you can drive in and out via Fabianinkatu 27.

Do I need home insurance?

You do not need home insurance to live at Porthania Flats.

We still recommend that you obtain travel insurance or baggage insurance to compensate for unforeseen damages.

Can I file a move notification at Porthania Flats?

You cannot file a move notification at Porthania Flats, so you cannot report your room as your permanent residence. If you need to make a statutory move notification, you can provide the postcode of our destination and choose “’no permanent residence” to get all municipal services.

You can make a change of address notification using our address, so your mail will find its way there.

A lot of information about making a move notification and changing addresses can be found at: https://dvv.fi/en/frequntly-asked-questions-on-moving-in-finland

Can I leave my bags in storage after my stay ends?

There is no staff on site and it is not possible to store bags.

Can I change apartments in the middle of a reservation?

You can! If you wish to change room class in the middle of a reservation, please contact our reception or sales team.

Additional charges for the change must be paid in the event a change takes place.

Can I influence the location of or view from my room?

All Porthania Flats apartments are located on the 7th floor and all the apartments’ large windows offer exceptional views of Helsinki Cathedral.

Are there any baby beds at Porthania Flats?

There are no extra beds, highchairs or cots in the property.

Does Porthania Flats offer an airport shuttle service?

Porthania Flats does not offer an airport shuttle service. You can order taxi transportation in advance from Taksi Helsinki at www.taksihelsinki.fi  Public transport routes and timetables can be found at www.hsl.fi

Why do I need to check in electronically? 

We ask our customers to do an electronic check-in, as there is no on-site reception staff at the destination. You can only stay at Porthania Flats after completing the electronic check-in.

If no electronic check-in has been made and you arrive after 10:00 p.m., additional fees will be applied.

I have already paid for the reservation, so why do I need to provide my card details? 

We are asking for your card details only as collateral. We will not charge anything extra on your card unless there is damage to fixtures, violations of rules or anything else happening in the room that requires extra compensation to be paid by you.

We never charge a card without the customer’s permission. (Payment Services Act, April 30th 2010 / 290, Section 62)

Why do I need to disclose my personal data even though I live in Finland? 

We only ask for your personal data (social security number or ID card or passport number) so that we can check your identity or disclose the data to the Finnish authorities and security services in the event of a national incident. Finnish law requires that the accommodation operator make a declaration of all travellers arriving at the accommodation.

What if I do not want to or cannot complete an electronic check-in? 

Please contact reception@unihome.fi

Can I check in earlier than 3:00 p.m.? 

If the booking situation allows it, it is possible to check in earlier. You can inquire about earlier check-in on the day of arrival, reception@unihome.fi or  +358 29412 4555

For example, if you arrive at noon and the room has already been cleaned, we can hand over the room to you earlier. We will then deliver you a new key retrieval code.

Can another person do the check-in for me? 

Please contact reception reception@unihome.fi or  +358 29412 4555 to inform us of the other person’s personal information, and we may complete the check-in with them.

Please note that payment for the reservation must be made in order to check in.

I’m arriving after 10:00 p.m. How do I check in? 

No worries! With the code, you can check into the room after 15:00 at any time.

Can I check out later than 11:00 a.m.?

Late check-out is possible for an additional fee of €20 / hour if the booking situation allows it.  

Please inform our reception in advance of late check-out.

Do I need to clean the apartment after my stay?

Our customers are expected to do their dirty dishes and collect all personal items, including food.

Guests should also make sure that the refrigerator is empty and clean.

Where do I return the apartment key?

Please return the key to the same key box where you took the key upon arrival. You can open the box with the same code as when you arrived.

Can I change the furniture solution for my apartment? 

It is not possible to change the furniture solution for the apartments. It is possible to bring your own belongings into the apartment, but Porthania Flats does not accept any responsibility for the customer’s goods.

What is the level of amenities in the apartments? 

Our apartments are fully furnished. Our range does not include any unfurnished solutions.

The amenities of a fully furnished apartment include a bed or beds, bedside tables and lamps, pillows, blankets, table and chairs, storage facilities, light fixtures, TV, Wi-Fi, Ethernet possibility, basic household appliances such as washing machine and dishwasher in two-bedroom apartments, home textiles (towels, sheets, curtains and carpets), and small usable items (cooking equipment and cutlery in your private kitchen. The living area of the apartments is furnished with a sofa and/ armchairs.

Can I declare Porthania Flats as my permanent residence address?

You cannot declare Porthania Flats as a permanent or temporary residence address, as our rooms are not registered as apartments. However, it is not necessary to notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of your permanent residence in Finland, and you can transfer your municipality of residence to the city where your apartment is located regardless, provided that your stay meets the other required conditions. This allows you to use public services normally.

If you do not have another permanent residential address in Finland, you can specify the postal code of the destination in the legally required move notification of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and give the precise Porthania Flats address with apartment number as the postal address differing from the separate residential address.

You can however make an address change, which means your mail will find us.

The address is:

Fabianinkatu 22 D (apartment number e.g. 1)

00100 Helsinki

Can I get a parking ID for city residents? 

Those staying at Porthania Flats cannot receive a parking ID for city residents.

More information on parking can be found on the City of Helsinki website.

Does staying at Porthania Flats affect my bank, telephone subscription or insurance contracts?

Accommodations lasting for longer than a month should not make it any more difficult to enter into contracts.

Different service providers have a legal obligation to identify their customers, and a Finnish personal identity code is typically sufficient for identification. For daily services (such as personal banking services, telephone subscription and insurance contracts), a personal identity code is most often sufficient as identification. In some cases (such as applying for consumer credit or ordering a new credit card), service providers also require declaring a permanent residence address in order to check personal data.

If you do not have a permanent residence address in Finland, service providers may have different exceptional practices in place for identifying the customer.

For most service providers, a separate postal address different from the residential address may replace the permanent residential address for identification purposes. Identification can also be done, for example, through the service provider’s customer service or in person on the premises of the service provider. Practices vary between service providers. Please remember that you are unable to report Porthania Flats as a permanent or temporary residential address, you can only redirect your mail there, so please always check with the service provider to determine their requirements in such situations. If you need to make a statutory move notification, you can provide the postcode of our destination and choose “’no permanent residence” to get all municipal services.

We are happy to help our guests, you can ask our staff for help at the reception or by email at reception@unihome.fi.