Mature, non-profit foundation-dominated market with limited commercial PBSA. SOA network controls 94% of supply, creating unique market dynamics for operators.
Non-profit foundations dominate (94%) — HOAS alone controls 35% of national beds with below-market rents
| City | Students | Current Beds | Bed Gap | Students/Bed | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki Metro | 95,000 | 22,000 | 0 | 4.3 | 🟢 BALANCED |
| Tampere | 31,000 | 7,500 | 0 | 4.1 | 🟢 BALANCED |
| Turku | 32,000 | 6,000 | 1,800 | 5.3 | 🟡 MODERATE |
| Oulu | 28,000 | 5,500 | 1,400 | 5.1 | 🟡 MODERATE |
| Jyväskylä | 24,000 | 4,500 | 1,100 | 5.3 | 🟡 MODERATE |
| Other Regional | 85,000 | 9,500 | 4,850 | 8.9 | 🔴 HIGH |
Non-profit foundations control 94% — HOAS leads with 34.5%
Foundation-dominated with limited commercial opportunity
Helsinki has only significant private sector presence — regional markets entirely foundation-controlled
28K international students (9.5% of total) — diverse source markets with China, Nigeria, Bangladesh leading
University of Helsinki leads with 31,465 students; Aalto highest intl concentration (17%)
Diverse source markets — China leads but no dominant single source
Foundations offer 27% lower rents — competitive barrier for commercial operators
€714M annual contribution to Finnish economy
Foundation housing students save €480/month on average
Note: EU/EEA students pay NO tuition; Non-EU pay €8,000-20,000/year from Aug 2026
Finland's 18.6% vs UK's 54% — mature but room for growth
€268M development activity 2023-2026 — dominated by non-profit foundation expansion
HOAS leads with €150M investment — Private operators entering premium segment
Helsinki Metro dominates with 44% of total revenue
Stable, mature market with high barriers to entry. Non-profit foundation dominance limits commercial opportunity, but premium/flexible segment growing for international students seeking furnished, all-inclusive options.
Premium segment opportunity for private operators targeting international students
International students increasingly rely on AI assistants for accommodation research before arriving in Finland
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