Taking care of your rental home

It is so easy to live in a rental apartment! Someone else takes care of the maintenance contracts, someone else sees that the corridor is cleaned, someone else arranges a new stove for you after the old one breaks. However, there are some responsibilities left for the resident, too. For example cleaning your home, and respecting the rules of shared spaces is on you, as well as for example changing the lightbulbs and fire alarm batteries of your apartment.

For the maintenance and servicing responsibilities in different situations see the Division of Responsibilities table. If you notice a defect or problem in your home that causes damage to the apartment or the building structures, notify the maintenance company immediately about them.

Normal wear and tear is part of life. Sometimes, however, extra repairs are needed due to someone's carelessness or an accident. In these situations SATO applies the List of Customer Charges.

Take good care of your home appliances

If your fridge has an auto-defrost system it will defrost automatically. You will only need to clean the drain hole at the back of the fridge. Fridges without an auto-defrost system must be defrosted every few months.

You should clean the fridge regularly to keep it nice and fresh. There is no need to use strong detergents. Water, a few drops of washing-up liquid and a cloth will be enough. For electrical safety reasons you must vacuum clean behind your fridge a few times a year.

Freezer should be defrosted at least once a year. A thick layer of ice adds unnecessarily to your living costs as it consumes more electricity. Do not use force or abrasive tools to scrape ice from the freezer compartment or freezer. Keep an eye on the freezer while defrosting it, making sure to dry out the water while still inside it to prevent water from dripping onto the floor.

Regular cleaning is also the best approach to your cooker as it is very difficult to remove food stains that have got stuck on the hot cooker. Soak any dried food spills to make them easier to remove. Cast iron rings remain in good shape when you oil them a few times a year. There are specific cleaning products for ovens and ceramic hobs.

Clean the extractor fan and grease filter at least twice a year or, depending on the size of the family and how often you cook, even more often if necessary. You will find an air extract valve under the grease filter. Remember to remove and clean it, too, when you clean the filter.

The dishwasher should be cleaned regularly. Once a month is a good if you're using the dishwasher on a daily basis. The dishwasher can be cleaned with special cleaning agents intended for it or ecologically with vinegar and baking soda:

1. Put 2 dl of vinegar on the lower level and place 1 dl of baking soda in a small bowl on the upper level.
2. Leave the machine otherwise empty and start a normal cleaning program.
3. After running the program, wipe all surfaces of the machine with a microfiber cloth. Remember to also clean the seals.
4. Remember to turn off the water whenever the dishwasher is not in use.

You can see detailed cleaning instructions for each home appliance in the user manual, which you can also often find online by entering the brand and model of the appliance in the search field of a search engine.

Keep the building's laundry spaces and other common areas clean

All residents are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of common areas, such as stairwells and the waste point.

The laundry and drying rooms are meant for all the residents. Make sure you book your slot in the booking systen, so your neighbours know when there is an available time for them. Also, remember to collect your dried laundry from the drying room, so there is space for others, too. If you know you're going to miss your laundry slot, please erase the booking.

Do not wash any heavy laundry in the machines, such as shoes, work clothes, or rugs, as it may break the machine. Rugs should not be washed on the laundry room floor either due to the slippoing hazard caused by the water and detergent.

Also, remember to empty your pockets before loading the clothes to the machine.

Tip: Sometimes it can be useful to ask professionals for help with cleaning. When you buy cleaning services, you can claim the tax credit for household expenses.