A housing company website: what is worth publishing?

Residents, shareholders and apartment buyers look for information about a housing company online first. Even so, many companies have no website of their own, and information sits in emails, on the notice board and on board members’ computers. Setting up a website starts with three questions: what to gather on it, what not to publish openly, and how to keep it up to date.

What a website replaces and what it doesn’t

When the timing of maintenance work, a water cut or the date of the general meeting is on the website, it is available to everyone at the same time, and the board does not need to remember who has already been told what. A website does not replace the notice board: not all residents use the internet, so the most important notices are still put up in the stairwell.

Statutory notices are delivered in the manner set out in the law and the articles of association. The notice of a general meeting is sent to shareholders in writing to the postal or email address they have provided, and publishing it on the website alone is not enough. Shareholders and residents must also be notified directly of maintenance work that affects their apartment.

What to put on the website

The website does not have to be complicated, as long as information can be found quickly. A workable structure might be something like this:

• Home page: current notices and the most important contact details.
• The housing company: year of construction, basic information, repairs carried out and details of facilities such as the sauna and laundry room.
• For residents: house rules, instructions for people moving in or out, sauna slots, waste management and a summary of the rescue plan, that is, what to do in an emergency.
• For renovators: instructions and a form for notifying alteration work, and the company’s renovation guidelines.
• Fault reports: how and where to report a fault, and the emergency number for urgent situations.
• Contact details: the property manager, the maintenance company and the board’s shared email address.

This way a new resident can find answers to the most common questions without anyone having to advise them separately. See also reporting a fault and alteration work by shareholders.

When inspections or a maintenance round are carried out in the apartments, the website is a good place to explain the schedule and what will be checked in the apartments.

What is not published openly

Before publishing, it is worth separating the public pages from a section for shareholders and residents behind a login.

Personal data. Board members’ personal phone numbers, email addresses or home addresses are not published without their consent. A shared address of the board@ type is often a better solution. As the data controller, the housing company is responsible for ensuring that personal data is processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Minutes. General meeting and board minutes may contain personal data, such as information on payment defaults or damage in individual apartments. If they are shared electronically, they belong behind a login.

Security-critical information. The full version of the rescue plan, locking and access control information and floor plans of technical rooms do not belong on the open web. A summary of the instructions is enough for residents.

The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman advises on the processing of personal data: tietosuoja.fi (opens in a new tab).

A document bank for shareholders

The amendment to the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act that entered into force in October 2026 strengthened a shareholder’s right to receive without delay a copy of documents held by the company concerning their own apartment that are relevant to the apartment’s use, maintenance or costs. A document bank behind a login makes it easier to respond to requests. Read more about housing company documents.

The website through a buyer’s eyes

Buyers often look into the housing company before the viewing. An up-to-date website and a clear description of repairs carried out and planned show that the property is managed with a long-term view. A website alone does not raise apartment values, because what counts is the building’s condition, maintenance and finances. The buyer receives the official documents, such as the property manager’s certificate, the articles of association and the maintenance needs report, through the estate agent at the time of sale.

Upkeep and expansion

Appoint someone responsible for the website, for example a board member or the property manager, and agree how often the information is checked. Out-of-date information is often worse than no information at all.

Other services can be added to the website gradually: a fault reporting form, booking sauna slots and the laundry room, managing charging points, resident surveys or a newsletter. See also a housing company app and housing company digitalisation.

This article provides general information and does not replace case-specific legal or technical advice.