> Being a shareholder in a housing company: rights and influence > Lähde: https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/ > Koko sivusto koneluettavana: https://huoneistokierros.fi/llms-full.txt [Knowledge base](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/) # Being a shareholder in a housing company: rights and influence Huoneistokierros · 5 July 2026 · 9 min read ![Family having breakfast together in the kitchen](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/perhe-aamiainen.C5Wv4Pch_2bJ6pd.jpg) In this article 1. [You own shares, the company owns the building](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#you-own-shares-the-company-owns-the-building) 2. [Who decides what](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#who-decides-what) 3. [A shareholder’s rights](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#a-shareholders-rights) 4. [Where to see the company’s position](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#where-to-see-the-companys-position) 5. [Observations and your own expertise](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#observations-and-your-own-expertise) 6. [A shareholder’s year in six steps](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#a-shareholders-year-in-six-steps) 7. [Frequently asked questions](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-rights/#frequently-asked-questions) You do not need a seat on the board to have a say in your housing company. The law gives every shareholder ways to influence decisions, and a few hours a year with the company’s documents will tell you where it stands. ## You own shares, the company owns the building In a housing company, your shares give you the right to occupy a specific apartment. The building’s frame, roof, facades, pipework, building services and common areas belong to the company, and often the plot too, unless it is leased. In other words, you own a share of the whole property through the company. That is why the state of the roof, the pipework or a company loan affects your housing costs and the value of your apartment just as much as the condition of your own kitchen. The right of occupancy and responsibilities are explained in more detail in the article [what a housing company shareholder owns](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/what-a-shareholder-owns/). All the company’s expenses are ultimately paid from the shareholders’ charges: maintenance visits, call-outs, repairs and insurance excesses. A single invoice for adjusting a door or unblocking a drain is small, but dozens of visits a year add up to a significant sum. A fault that is not spotted in time can grow many times over: a loose pipe support is a small repair, but if a joint starts leaking into the structures, drying and demolition work may follow. Read more about [housing company maintenance costs](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-company-maintenance-costs/). ## Who decides what ### The general meeting Shareholders exercise their decision-making power at the general meeting on all matters that the law or the articles of association have not assigned to the board or the property manager. The annual general meeting adopts the financial statements, decides on discharge from liability and elects the board. It usually also decides on the budget and the charges. Major renovation projects, such as a pipe renovation, are decided by the general meeting. As a rule, the decision is the view supported by a majority of the votes cast. Some decisions require a qualified majority under the law or the articles of association, or even the consent of a shareholder. Absence does not stop the meeting from deciding: if 12 of 50 shareholders are present, those 12 exercise all of the decision-making power. ### The board and the property manager The board is responsible for the company’s administration and for organising property maintenance. However, it needs a decision of the general meeting for measures that are unusual or far-reaching in view of the company’s size and activities, or that substantially affect the use of the apartments or the shareholders’ payment obligations. The property manager prepares matters, handles day-to-day administration and implements decisions according to the board’s instructions. Decision-making power does not pass to them automatically. If you hear that “the property manager decided” on a major renovation, it is worth finding out who actually made the decision. ### The majority has its limits All shares carry equal rights unless the articles of association provide otherwise. The general meeting, the board or the property manager may not make a decision that gives anyone an undue advantage at the expense of the company or another shareholder. In addition, rules on conflicts of interest apply at the general meeting in certain situations. The structure of the law is explained in the article [the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-companies-act/). ## A shareholder’s rights ### To attend and vote Every shareholder has the right to attend the general meeting and to speak and vote there. If you cannot attend, you can authorise someone else to represent you. The proxy must present a dated letter of authorisation or otherwise reliably demonstrate their authority (chapter 6, section 8). The notice of the meeting is sent to the postal or email address entered in the register of apartments, so keep your contact details up to date. How the meeting runs and how to prepare are covered in the article [the housing company general meeting](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-company-general-meeting/). ### To ask questions At the general meeting, the board and the property manager must, at a shareholder’s request, provide more detailed information on matters that may affect the assessment of the item being discussed. When the financial statements are being considered, the right to ask questions also covers the company’s financial position more generally. If the information needed to answer is not available at the meeting, the answer must be given in writing within two weeks (chapter 6, section 25). ### To have a matter considered A shareholder can demand in writing that the board put a matter that falls within the general meeting’s competence on the agenda, provided the demand is made early enough for the matter to be included in the notice of the meeting (chapter 6, section 6). The notice is sent no later than two weeks before the meeting, so submit your demand well before then. An extraordinary general meeting must be held if shareholders holding at least one tenth of all shares demand it in writing. The right to have a matter considered does not guarantee that the proposal will be approved. If, for example, you want the company to commission a condition assessment, you can propose it to the board or the general meeting, but the decision is made by the competent body. ### To receive documents The financial statements, the annual report, the auditor’s or operations auditor’s report and the board’s proposals for decisions must be made available to shareholders at least two weeks before the meeting and sent to any shareholder who requests them (chapter 6, section 22). In addition, a shareholder has the right to be informed of a board decision that concerns the rights or obligations based on their shares. The amendment to the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act that came into force on 1 October 2026 strengthened the right to information. A shareholder is entitled to receive promptly a copy of any document held by the company that concerns their own apartment and is relevant to assessing its use, maintenance or costs (chapter 7, section 6). This could be, for example, a condition assessment or a moisture measurement report for the apartment. The company may charge a reasonable fee set by the board, and a copy need not be provided if it would cause the company significant inconvenience. A shareholder does not have a general right to see all of the company’s contracts and vouchers. More on the topic: [housing company documents](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-company-documents/). ### Board meetings Board meetings are not open to shareholders, but the board may decide that someone other than a member may attend. It may, for example, invite a shareholder to present their view on a specific matter. The right to attend can also be set out in the articles of association. Contacting the board before a decision usually gets further than criticism afterwards. And if you wish, you can of course stand for election to the board. ## Where to see the company’s position From the point of view of your apartment’s value, you should know at least how much the company has borrowed, whether the maintenance charges cover the costs and which repairs lie ahead. This information can be found in the financial statements, the annual report, the budget and the [maintenance needs report](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-needs-report/). The board must present the report to the annual general meeting every year. It covers the maintenance over the next five years that will significantly affect the use of the apartments, the charges or other housing costs, as well as significant maintenance and alteration work carried out in the company. The report is the board’s estimate, not a binding list of renovations. Many companies also draw up a longer-term maintenance plan (PTS). An estimate is only as good as the information it is built on. A condition assessment is a mainly sensory evaluation by a construction expert of the condition of the building and its systems. A condition survey looks more closely at an individual structure or system. One question tells you a lot: “When did a professional last assess the condition of our property, and what did they find?” If there is no answer, or the assessment was a long time ago, you can raise the matter when the maintenance needs report is discussed. Read also how the [repair backlog](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/repair-backlog/) is managed. Buyers read the same papers. When repairs are planned and documented, it is easier for a buyer to assess future costs. Repeated surprise repairs and rapidly rising charges, on the other hand, reduce interest. ## Observations and your own expertise A shareholder must notify the company without delay of any defect or deficiency in their apartment that the company is responsible for repairing (chapter 4, section 8). You do not need to know the cause: it is enough to say what you noticed, where and when. People who move around the building every day are often the first to notice a damp smell in the stairwell, a fire door left open or a blocked rainwater gully. Read more about [residents’ observations](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/resident-observations/) and [how to report a fault](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/fixing-faults-symptom-or-cause/). Among the shareholders there are often professionals in construction, electrical or HVAC work, lawyers and people with financial expertise. Their knowledge can be useful, for example, in preparing a project or comparing quotes, even though responsibility for decisions stays with the board and the property manager. ## A shareholder’s year in six steps If you do not know who is on the board, how much the company has borrowed or which repairs are coming up, these steps will help you get started: 1. Read the notice of the meeting, the financial statements, the budget and the maintenance needs report before the meeting and write down your questions. 2. Attend the annual general meeting in person or by proxy. 3. Read the minutes and follow how the projects that were decided are progressing. 4. Report any faults you notice straight away, not only at the meeting. 5. Find out what your articles of association say about maintenance responsibilities. 6. Go through your own apartment once a year using the [annual check list](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/annual-home-check/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I have to attend the general meeting? No. Attending is a right, not an obligation. However, an absent shareholder’s vote does not count towards decisions that also affect their charges and their apartment. ### Can a shareholder demand a condition assessment from the housing company? A shareholder can propose it to the board or take the matter to the general meeting. The law does not give an individual shareholder the right to order an investigation. ### Is a shareholder who asks questions a difficult shareholder? No. Getting to know the issues is a normal part of being an owner, and a relevant question often helps others understand what is being decided too. *Sources: [Limited Liability Housing Companies Act 1599/2009, Finlex (in Finnish) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2009/1599); [EV 65/2026 vp (opens in a new tab)](https://www.eduskunta.fi/pdf/EV+65/2026) (in Finnish).* This article provides general information and does not replace case-specific legal or technical advice. Free assessment ## Know what condition your housing company's apartments are in On a preventive apartment round we go through every apartment in a single visit at a fixed price and record our findings in an electronic report. The assessment is free of charge. [Book a free assessment](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/contact/#kartoitus)[Get a price estimate](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/pricing/#hinta-arvio) Preventive maintenance at a fixed price Every apartment on a single round. [Book a free assessment](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/contact/#kartoitus) Read next ## Related articles - ![Older couple reading documents together at home](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/seniorit-lomake.DCcl4zr5_1s2H1v.jpg) 1 October 2026 · 6 min read ### Housing company documents: 10 every shareholder should know The articles of association, financial statements, maintenance needs report and minutes show what you own. See what to read in them and what you can request. - ![Couple hanging a picture in their new home among moving boxes](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/muutto-taulu.-LnboLLs_zMKSO.jpg) 23 September 2026 · 6 min read ### Renovations by a shareholder: what you can do and when to notify Shareholders may renovate, but many jobs must be notified first. What the law says on alteration work, supervision and upkeep from 1 October 2026. - ![Parents and their baby at home](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/perhe-vauva.BocgJe9j_Z1pjGuC.jpg) 26 July 2026 · 6 min read ### What does a housing company shareholder own and answer for? A shareholder owns shares that give the right to occupy an apartment. What does that mean for maintenance, renovations and obligations from 1 October 2026? Free assessment ## Let's plan the right round for your housing company Call us or send a contact request. The assessment and advice are free of charge. We can visit the property if needed. 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