Plots for single-family housing

The City of Jyväskylä allocates new plots mainly in the spring and autumn, during separately announced application periods. Otherwise, vacant plots are available for application monthly, except for a longer application period in summer.

Application and transfer of single-family plots

Applications for single-family plots are made via the electronic land application service.  Please read carefully the current land policy and the principles for the transfer of plots, the plot information in the application service and the conditions for applying for a plot. It is also worth visiting the plots on the ground before submitting your application. 

The new plots are mainly allocated on the basis of a first call for plots open to private persons. Applicants, spouses living in the same household or one of the parties involved in the construction of a semi-detached house must have built on a residential plot purchased or leased from the City of Jyväskylä within 10 years of the end of the application period, or have a plot reserved/leased from the City of Jyväskylä. Persons living in the same household or otherwise counting as the same household or those building a semi-detached house may submit only one application in total.

The plots available in the monthly lottery will be drawn among those who have submitted applications.

Reservation of a single-family plot

Plots are reserved for 6-12 months. For private persons, the reservation period for single-family plots may be extended once for justified reasons, up to half of the original reservation period. 
Any sale or lease of a plot must be concluded within the reservation period. The earliest possible date on which the plot may be redeemed is the date on which the official decision on the reservation becomes legally binding.

The reserving party should contact [email protected] when it is time to redeem the plot. Allow at least 1-2 weeks for the drafting of the lease or deed of sale. 
If you are not contacted or if the transfer document cannot be signed within the reservation period, the reservation will be automatically cancelled. The plot will then revert to the monthly call for applications. 

The reservation period is intended for the planning of the project. The plot reserve holder has the right to carry out soil surveys on the site during the reservation period. However, the reserve holder does not have the right to apply for a building permit or to undertake other operations, such as working the land on the plot. During the reservation period, the trees on the plot belong to the city of Jyväskylä and may not be felled without permission. The reserved plot may not be used for storage without the permission of the city of Jyväskylä. Furthermore, the reserve may not make the site or any part of it available to third parties.

Reservation fee for plots for single-family houses and detached houses is 600 euros/a year (in 2025). The extension of a reservation is subject to a reservation fee of 300 euros/6 months. The reservation fee is non-refundable if the plot reservation is cancelled. The reservation fee will not be credited against the rent or sale price of the plot.

Renting and buying a private plot of land

The plot is handed over by renting it first and can then be purchased once the building obligation has been fulfilled. Please note that you will need the ownership/management of the plot for the building permit. Please contact the building control office for information on processing times for building permits.

Foreigners also must apply for the permit from Finnish ministry of defense before buying a plot, more information Authorisation to non-EU and non-EEA buyers to buy real estate - Puolustusministeriö (defmin.fi). Service is also offered in English.

For rental

The start date of the lease is always the first day of the month and the lease is set to start no later than the beginning of the month in which the booking expires.

The lease term for residential plots is 50 years and the basic rent is set at 5% of the plot's sale price. The basic rent is linked to the index and is adjusted annually. The annual rent can be paid in one, two or four instalments.

The tenant pays the registration fee according to the current prices. The latest prices are available on the website of the National land survey of Finland: Price list | National Land Survey of Finland.

According to the terms and conditions of the plot transfer, the leasehold plot can be redeemed during the lease period, in which case the price is determined according to the pricing in force at the time of redemption. Rents paid at the time of redemption will not be credited against the redemption price. If the building right of a plot has been exceeded, for example through a derogation procedure, the excess building right will be taken into account in the pricing of the plot when the plot is redeemed. 

If the blocking charges for a previously leased plot have not been charged at the time of the lease, they will be charged at the time of the redemption or re-leasing of the plot in accordance with the price list in force.

Sale (purchase of a built-up plot)

Plots for detached houses are generally sold at the current zone prices, based on building rights and approved by the Town Planning Board. All sales are made in cash and the purchase price is paid in a lump sum. 

The buyer pays a real estate exchange service fee (including the application for the land register) in the case of an electronic transaction, or a notary's fee and a land register fee in the case of a paper transaction. The latest prices are available on the website of the National land survey of Finland: Price list | National Land Survey of Finland.