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Want to place your house in Finland? Here is everything you need to know.
A tiny house you can get a permit for
The new Building Act came into force on 1.1.2025. A tiny house meant for living in always needs a rakentamislupa (building permit), but a house under 50 m² gets lighter energy requirements. Here are the rules and how our houses measure up against them.
- PermitRakentamislupafor every dwelling, whatever its size
- Under 50 m²Lighter rulesno nearly zero-energy requirement and no climate report
- VAT25.5 %Finland's standard rate
Building Act 751/2023
What the law says about tiny houses
The law has no separate category for tiny houses. A house you live in or use as a holiday cottage is a residential building, and building it requires a rakentamislupa from the municipality's building control.
- 1When a permit is needed
- 2What is required inside and outside an asemakaava area
How all our houses fit the rules ↓
- The municipality's rakennusjärjestys (local building ordinance) can set local rules on the size, placement and construction of the house, and the plan takes precedence over them (17 §).
- In its rakennusjärjestys the municipality can designate areas where a holiday home can be converted to permanent living without a poikkeamislupa (exemption permit) (18 §).
- If the house does not fit the plan, the municipality can grant a poikkeamislupa for a special reason (57 §).
- Always ask the municipality's building control what may be built on your particular plot before you order. The municipality makes the decision, not us.
Sources: Rakentamislaki 751/2023 (Finlex) · Ympäristöministeriö: Rakentamislaki · Janakkalan kunta: rakentamislaki pientalorakentajan näkökulmasta · Verohallinto: arvonlisäveroprosentit
Which houses fit
All our houses measured against the rules
A permit is needed for every house you live in, so size mainly decides the energy requirements. The area here is calculated from the house's outer dimensions, length times width, which is close to the floor area. All our houses except Helena and the Evergreen XL stay under 50 m².
| House | Dimensions (L × W × H) | Area by outer dimensions | Under 50 m² (37 §) | Insulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nature Pod | 6.00 × 2.30 × 2.50 m | 13.8 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Moon | 6.10 × 2.50 × 3.50 m | 15.3 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Sofia | 6.10 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 15.6 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Maya | 6.70 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 17.1 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Sunshine | 6.70 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 17.1 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Felicia | 7.20 × 2.50 × 3.94 m | 18.0 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Venus | 7.30 × 2.50 × 4.00 m | 18.3 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Luna Office | 7.30 × 2.55 × 3.50 m | 18.6 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Luna Home | 7.30 × 2.55 × 3.50 m | 18.6 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Porto | 7.30 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 18.6 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Elise | 7.30 × 2.55 × 4.00 m | 18.6 m² | Under 50 m² | Light, so the house can be towed |
 Smile | 7.30 × 3.00 × 4.00 m | 21.9 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Julia | 7.90 × 3.00 × 4.00 m | 23.7 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 River | 8.50 × 2.90 × 3.90 m | 24.6 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Lucia | 7.50 × 4.00 × 4.00 m | 30.0 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Sky | 11.00 × 3.45 × 4.35 m | 38.0 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Zenith | 11.00 × 3.45 × 4.35 m | 38.0 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Leah | 12.00 × 3.45 × 4.00 m | 41.4 m² | Check the area | Strong, for year-round living |
 Antonia | 9.00 × 7.95 × 4.00 m | 46.6 m² | Check the area | Strong, for year-round living |
 Evergreen | 8.30 × 6.00 × 4.00 m | 49.8 m² | Under 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Helena | 9.20 × 5.98 × 4.00 m | 55.0 m² | Over 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
 Evergreen XL | 11.80 × 5.95 × 4.00 m | 70.2 m² | Over 50 m² | Strong, for year-round living |
The Evergreen is 49.8 m², very close to the limit, so check the floor area with the building control. The house must still be suitable for its intended use: the mobile models have light insulation (wall around U 0.44), the semi-mobile and fixed models much stronger. Ask us for drawings and U-values, so that you and the municipality can see exactly what the house meets.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions about tiny houses
Does a tiny house on wheels need a permit?
Yes, if you live in it. The law has no exception for houses on wheels: when the house stands on a plot and is used for living, it is a residential building, and a residential building needs a rakentamislupa whatever its size.
What if I only use it as a holiday cottage?
A permit is needed then too. Janakkala's building control, for example, advises that a holiday home and a building with a fixed fireplace or stove are residential buildings that need a permit whatever their size. Without a permit you may only build a building under 30 m² that is not a residential building, such as a storage shed.
What energy requirements apply to a tiny house?
The nearly zero-energy building requirement does not apply to a building under 50 m², and then no climate report is needed either. The house must still be suitable for its purpose, so for year-round living we recommend our semi-mobile or fixed models, which have much stronger insulation.
How much VAT do I pay?
25.5 %, Finland's standard rate, when we deliver the house from Sweden to Finland.
What do you send for the permit application?
The drawings, weights, U-values and technical documentation your principal designer needs, free of charge. The earlier you ask for them, the easier the conversation with the building control will be.
How does the house get to the plot?
The mobile models come on their own trailer and are 2.55 m wide. Wider houses, such as Smile, Julia and River, come on a low-loader, and a transport wider than 2.55 m needs a special transport permit. Send us your postcode and we will work out the transport.
Let's look at your plot together
Tell us where your plot is and what the plan says about it, and we will tell you which houses fit and send you drawings you can take to the building control. It costs nothing.