A practical guide for landlords and property managers on running a tenant credit check in Finland — and why bank-verified rent payment history is often a better predictor than a traditional credit record.
When you rent out an apartment in Helsinki, Tampere, Turku or elsewhere in Finland, you want to know one thing: will this tenant pay rent on time? In Finland, the term landlords search for is vuokralaisen luottotiedot — tenant credit information. This guide explains the legal options, what a credit check actually reveals, and how to supplement it with verified payment history.
A traditional Finnish credit check, usually ordered through a credit information company such as Suomen Asiakastieto or Bisnode, reports whether the person has registered payment defaults or maksuhäiriömerkintöjä. These are public records that appear after unpaid debts have been sent to enforcement.
What it does not tell you:
A credit check is useful, but it is a single snapshot of a person's past financial problems. It is not a complete picture of reliability.
In Finland, a landlord can request a credit check when it is justified and relevant to the lease agreement. The tenant must consent to the check, and the landlord must have a legal basis for handling the data under the GDPR. You must not request credit information on anyone else without permission, and you must not use the data for purposes unrelated to renting.
Always document the tenant's consent — ideally in writing as part of the rental application — and keep the report secure.
A verified rent payment history answers the question that really matters. Instead of showing whether the tenant failed to pay an old debt, it shows whether they have a habit of paying rent on time, every month.
Maja uses PSD2 open banking to connect directly to the tenant's Finnish bank. The connection is read-only, and the tenant chooses to share the record with you. You see:
Shows past defaults and maksuhäiriömerkinnät. Good for a red flag.
Shows actual rent payment behavior over months or years.
The tenant authorizes the share. GDPR-aligned and transparent.
When you open a shared Maja profile, you see a high-level reliability label and the tenant's first name with an initial. Look for:
You can also ask the tenant to confirm the rent amount and address the history refers to, especially if they have recently moved.
First-time renters, students, and expats often have no Finnish credit record or prior landlord references. In these cases, consider other proof of income: a työtodistus, recent payslips, a student grant letter, or a takaaja (guarantor). A vakuus of 2–3 months' rent is also common and legally acceptable in Finland.
Maja's bank connection is built on the EU's PSD2 open-banking framework. This means:
For landlords, this is a faster, safer alternative to asking tenants to email bank statements, which are easily edited and expose sensitive data.
Finland only. Maja's bank verification currently covers Finnish banks and the Finnish rental market. Credit-check laws and practices differ in other countries.
No. Under GDPR, you need a legal basis and the tenant's consent to request and process their credit information. Running a check without consent can be unlawful.
Not necessarily. Consider the age, type, and amount of the default, and look at more recent signals such as verified rent payments or stable employment. A clean credit record combined with verified payment history is the strongest combination.
Maja only works with Finnish bank accounts because the verification is built on Finnish PSD2 connections. For foreign tenants, rely on other documents such as employment contracts, references, and a guarantor.
See the last 3 months free. Unlock 6, 12 or 24 months of bank-verified rent payments for a one-time fee.
Company: Maja App Oy, Business ID 3633958-3, Finland. Questions? Email hello@maja-app.com