SATO

What SATO does

SATO Oyj is a publicly listed Finnish residential rental housing company (Helsinki Stock Exchange, ticker SATO) operating a portfolio of approximately 27,000 rental apartments across Finland's five largest growth centers: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, and Turku. Founded circa 1940-1941 with 85 years of stated housing expertise, the company serves individual renters and families across all life stages, from studios to 2-4 bedroom family homes, plus a secondary B2B segment supplying corporate housing and relocation support to companies using housing allowance programs.

Core products and services span SATOhome rental apartments (the primary offering), the OmaSATO digital tenant portal (defect reporting, customer benefits activation, temperature sensor monitoring), a direct-lease SATO Webshop that allows immediate lease signing without a traditional application, SATO House Expert in-house maintenance services, and the SATO B2B corporate offering. Technology is functional rather than transformational: digital portals and online leasing rather than AI-driven matching or pricing. The company has invested in renewable energy infrastructure, with solar panels installed on more than 3,000 SATOhomes and geothermal solutions implemented across the portfolio.

The business model is recurring monthly rental income on roughly 27,000 units, with a EUR 0 security deposit model and 50 M internet included in rent. Revenue is fundamentally rental subscription. The company maintains a stable economic occupancy rate, raised average rent per square meter in Q1 2026, and continues to grow through portfolio acquisitions (approximately 1,000 units in 2025 plus 602 from OP Vuokrakoti Ky in March 2026). Recent capital deployment includes a EUR 150 million sustainability-linked loan from SMBC (2025) and a EUR 70 million bilateral loan from Aktia Bank (2022), supporting both refinancing and ongoing portfolio investment in line with the company's profitable growth strategy.

Name

SATO

Legal name

SATO Oyj

Website

https://sato.fi

Company type

Public

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Rental Housing

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Family Rental (SFR) Property Management (BPAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate / Executive Housing Management (BPAJAFAK)

Keywords

• Rental apartments
• Residential housing
• Property management
• Corporate housing
• Tenant services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Rental Income: SATO generates revenue primarily through monthly rental payments from approximately 27,000 rental homes across Finland. The company maintains a stable occupancy rate and continues portfolio investment to grow its rental property holdings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SATO owns and operates a portfolio of approximately 27,000 rental homes across major Finnish growth centers including Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, and Turku. The portfolio spans studios to family-sized 2–4 bedroom apartments and is supported by the OmaSATO digital tenant portal, a direct-lease Webshop, and SATO House Expert maintenance services. Corporate clients are served through SATO B2B housing solutions for employee relocations and housing allowance programs.

Product overview

SATO is a Finnish rental housing provider operating a portfolio of approximately 27,000 rental apartments across major Finnish growth centers (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku). The core offering is SATOhome/SATO RentHome rental apartment service supplemented by the OmaSATO customer portal for resident management, a direct-lease Webshop for streamlined rental transactions, and SATO House Expert maintenance services. The company also offers B2B services for corporate clients. The product portfolio spans from studio apartments to family-sized homes, all supported by digital resident services and property management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SATO RentHome / SATOhome Rental apartment service offering studios, 1-bedroom, and family-friendly 2–4 bedroom apartments across Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, and Turku. Designed for individuals, couples, and families across all life stages.
• SATO Webshop Online webshop allowing prospective tenants to rent certain available SATOhomes directly and sign a lease immediately, bypassing the standard application process.
• SATO House Expert Dedicated property maintenance and customer service offering that ensures SATOhomes function properly, with SATO House Experts available to address resident needs.
• SATO B2B Corporate Housing Corporate rental housing services for companies, providing employee housing solutions and managing housing allowance programs and corporate relocations across Finnish cities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Economic occupancy rate improved year on year in Q1 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OP Vuokrakoti KycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026SATO acquired 602 rental homes from OP Vuokrakoti Ky, including eight apartment buildings. The properties are located in several Finnish cities and reinforce SATO's position in major growth centers as part of its profitable growth strategy.
• Deloitte OyminorOthers · 26 March 2026Deloitte Oy provided independent assurance for SATO's 2025 sustainability report, which follows ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) guidelines.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Delshammar / VVO (now part of Kojamo): Historically a Finnish state-owned residential rental operator (VVO) merged into Kojamo. Directly comparable historical peer to SATO in Finnish multifamily rentals; now consolidated within Kojamo, the closest direct competitor.
• SBB (Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden): Nordic residential and community service property company operating multifamily rental housing across Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Comparable product, ESG-linked financing, and Nordic geographic exposure to SATO.
• Akelius Residential Property: European residential rental company with Nordic and German city portfolios. Operates multifamily apartment buildings with a similar own-operate model and focus on major metropolitan areas, making it a strong direct peer.
• Kojamo: Finland's largest private residential rental housing company, operating Lumo-branded apartments across Finnish growth centers including Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku. Directly comparable to SATO on geography, product (multifamily rentals), and direct-to-tenant digital model.
• Heimstaden: Major Nordic and European residential rental operator headquartered in Sweden with large Finnish exposure. Closely comparable business model (own-and-operate multifamily residential), Nordic footprint, and ESG-linked financing strategy.

Others

• Citycon: Nordic retail real estate company listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. While focused on retail rather than residential, it shares the Finnish listed real estate investor base and is a comparable capital-markets peer for SATO.

Broad incumbents

• LEG Immobilien: German residential real estate company managing a portfolio of ~165,000 rental apartments. Comparable business model (own-and-manage multifamily apartments for rent), though operating solely in Germany rather than Finland.
• Vonovia: Europe's largest residential real estate company, primarily operating in Germany with diversified German urban multifamily apartments. Comparable on business model and asset class, but at significantly larger scale and outside Finland.
• Balder: Swedish real estate company with significant Nordic residential and commercial exposure, led by Erik Selin — also a SATO board member. Operates residential portfolios under a similar Nordic urban strategy, making it both a strategic and operational peer.

Regional players

• Norwegian Residential (Utleiemegleren / NRP): Norwegian residential rental housing platform connecting landlords and tenants across major Norwegian cities. Comparable on multifamily rental product and direct-to-tenant digital model, but operating exclusively in Norway rather than Finland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/satokoti
• Facebookfacebook.com/SATO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sato-oyj

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SATO