Hoas

What Hoas does

Hoas (Helsingin seudun opiskelija-asuntosäätiö) is a non-profit foundation established in 1969 that provides affordable rental housing to students in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The foundation operates a portfolio spanning Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, offering shared apartments (soluasunto), studios, two-room apartments, family apartments, summer apartments, and accessible housing units near universities and polytechnics. Tenant selection is governed by the Centre for State-Subsidised Housing Construction (Varke), and 12 university and polytechnic student unions participate in the foundation's governance, creating a structural pipeline of qualified applicants.

The foundation's commercial activity is built around a recurring monthly rental revenue stream, with example rents ranging from approximately €643 to €930 depending on apartment type and size. Hoas monetises its housing inventory through direct-to-tenant subscriptions, supplemented by ancillary services including free Hoasnet internet, on-site laundry and sauna booking (via Tampuuri integration), parking, and key management handled by Caverion at K-group grocery stores. The MyHoas tenant portal serves as the operational system of record for rent, maintenance, fault reports, and document access.

On the technology layer, Hoas has layered AI features on top of its tenant operations: a 24/7 Hoas chatbot (OpenAI via Giosg) deployed on the website and WhatsApp handles customer inquiries; the Asuntoetsivä (Apartment Detective) recommendation tool and the Aluesuosittelija quiz match prospective tenants with suitable properties and areas. AI is also used internally for drafting communications, translation between Finnish/Swedish/English, and summarising case threads, with human review required before publication. The foundation publicly commits to GDPR and EU AI Act compliance and structures AI as advisory rather than decision-making in housing allocations.

Name

Hoas

Legal name

Helsingin seudun opiskelija-asuntosäätiö sr

Website

https://hoas.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hoas is a Finnish non-profit foundation, established in 1969, that provides affordable rental apartments to university and polytechnic students across the Helsinki metropolitan area under state-subsidised housing regulations. It operates a multi-thousand-unit portfolio managed through the MyHoas tenant portal and AI-assisted customer service tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Housing

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (7213)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Housing Roommate Matching, Assignments & Occupancy Management (BPAJAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room) (THAMAGAC), Association Maintenance, Vendor & Capital Project Management (BPAJAHAM)

Keywords

• Student housing services
• Affordable rental apartments
• Tenant management portal
• Student accommodation
• Property rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Property/Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Student Housing Rentals: Monthly rental income from student apartments across the Helsinki metropolitan area. Rents vary by apartment type and size (shared apartments, studios, two-room apartments, family apartments). Electricity is included in shared apartment rents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hoas is a non-profit foundation that rents affordable student apartments in the Helsinki metropolitan area (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa). Its portfolio includes shared apartments, studios, two-room apartments, family apartments, summer apartments, and accessible housing. Services include a self-service tenant portal (MyHoas), an AI-powered customer service chatbot, an apartment recommendation tool, free internet, laundry and sauna booking, and tenant support services. Tenant selection is guided by the Centre for State-Subsidised Housing Construction (Varke).

Product overview

Hoas (Helsingin seudun opiskelija-asuntosäätiö) is a non-profit foundation providing affordable student housing in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The core offering is a portfolio of rental apartments including shared apartments (soluasunto), studios, two-room apartments, family apartments, summer apartments, and accessible housing. The product suite includes the MyHoas tenant portal for managing rent, maintenance, and documents; the Hoas chatbot (AI customer service on website and WhatsApp); Asuntoetsivä (AI apartment recommendation tool); and the housing application system. Additional services include free Hoasnet internet, laundry/sauna booking, and the Aluesuosittelija area recommendation quiz.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Apartments (Opiskelija-asunnot) Affordable rental apartments for full-time students in the Helsinki metropolitan area, located near universities and public transportation in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. Portfolio includes shared apartments, studios, two-room apartments, family apartments, summer apartments, and accessible housing.
• MyHoas Tenant Portal Self-service online portal for Hoas tenants to manage rent payments, fault and maintenance reports, parking applications, document access, and tenant communications.
• Housing Application (Asuntohakemus) Online application portal where students submit housing applications to be matched with available Hoas apartments. Includes a separate pathway for international exchange students applying for furnished short-term housing.
• Hoas Chatbot AI-powered customer service assistant available 24/7 on the Hoas website and WhatsApp. Helps users with housing applications, apartment information, maintenance questions, and service inquiries. Built on OpenAI's language model delivered through the Giosg chat platform.
• Asuntoetsivä (Apartment Finder) AI-assisted apartment recommendation tool on Hoas property pages that recommends apartments based on institution location, rental budget, and household composition. Uses anonymized data and does not link recommendations to user identity or affect application decisions.
• Hoasnet Internet Service Free broadband internet connection included with every Hoas tenancy. Wired Ethernet service that requires the tenant to supply their own router and Ethernet cable.
• Laundry and Sauna Booking Reservation system (Booking by Tampuuri) for shared laundry rooms and saunas in Hoas residential properties. Tenants book usage slots online.
• Aluesuosittelija (Area Recommendation Quiz) AI-assisted interactive quiz that helps prospective tenants identify which Hoas residential area best matches their lifestyle preferences (e.g., nature versus urban environment).

Quantifiable outcome

• Home insurance mandatory for all new tenancy agreements starting January 1, 2026, ensuring tenant protection

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Helsinki Student Union (HYY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner student union that participates in Hoas governance and helps direct students to affordable housing services.
• Aalto University Student Union (AYY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner student union representing Aalto University students, involved in student housing advocacy and Hoas operations.
• Ten Other Student Unions and Polytechnic Student UnionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 10 additional student unions and polytechnic student bodies that participate in Hoas's organizational structure and student housing mission.
• Centre for State-Subsidised Housing Construction (Varke)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body that guides tenant selection criteria for Hoas, ensuring fair allocation of state-subsidised student housing.
• CaverioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKey management service provider operating automated key pickup/return machines at K-group grocery stores. Handles all key handover logistics for Hoas tenants.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SATO Oyj: Major Finnish residential rental housing company operating in growth centers including Helsinki. Comparable to Hoas in residential rental operations within the same Finnish metros, but broader customer base rather than student-specific.
• Kojamo plc: Finland's largest private residential rental housing company (Lumo brand). Comparable to Hoas as a Finnish residential rental operator in the same metro areas (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa), but serves broader demographics rather than students specifically.

Emerging players

• Amber (student housing platform): Global student accommodation marketplace connecting students with verified housing near universities. Comparable to Hoas in serving international student housing demand, though as an aggregator rather than a property operator.
• University Living: Global student housing marketplace and accommodation provider. Comparable to Hoas in targeting international and domestic students, though operating as a commercial platform rather than a state-aligned non-profit foundation.
• HousingAnywhere: European rental marketplace focused on students and young professionals, with strong presence in the Netherlands and expanding across Europe. Comparable to Hoas in addressing student housing demand, but as an aggregator/marketplace rather than an operator.

Direct peers

• Studentbostäder i Sverige (SBS): Swedish non-profit student housing foundation providing affordable student apartments across Swedish university cities. Closely comparable to Hoas in mission (non-profit, state-supported, student-focused), tenant base, and operating model.
• CRM Students: UK-based student accommodation provider operating PBSA properties near universities. Comparable to Hoas in core product (purpose-built student apartments) and customer segment, though UK-focused and commercially structured.
• Nido Student: Pan-European purpose-built student accommodation operator. Comparable to Hoas in target customer (university students) and core offering (managed student apartments), though operating on a commercial rather than non-profit basis.
• Sammen (Student Welfare Organization): Norwegian student welfare organization providing student housing across multiple Norwegian university cities. Comparable to Hoas as a Nordic non-profit student housing provider serving similar demographics with affordable, regulated housing.

Others

• The Collective (co-living): Co-living operator offering shared and private residential units with community programming. Comparable to Hoas in shared-living concept and student/young professional targeting, though operating as a commercial co-living brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hoashelsinki
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoas_fi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hoas