Accommodation Services

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Important information on exchange students' housing in autumn 2008
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Frequently asked questions about housing for exchange students at Oulu University of Applied Sciences (in Oulu).

Please notice that the information given here applies to accommodation in Oulu only. If you are going to study in Raahe, Oulainen or at our School of Renewable Natural resources, please see the respective pages.

Who can get housing?
How do I apply for housing?
Is there family housing available?
Where are the halls of residence?
- How can I get there? What buses can I take from there?
What kind of facilities are there in the halls of residence?
What kind of services are there near the halls of residence?
How much does it cost?
Where can I get further information?

Who can get housing?

International Relations Office of Oulu University of Applied Sciences can arrange housing for international exchange students and trainees of Oulu University of Applied Sciences. They can come within the framework of bilateral agreements, Socrates/Erasmus, Nordplus, Leonardo Da Vinci or other similar programmes. In addition free mover/visiting students can have their housing arranged through International Relations Office, provided that they are going to study at Oulu University of Applied Sciences or have their practical placements arranged by Oulu University of Applied Sciences. If there is vacant housing capacity, other international students and trainees can rent housing through the International Relations Office of Oulu University of Applied Sciences for short and limited periods of time.

For exchange students of Oulu University of Applied Sciences' School of Renewable Natural Resources, accommodation is arranged on the campus of the school (some 14 km east of the centre of Oulu). For exchange students of Oulu University of Applied Sciences' Raahe School Institute of Computer Engineering and Business and Oulainen Department of Health Care, accommodation is arranged by the international co-ordinators in the locality of the school.

Degree students are to arrange their housing by themselves. For this purpose they can contact, e.g. the Accommodation Office of the Northern Finland Student Housing Foundation PSOAS. Address: Mannenkatu 1A, FI-90100 OULU, FINLAND. Tel. +358 8 880 2501, fax +358 8 880 2525, e-mail: asuntotoimisto#psoas.fi (korvaa # -> @). You can apply for an apartment on-line through the PSOAS website or return the form available on the PSOAS website to the Housing Office directly. Opening hours of the Housing Office are Mon - Wed 10.00 - 17.00, Thu - Fri 10.00 - 15.30. You can call to the Housing Office starting at 8.00 (Finnish time).

How do I apply?

You can apply for housing at the same time as you submit your online application for student exchange or practical training through the online Exchange Student Application System ESA.

Please notice that the availability of accommodation is limited. You should submit the application by the following deadlines, but even earlier applications will be appreciated:

For Autumn term: by the 31st of May
For Spring term: by the 31st of October

Applications should be submitted through the online Student Exchange Application System ESA. Please note: Accommodation cannot be guaranteed on short notice! Applications are processed in the order they are received.

Your application for accommodation is binding. Please notice that in most cases the rent is charged in full calendar months!

Is there family housing available?

Unfortunately International Relations Office of Oulu University of Applied Sciences cannot offer family housing. Family housing can be arranged by the Northern Finland Student Housing Foundation (PSOAS). Also our international co-ordinators can help you in the arrangements. It is advisable to discuss the housing arrangements in good time (at least two to three months) prior to the planned exchange period.

Where are the halls of residence?

In Oulu the accommodation for exchange students of Oulu University of Applied Sciences is arranged mainly in the halls of residence of the Otokylä Student Housing Village in Höyhtyä district of Oulu. (See the location on a map.) The address of the halls is Otokuja 2 (+ number of the apartment), FI-90150 OULU, FINLAND. They are located some 2.5 km from the city centre.

How can I get there? What buses can I take from there?

Almost all our schools which are located in Oulu are within a walking or cycling distance from Otokylä. Bus connections to the centre and other parts of the city are fairly good. Local buses number 11, 14 and 24 stop next to Otokylä and e.g. buses 7, 8, 12, 13, 17 and 20 have a stop nearby.

Bus timetables (Koskilinjat Oy)

Bus route map

What kind of facilities are there in the halls of residence?

Furniture, linen and kitchen utensils

The apartments for the exchange students attending Oulu University of Applied Sciences are furnished and have basic kitchen utensils (cutlery, crockery and dishes), linen (bed sheets and towels), mattresses and pillows and duvets. Most of the apartments have two rooms with a shared kitchenette and bathroom (shower and toilet) while some apartments have only one room. Students are accommodated mainly in double/twin rooms (two persons/room). Residents themselves are responsible for the cleanliness of the flat (vacuum cleaners and mops can be borrowed).

One version of a double room in Otokylä

Kitchenette

Sauna

There are saunas in all halls of residence of Otokylä. Bathing times for men and women are separate, and on certain days of the week there are also private and mixed bathing times available, too.

Laundry

There are also launderettes which residents can use. The use of washing machines is free of charge, you only need to reserve your washing turn and buy your own washing powder and fabric softener.

Free time activities

Otokylä courtyard comprises a park, two kindergartens, 12 halls of residence and apartment buildings and a pub. Otokylä is surrounded by parks and cross-country skiing tracks and a skating rink in winter, and sawdust tracks and sports ground in summer are nearby. The residents committee has developed the leisure time possibilities by maintaining a gym and a training room for bands. The leisure premises of the residents committee are available to all residents of Otokylä by obtaining a key card to the premises.

Internet connections

Otokylä has a fixed data network which is connected to the Oulu University of Applied Sciences' School of Engineering - and from there to the world. The use of the network is included in the rent. However, you need to provide your own computer/laptop. There are separate instructions for how to start using the network and how to calculate your IP-address.

Telephones

There are no public or pay phones in the Otokylä halls of residence. Furthermore due to the popularity and extensive coverage of the mobile phone networks there are hardly any public phones anywhere in Finland. The best solution for communications is to get your own mobile phone. Mobile phone handsets might be cheaper in your home country but you must contact your mobile phone operator for details on how you can use it abroad. Further information on mobile phones in Finland is available at the NetTutor website.

Mail

Incoming mail is delivered to post lockers on the ground floor of the building. Your room key opens this locker. For outgoing mail the nearest post box is about 100 metres from Otokylä in front of Hanhitie 14. The nearest Post Office services are available about 600 metres from Otokylä in the R Kiosk of Höyhtyä shopping centre (address: Latokartanontie 1). If you receive a parcel or other deliveries that do not fit into the post locker the postman will drop in a notice of arrival against which you can collect the shipment from the R Kiosk of Höyhtyä.

Services around Otokylä

In Otokylä there is a pizzeria-café. About 600 metres from Otokylä there is a small shopping centre with a chip shop, a pizzeria, a grocery store (open daily until midnight), an R Kiosk with Post Office services, an ATM, two pubs, a bike shop, the Lintulampi - Höyhtyä area citizens' house and other services. The nearest supermarket is within walking distance (about 10 to 15 minutes) from Otokylä. In addition, the Kaukovainio Shopping Centre is within a short walking distance.

How much does it cost?

The rent for a double/twin room is from 184 to 222 EUR/person/month (as of 1 Jan 2012). The rental rates are subject to change with a two months' notice. The rent is paid monthly, in most cases from the beginning of the month of your arrival to the end of the month of departure (i.e. in full calendar months). The rent includes water, heating, electricity and use of the internet connection and other equipment of the flat.

You can pay the rent at any bank in Finland or through the banks' automated and Internet services with the invoices/bank giro forms you will receive from Oulu University of Applied Sciences after you have arrived and signed the rental agreement. With the payment of the first month's rent you must also pay a deposit of EUR 220. The deposit will be refunded to your bank account after you have returned the key and the room has been checked. The room must be clean and in good condition and all movable items should be in their original places. The deposit will be refunded by a bank transfer to your bank account in your home country. For this purpose you should have the account number (IBAN) and the name, address and SWIFT/BIC code of your bank.

Where can I get further information?

For further information, please contact the International Relations Office at e-mail international#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @).