Russian refugee denied rental housing in Finland over Kremlin blacklist

A Russian refugee granted asylum in Finland was denied a rental apartment in Kuopio after a property firm used a Kremlin-maintained blacklist to screen tenants, Yle reports.

The man, identified only as Aleksandr, applied for multiple apartments managed by Kodisto, part of the international real estate group Newsec. Kodisto, which oversees tens of thousands of units in Finland, rejected his applications without explanation before citing sanctions or money laundering concerns.

An investigation later revealed Kodisto had relied on data from Suomen Asiakastieto, which provided information from a blacklist administered by Russia’s financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring. The list, controlled directly by President Vladimir Putin’s office, includes dissidents, foreign nationals, and organizations deemed hostile by the Kremlin.

Aleksandr, who fought on Ukraine’s side in Mariupol early in the war, was placed on the list—evidence that contributed to his asylum approval in Finland in September 2022. He has since requested the removal of his data from the list but fears recurring discrimination.

Finland’s Non-Discrimination Ombudsman ruled in March 2026 that Kodisto had discriminated against Aleksandr, while Asiakastieto may have engaged in indirect discrimination. The ombudsman’s assessment is not legally binding.

Rosfinmonitoring, which oversees the blacklist, was added to the EU sanctions list in 2023. As of December 2025, the list included over 800 organizations and roughly 20,000 individuals.