Court orders housing company to return withheld water charges

The North Savo District Court has ordered Asuntosäätiön Asumisoikeus Oy to return more than 4,500 euros in water charges withheld from former residents in Kuopio, Yle reports.

The company withheld the money from the residents’ housing right payment because they had not paid water charges for more than three years. The court also ordered the company to cover the residents’ legal costs of about 2,800 euros.

The residents signed an agreement for a housing right apartment with Asuntosäätiö in September 2021 and gave up the apartment in February 2025. The company did not return the full housing right payment, retaining more than 4,500 euros for water bills.

The residents disputed the decision in court, arguing that neither the housing offer nor the agreement clearly stated that water would be charged separately according to consumption.

Asuntosäätiö argued that the residents should have understood that they were required to pay for water based on consumption. The residents paid one water bill in December 2021, which the company said showed that they understood water was a separate charge.

The company also referred to the sales brochure, which stated that residents would be charged for water according to consumption in addition to the regular housing charge.

The court said the sales brochure was not binding on the residents; the agreement was. It also noted that, under a Supreme Court ruling, an unclear contract term that can be interpreted in several ways must be interpreted against the party that drafted it.

The judgment is not final and can be appealed to the Court of Appeal.