Espoo and Vantaa residents face two stormwater bills
Wednesday 28th October 2026 on 11:15 in
Finland
Property owners in Espoo and Vantaa will soon receive stormwater bills from both their cities and the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY), Yle reports. Residents say the double charge is frustrating.
Stormwater fees are now in place in 11 of Uusimaa’s 26 municipalities, including Espoo, Vantaa, Vihti and Tuusula, which introduced them in 2026. Several other municipalities are considering a fee.
In Vantaa, the charge has drawn complaints from homeowners, according to Marja Uistola, chair of the Vaarala-Rajakylä residents’ association. The association sent an appeal to city decision-makers but was unable to change the plan, she said.
Uistola estimates that a typical detached-house owner in Vantaa will pay about 100 euros a year in combined fees to HSY and the city. Charges for terraced and apartment buildings are generally included in residents’ housing-company fees. She said she would prefer the cost to be covered through property tax.
Municipalities use stormwater fees to pay for managing rainwater and meltwater, including maintaining drainage systems, ditches and other infrastructure. The amount depends on a property’s designated use and size. Annual charges are typically 30 to 70 euros for a detached house and 100 to 700 euros for a terraced house.
HSY has collected stormwater fees in its service area since 2010. Its annual charge is 44 to 76 euros for a detached house and 93 to 683 euros for a terraced house. Rates are set to rise by an average of 8 to 9 per cent next year.
Järvenpää is preparing a possible fee that could take effect at the start of 2028, although no decision has been made. Inkoo, Nurmijärvi and Raseborg are also studying the issue, while Kauniainen is considering it.
Across Finland, stormwater fees are in use in an estimated 60 to 70 municipalities, according to Tuulia Innala, a special adviser at the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities. She expects them to become more common as municipalities look for new sources of revenue.