The first thing to do is find out the interior temperature of the apartment/room. The temperature is measured from the center of the room at a height of about one meter.

When the temperature of the apartment is 20-23 degrees, the target state has been reached and the temperature is good both in terms of energy economy and living comfort. If the temperature in the apartment is below 18 degrees, it can be considered that it may cause health harm if it continues for a long time and the matter must be resolved without delay

Before contacting the service company, please check the operation of the radiators and ventilation devices.

If you feel drafty in the apartment, investigate the cause before you increase the heating. The problem can be caused by insufficient sealing of windows and doors, uncontrolled ventilation or a structural defect.

Is the radiator completely cold, does the equipment report an error code? It is also worth paying attention to unusual noises from the radiators, such as gurgle, and in case of problems, fill online service request form.

In general, all visible pipes/sewers are the responsibility of the resident and you should primarily try to open them yourself. If the blockage does not open despite cleaning and other means, the blockage may be deeper and then the maintenance man will come to open the sewers.

When a floor drain or sink is blocked, it is important to determine the urgency of the situation. Not all blockages are urgent, and doesn't need immediate attention. The situation is urgent when more than one sewer seems to be blocked, the only toilet in the apartment is blocked, water rises up from the sewer or otherwise there is a risk of water damage.

Major plumbing work in the home should always be left to professionals, but typically floor drains and sinks are the responsibility of the resident. Floor drains and drain trap that are dirty or full of rubbish prevent water reaching the sewer,  and can even lead to water damage.

You can find the instructional videos below.

Drain trap:

Floor drain:

There are two types of fuses in apartments: ceramic white fuses and automatic fuses. If the electricity goes off in part of your apartment, you must go to the fuse box, which is usually located in the hallway. Before checking the fuses the last electrical device used should be switched off or unplugged. It is usually the last electrical appliance used that has the caused of the overload and power cut.

Automatic and reusable fuses can be found in newer residential apartments. Operating fuses are in the I position and non-operating fuses in the 0 position. They can be switched back on from the fuse box. If the fuse does not stay in position I there is a problem with the electrical installation in your apartment and you should call maintenance.

To replace old-style plug fuses, you need a new fuse, which should be bought in advance in case they need to be replaced. Start by checking which fuse has blown out. There is a red mark in the middle of the fuse, which should come off when the fuse has blown. If the pin has not come off, the operation of the fuses must be checked one by one.

In some power stations, you can also find a separate fault current protection device that protects the electricity user from current escaping from the electrical circuit. The fault current protection must be tested with its own test button every month.

Changing a light bulb is certainly the most common electrical work done in homes. Instead of a burnt-out lamp, you should always get an energy-friendly LED lamp, which not only saves nature but also your wallet, thanks to its long lifespan. Before replacing the lamp, you should switch off the device and wait for the lamp to cool down.

The lamp can be replaced with one of the same or smaller wattage. You can get a similar lamp by going to the store with the burned-out lamp and ask help from the seller if needed.

Light bulbs and energy-saving lamps as well as fluorescent tubes should always be recycled properly. Energy-saving lamps and fluorescent tubes belong to hazardous waste, and LED lamps to electronic waste, both of which are collected by all stores that sell lighting and lamps. Incandescent lamps and halogen lamps, on the other hand, belong to mixed waste.

Cleaning of fridges and freezers is the responsibility of the resident. A well-maintained refrigerator stays cool, preserves food more efficiently, makes less noise and uses less electricity. The refrigerator should never be crammed full, but there should be room for air to circulate, i.e. the food should not touch the walls. If filled incorrectly, ice forms on the surfaces of the refrigerator, its temperature rises and electricity consumption increases.

Newer fridge-freezers do not require regular defrosting, they handle the defrosting themselves.

The refrigerator or freezer is defrosted by turning off the appliance and emptying its contents into another cold container. At the beginning of defrosting, make sure that the defrosting water from the refrigerator or freezer drains into the water container. Do not try to speed up the defrosting of the freezer by removing the ice with a knife or other sharp object. Knives can pierce parts of the freezer that contain refrigerants, thus permanently breaking the freezer.

When defrosting, the refrigerator or freezer is thoroughly cleaned. At the same time, you should check that the defrost water outlet located inside the refrigerator, at the back, is not blocked. Dry the refrigerator, freezer and seals properly before switching on the appliance.

If the temperature of the refrigerator or freezer is unusually high despite regular cleaning and proper use, the refrigerator's gaskets or compressor may be at fault. In this case, the device needs maintenance by an electronics professional.

If you notice water leaks, you must report it to maintenance.

A leaking or gurgling water fixture such as a toilet seat or faucet is always an expense for the housing association and thus also for the resident.

Kitchen sink cabinet leaks can often go unnoticed if the cabinet shelves are too full and the pipes are not visible. It would be good to monitor the condition of the pipes regularly, for example when emptying garbage bags.

You can see from the property's division of responsibilities table whether battery replacement is the responsibility of the resident or the property manager.

The smoke alarm batteries should be checked once a month to ensure fire safety. The smoke alarm often starts to make a steady beeping sound when the battery is almost empty.

Smoke detectors can be powered by batteries or mains power. It is recommended to check the type of batteries in your apartment's smoke alarm, and stock up in advance. The backup battery of a mains-powered smoke alarm must also be replaced.

Basic maintenance of both battery- and mains-powered smoke alarms includes gentle vacuuming at regular basis. Dust accumulating on the smoke detector may cause false alarms or, in the worst case, prevent a proper alarm.

See the maintenance's instructions for cleaning your cooker hood:

When the sun is shining outside and the weather is warm, the temperature inside the apartment can also rise warmer than desired.

Read below for tips on how you can prevent the sun and warm summer weather from heating up your apartment. When checking the ventilation, you should note that gravity-based ventilation works differently than mechanical ventilation.

Check how the ventilation works in your home. Where does the air come in and where does it go out? If the replacement air valves are on the outer walls of the apartment, in the ventilation window or in the window frame, it is gravity-based ventilation or mechanical exhaust ventilation. Ventilation based on gravity does not cool the air, so for example in hot summer weather the ventilation may work completely normally even though it is hot in the apartment. If, on the other hand, the replacement air valves are in the ceiling or in the inner wall, the apartment has mechanical ventilation.

Insufficient ventilation is especially a problem with gravity-based ventilation, but it can also occur in mechanically ventilated buildings. Gravity-based ventilation is based on the temperature differences between the outside and inside air and the air movement caused by the wind. In winter, this works well, but in summer, when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures is small, the ventilation is often insufficient. The prerequisite for gravity-based ventilation to function is clean and open replacement air and exhaust air valves, which enable sufficient, unobstructed circulation of clean air in all rooms of the house.

In apartments with mechanical ventilation, the thermostat should be set as low as possible so that as little warm air from the outside enters the apartment as possible. Take care of changing the filters and also keep the grease filter of the stove hood clean.

In properties with separate cooling, the maintenance automatically adjusts it to the appropriate temperature depending on the season.

Ensure unobstructed air circulation. Indoor air problems very commonly arise from the fact that the replacement and exhaust valves are completely missing or blocked for some reason. In this case, the ventilation does not work in the apartment at all. Check that the valves are clean and not covered. You can test the functionality of the ventilation by placing a piece of paper at the outlet air valve, when the ventilation is working, the piece of paper should stay in place due to the force of the pull. If the pull is not enough, find out if there are enough replacement air valves and if they are in working order.

Ventilation. Ventilate when the outside air is as cool as possible. During the day, it can be clearly hotter outside than inside, so by ventilating in the evening or at night, you get as cool air as possible into the apartment. Ventilation is most effective if it is possible to create a short-term through/cross draft in the apartment.

Windows and curtains. The sun shining directly on the windows heats up the apartment, so closing the curtains curbs the heating of the apartment. If blinds or roller blinds are installed in the windows, you should also close them. Note, when placing, it is worth noting that curtains should not be placed in front of the radiator or thermostat.

Radiators. The most common heating method for the building stock is central water heating, where warm water adjusted according to the outside air temperature circulates in the radiators. If the thermostats of the radiators in the apartment can be adjusted manually, in hot weather, adjust the temperature of the radiator as low as possible. Note, The heating in the bathroom must be kept on all year round, this ensures that the room dries out and prevents moisture variations. During use, the floor heating/radiators in the bathroom should not be turned off, and in most cases the bathroom radiators operating with central water heating cannot even be turned off by the resident.