Sustainability plays an increasingly important role in housing choices, SATO’s new survey shows
SATO Corporation, Press release 30 September 2025 at 10:00 am
The importance of sustainability has grown significantly in housing-related decisions over the past few years, according to *Sustainability in Rental Housing 2025*, a study commissioned by SATO. Around 60% of respondents consider sustainability such an important factor that it directly influences their choice of housing type and living arrangement.
“This is a very interesting result, and we’re pleased to see that sustainability is playing an even stronger role in people’s housing decisions. At SATO, we continuously work to make moving into a SATOhome as appealing as possible – also from a sustainability perspective. In addition to our own efforts, we also encourage our residents to make sustainable choices in their daily lives,” says Elina Vaurasalo, Executive Vice President, Housing Business at SATO.
Living in an apartment building with good transport links and easy access to services is, by nature, the most sustainable housing option. However, the choices made by the property owner have a significant impact on the carbon footprint during residency. SATO continuously develops its properties by investing in emission-free energy sources and improving the energy efficiency of its residential buildings. By the end of the year, one third of SATO’s 27,000 rental homes will be located in properties with rooftop solar panels or using locally sourced geothermal energy.
According to the survey commissioned by SATO, over half of respondents have made at least some changes to their energy consumption over the past year. Most commonly, these are small everyday actions: shortening sauna sessions or switching off unnecessary lights. Comparing electricity contracts has also become more common. The majority of respondents are keen to reduce their electricity and water consumption, although reducing electricity use seems more appealing than shorter showers or cutting back on water use in general.
SATO has made it easy for residents to monitor their water usage: around 8,000 SATOhomes are equipped with apartment-specific water meters. These allow residents to track their consumption in real time and make a direct impact on their water bills. According to a study by Motiva, this can lead to as much as an 8% annual reduction in water use.
Almost all respondents said they recycle. More than half recycle all waste types. The least recycled category was biowaste – though even this was sorted by 73% of respondents. Offering comprehensive recycling options was identified as one of the key hallmarks of a responsible rental housing provider. Other characteristics associated with responsibility included energy efficiency, apartment maintenance, reliability and safety, as well as general care for resident wellbeing.
Respondents hope that their rental housing provider takes responsibility for sustainability in their own operations and supports and guides residents in making responsible daily choices. The most requested form of guidance was related to recycling (54%). Advice on water and electricity consumption, as well as how to be considerate of neighbours, was also seen important.
SATO’s ‘Responsibility in rental housing 2025’ survey was conducted through online interviews in April 2025. A total of 1,004 people aged 18 to 74 took part, including both homeowners and rental residents. The respondents were from Uusimaa as well as the Tampere and Turku regions. SATO previously commissioned the survey in 2022. The research was conducted by Nepa Insight Oy.
Media contacts:
Terhi Jokinen, Senior Communications Specialist, Tel. +358 20 134 4307, firstname.lastname@sato.fi
SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 27,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.
SATO aims to provide excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders.
SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs. In 2025, SATO celebrates its 85th anniversary. www.sato.fi/en
