Liike Nyt chairman Harry “Hjallis” Harkimo in Helsinki on 3 February 2025. LEHTIKUVA
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Harry “Hjallis” Harkimo, leader of Liike Nyt and candidate for mayor of Helsinki, appears to have his registered residence in the city listed on Airbnb. Official records show that Harkimo and his son, Joel Harkimo, are registered at a luxury apartment on Topeliuksenkatu in Töölö. However, neighbours report that the property is regularly rented out and has been the site of disruptive parties.
Harkimo, who also owns a large house in Sipoo, must be a resident of Helsinki to be eligible for the mayoralty.
Despite this, his listed address is available for short-term rental on Airbnb under the host name “Leo.” Leo Harkimo, Harkimo’s younger son, appears to be the person managing the listing, as the profile photo matches public images of him. Photos on the Airbnb listing also match known images of the apartment.
The property is advertised as a “presidential apartment,” a reference to Harkimo’s past presidential candidacy and to Lauri Kristian Relander, Finland’s president from 1925 to 1931, who once lived in the building. The apartment remained available for rent on Airbnb until early April.
Residents of the building confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat (HS) that the apartment has been used for short-term rentals and that disturbances have occurred. Ville Tuomisto, chairman of the building’s housing association board, stated that only one apartment in the building is listed on Airbnb and that he has understood it to be “continuously available for rent.” Neighbours say that both Harry and Joel Harkimo are rarely seen in the building. One resident, who has lived there for ten years, claims never to have seen either of them. Tuomisto, who has lived in the building for seven years, says he has only encountered Harry Harkimo “a few times.”
The housing association has sought to end Airbnb activity in the building due to disturbances caused by renters. Residents have complained about parties lasting until the early hours. While some tenants have been respectful, others have hosted loud weekend gatherings. Tuomisto noted that there have been “a few such events in the past year.”
Some neighbours allege that tenants of the Airbnb apartment have sold nitrous oxide canisters and that police were called to break up a New Year’s Eve party. Tuomisto confirmed that police had intervened in a party but said it was unclear which apartment was involved. He added that a large number of nitrous oxide canisters had been removed from the stairwell at a resident’s request. It remains unknown to whom the canisters belonged, and no further investigation was conducted.
Another resident reported that smoke had spread into the stairwell from the Harkimos’ apartment when renters used the fireplace. Tuomisto confirmed that some fireplaces in the building are banned from use but could not verify which apartment was responsible.
When HS visited the apartment and rang the doorbell, no one answered.
Harry Harkimo denied that the apartment had been rented on Airbnb for some time. “It was rented out when we lived in Sipoo during the summer. The apartment is very nice and cosy. I enjoy living there,” he said via text message.
However, the listing was still active on Airbnb, and bookings could be made through the platform. When asked directly if he was currently living there full-time, Harkimo responded that he was aware of the listing but that a third party managing the rental had been instructed to stop bookings. “I haven’t handled it myself, but I will tell them to remove it,” he said.
When asked when the apartment was last rented, Harkimo admitted it had been in use in the autumn but could not recall the exact date.
Airbnb reviews left by guests indicate that the apartment had recent visitors. Two reviews were posted in January 2025, with the most recent one three weeks ago. Two additional reviews were left in December, and six in November. Airbnb’s policy allows guests to leave reviews within 14 days of checkout, confirming that rentals were ongoing until early 2025.
Joel Harkimo declined to comment, citing a sailing trip.
Shortly after HS published the story, the Airbnb listing for the apartment disappeared from the platform.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
