Renovations almost always require a notification of alteration work.

Shareholders have extensive rights to make alterations to the premises under their control, but nevertheless, shareholders must submit a written notification to the housing company if they intend to renovate their apartment (AOYL Chapter 5, Section 8). This so-called renovation notification must be submitted before the renovation begins, and the renovation may not begin before permission has been granted. Minor surface renovations, such as painting or wallpapering walls, do not require notification. 

A notification of alteration work must be submitted to the company in the following cases, among others:

• Repair, replacement, or removal of surface materials in toilets, bathrooms, or saunas.
• Work that requires water to be shut off in the building.
• All removal, installation, or modification of equipment related to basic systems (sewer, water, electricity, heating, and ventilation), including installation of an outdoor unit for an air source heat pump.
• Installing a washing machine or dishwasher in a location other than a pre-installed connection.
• Installation of parquet, laminate, etc.
• Alterations to lightweight partition walls (e.g., demolition, relocation, routing)
• Changing the lock on the apartment’s exterior door, mail slot, and structure, as well as the coating visible outside the apartment.
• The following renovations require structural design and official permits in addition to notification to the company:
• Modification work on load-bearing partition walls.
• Changing the purpose of a room, e.g., converting a walk-in closet into a sauna.

Notifying shareholders of alterations is in their best interests

A renovation notification should always be submitted when renovation work is required. The notification is in the shareholder’s interest, because if the company has no information about the alteration work and no opportunity to supervise the renovation, the company’s liability for the renovation is more limited. The housing company also has the right to demolish unauthorized alteration work at the shareholder’s expense.

Submitting a renovation notification and receiving a notification is free of charge, but any permit processing related to the renovation is subject to a fee. Renovation work can begin once the notification has been processed and a permit for the renovation has been granted.

If you are unsure whether you need a permit for your renovation, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will help you with the assessment.

The purpose of the notification and any subsequent inspection visit is to identify situations that may affect the functioning of basic systems (sewerage, water, electricity, heating, and ventilation) or the waterproofing of wet rooms and kitchens. (AOYL Chapter 5, Section 7).

Please note the following regarding other residents of the building:

• Please inform other residents of any noise disturbances.
• Please observe the rules and regulations regarding working hours.
• Waste generated by renovations does not belong in the housing company’s waste containers. More detailed instructions can be found on the HSY website.
• Please do not block the emergency exits in the yard with pallets, building materials, etc.

Please review the apartment renovation notification information package. The information package contains details about the process, the costs associated with renovations, and the renovation notification form to be completed. Please send us the completed renovation notification form as an attachment using the form below.