Renovation notice

Background

Owners of property shares (apartment owners) must inform the housing company of all significant and sometimes also regular maintenance work carried out in the apartment, that affect or may affect the parts of the building or apartment that are under the responsibility of the housing company.

Application for alteration works must be submitted in writing before starting any work in the apartment. The housing company must save and keep all applications for alteration works submitted by apartment owners.

Examples of significant alteration works that require a notification:

1. Renovation of the floor and walls in the bathroom (incl. plumbing and electrics)
2. Replacing the surfaces in the bathroom (incl. removing and fixing plumbing fittings) 
3. Renovating the kitchen (incl. plumbing and electrics) 
4. Replacing the electrics in the apartment 
5. Installing glazing on the balcony 
6. Removing or altering partition walls in the apartment 
7. Installing an air source heat pump  

Examples of regular renovation works that require a notification:

1. Replacing flooring or skirting boards 
2. Renovating windows or balcony doors
3. Building something in the yard (such as deck or a fence)
4. Replacing the bathroom door
5. Replacing interior doors (affects ventilation in the apartment)
6. Replacing bathroom fittings (taps and the toilet)
7. Alterations to the front door of the apartment (security locks, peepholes, etc.) 

Examples of minor renovation works that require no notification:

1. Painting and wallpapering  
2. Replacing wardrobes
3. Renovation of parquet flooring by sanding and varnishing
 (a notification of the works must be placed on the notice board in the stairwell)

Highly significant maintenance or alteration works in the apartment may require official permits. You must find out the need for permits before starting any work.

Submitting a notification for alteration works

The notification for alteration works should be as unambiguous as possible. You should not submit notifications for work at the planning stage. We ask you to submit the notification only when you know the final extent of the renovation works. The application must include adequate information for the assessment of the renovation method and the risks.

The housing company may set conditions for the renovation works, and no work must commence before authorisation from the housing company has been given. The housing company has the right to control that the renovation work is conducted in a manner that will not damage the building and that complies with the good construction practices. The housing company must also consider the interests of the other apartment owners. If required, the apartment owner is responsible for the control costs.

If a resident (tenant) wishes to renovate an apartment, they must first inform the apartment owner (the landlord) who will then submit the written notification for renovation works. 

You may not start any renovation or alteration work before you receive an email reply from the person processing the notifications. You will also receive written instructions for renovation works.

Good to know:

Act on Asbestos

The new act on asbestos entered into force on 1 January 2016. The new legislation defines and specifies practices and requirements regarding asbestos work. 
The former practice of carrying out asbestos demolition work rather than an asbestos survey is no longer acceptable, according to the occupational health and safety administration of the Regional State Administrative Agency.

It is possible that materials and substances that contain asbestos were used in apartments in housing companies built before 1994. They include:

- paints, varnishes and bitumen emulsions.
- vinyl flooring, vinyl tiles, resilient vinyl flooring, putty and adhesives.
- tiling and jointing mortar used with ceramic tiles.
- pipe insulation and ventilation ducts.

The person processing the notification for alteration works will provide more information on an asbestos survey.

Tax credit for household expenses
A link to the Tax Administration website with more information on tax credit for household expenses.

Renovation checklist
A link to a renovation checklist (currently in Finnish).

How to manage renovation works, an example of a kitchen renovation
PDF file that includes information about kitchen renovation (currently in Finnish)

We do not recommend that you send attachments with your notification for renovation works. You can email attachments to the person processing the notification later on.

Please note, contractors do not submit notifications for renovation works; it is the responsibility of the apartment owner.

Complete a notification for renovation works (in Finnish) HERE

In case of a problem, please contact:

Hemmo Päivärinne, Construction Manager
+358 50 359 9560     

Olli Lahtela, Technical Assistant
+358 45 7734 5731

firstname.lastname@matinkylanhuolto.fi