Shutting off the water
Ventilation system in bathrooms
Windows, doors and façade
When you renovate or perform maintenance, you must be aware of the owners’ association’s articles §3, §4 and §5. In addition, you must be aware of current legislation, eg §7 para. 2 of the Danish Condominium Act and the Danish Building Regulations as well as your responsibility when carrying out the work or employing others.
The work must be carried out legally and in accordance with current Danish rules for construction and fire safety, and authorized craftsmen must be employed where required by law or the district heating statutes. Be aware that wooden ceilings are largely prohibited due to fire regulations.
The Articles of Association
§3 defines what is separate and communal property. You should be aware that all apartments have elements that are defined as common property that may not be altered, moved or removed without permission from the board. This involves main supply lines for water and heating, as well as electricity – for example the vertical pipes that run through the apartments from the ground floor to the 2nd floor. Load-bearing structures of importance are also common property, consequently it is not permitted to remove walls or make door openings in load-bearing walls without a calculation and approval from the board.
§4 contains a definition of ownership and according to §5 no changes may be made to the exterior of the property without the consent of the board. The latter paragraph means that you must address the board regardless of the type of maintenance you want to do on the outside of your apartment. This includes painting, as well as replacing windows and doors. You will find contact information for the board on the notice board at the mailboxes or under Contact.
Articles §4 and §5 in Danish:
§4
Udvendig vedligeholdelse foretages af ejerforeningen, mens den indvendige vedligeholdelse alene påhviler de enkelte ejere, hvorved bemærkes, at indvendig vedligeholdelse ikke alene omfatter tapetsering, maling og hvidtning, men også vedligeholdelse og fornyelse af gulve, døre og alt lejlighedens udstyr, herunder el-ledninger, el-kontakter, vand- og gasledninger, kort sagt alt, hvad der er installeret inden for ejerlejlighedens vægge, hvorimod ejerforeningen sørger for vedligeholdelse og fornyelse af lejlighedernes fællesforsyningsledninger og fælles installationer uden for lejlighederne indtil disses forgreninger til den enkelte lejlighed. Enhver lejlighedsejer er pligtig at holde sin lejlighed i en sådan vedligeholdelsestilstand, at der ikke påføres de øvrige ejere skade eller væsentlig ulempe.
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§5
Lejlighedsejerne må ikke foretage ændringer, reparationer eller maling af ejendommens ydre, af ydersiden af vinduernes træværk eller af de mod fællesrum vendende dele af døre uden bestyrelsens samtykke.
Reklamer, skilte m.v. må kun anbringes efter tilladelse af bestyrelsen.
The Danish Condominium Act
The Condominium Act §7 para. 2 states that you as the owner must pay what it costs extra if you make changes that increase any maintenance. Ie. if you choose to cover pipes, you will have to pay to have them uncovered in case they are to be replaced.
Building permit
According to the building regulations from 2018, a conversion which includes load-bearing structures in apartment blocks, such as ours, from 1/1-2020 requires a building permit and calculations by a certified static.
Our building is at least construction class 2, as it contains horizontal apartment boundaries and is over 2 storeys high. Modifications to load-bearing structures in such a construction class require a building permit and calculations by a certified static. Even a doorway in a load-bearing wall requires a building permit according to the instructions in the building regulations. The calculations from the certified static must take the entire building into account and therefore also take into account that others in the property have previously made door holes or removed walls and thereby removed some of the load-bearing structure.
The board has a responsibility to ensure that this is complied with and that any illegal renovations are legalized.
The wall between the living room and kitchen is load-bearing and supportive in most apartments from the ground floor up to and including the 2nd floor.
Responsibility
As the owner, you are responsible for any changes that you make. Therefore, make sure you have adequate insurance and stay within the framework of such insurance when carrying out the work or employing others. The framework may require that you employ authorized craftsmen to make the correct calculations and carry out the work. Compensation for a possible damage to the construction, collapse or fire can amount to several millions.
