In addition to permits related to actual construction work, the Building Supervision Authority is also responsible for resolving many other permits and decisions.
Right to commence
A building permit becomes legally valid 37 days after it is granted, provided no request for rectification has been submitted. If construction work is to begin before the permit becomes legally valid, the right to commence construction work must be applied for from the Building Supervision Authority.
The right to commence may be applied for together with the project’s actual permit application or through a separate application in the Lupapiste e-service. The fee is lower when processed together with the permit application.
Without applying for the right to commence, or before the building permit becomes legally valid, the applicant may fell trees, excavate, and carry out blasting, provided the work complies with the permit applied for.
An application for the right to commence must be based on a justified reason, and construction work carried out under the right to commence may not render an appeal pointless.
The security deposit for the right to commence is set to cover any harm, damage, or costs that may result from the decision being overturned or the permit being amended.
If construction work is not completed within the time specified in the building permit, the permit lapses. An extension may be applied for to start and complete the work, or only to complete it.
At the applicant’s request, the municipal construction supervision authority may extend the validity of the permit for starting the work by a maximum of two years, provided that the legal requirements for the construction or other applied-for measure are still met. The validity of the permit may be extended only once for the purpose of starting the work.
For completing the work, deadlines may be extended by a maximum of three years at a time. The extension must be applied for before the building permit’s validity period expires. If the original permit is more than 10 years old, it lapses and no further extension will be granted; a new building permit must instead be applied for the project.
An easement may be a property easement or a building easement. A building easement concerns a building and therefore falls within the matters decided by the Building Supervision Authority.
A property may have an easement established concerning a building located on another property’s land. This may be established, for example, to allow structures to extend onto another property, or it may relate to the use of a shelter or garage parking spaces. A building easement may be permanent or fixed-term.
A fee in accordance with the city’s official fee schedule is charged for establishing a building easement.
If you notice any deficiencies or errors in the building or apartment information for your property, you should contact the Building Supervision Authority to have them corrected.
Official register data may sometimes contain outdated, incomplete, or incorrect building or apartment information. Examples include incorrect data on a building’s floor area, year of completion, or intended use.
Incorrect building or apartment information may affect the rights or obligations of the property owner. For this reason, incorrect information should—and must—be corrected.
If the siting of a municipal utility installation has not been agreed with the property owner, the decision on its placement is made by the municipal construction supervision authority.
The property owner is required to allow the installation of a utility line serving the community or the property (e.g. an underground cable) on land under their control, unless the placement can otherwise be arranged satisfactorily and at a reasonable cost. The placement may not cause unreasonable harm to the use of the property.
If the parties cannot reach an agreement on the placement, the siting decision is made by the municipal construction supervision authority. During the preparation of the decision, the applicant presents any possible placement alternatives together with cost estimates. Before making the decision, the authority consults the property owner on the matter.
The property owner is entitled to compensation for any harm or damage caused by the installation of the line or equipment. If the parties cannot agree on compensation, the matter is resolved in accordance with the procedure set out in the Act on the Expropriation of Immovable Property and Special Rights.
