The government has presented a proposal for a series of amendments to the Construction Act. The proposal is currently in EU notification until the beginning of September, after which the bill will proceed to the parliament's consideration. The law mainly enters into force on January 1.1.2025, XNUMX. Rakennusteollisuus RT considers the amendments in the bill to be mostly good.
One of the most important changes is that the unclear section on the responsibility of the principal contractor is repealed from the law. It would have turned against itself and led, among other things, to a blurring of responsibility and contract disputes. During the project, the climate report is submitted only in connection with the final inspection, and the obligation to prepare it has been removed from small houses and renovation construction.
The information requirements attached to the building permit application have been simplified. In addition, a construction permit processing time guarantee will be added to the law (effective January 1.1.2026, XNUMX). The rights of appeal will also be narrowed down and a partial return to the procedure according to the current Land Use and Construction Act.
It was also intended to add a short-term rental section to the Construction Act, which would regulate the definitions of living and accommodation. The law currently does not recognize short-term rentals, which are rapidly becoming common in residential buildings. The section on short-term rentals that was recently included in the opinion received a mixed reception: feedback on the opinion called for both more permissive and more restrictive regulation for short-term rentals. The section of the Construction Act on short-term rental is therefore not included in the proposal, but the preparation is to continue. Clarifying the regulation of short-term rentals is also included in the government program.
The amendments to the Construction Act are based on PM Petteri Orpo to the government program, according to which the administrative burden of the law will be lightened, the bureaucracy will be reduced, the right of appeal will be clarified and the responsibility of the principal implementer will be clarified.
RT has prepared a slide show that describes the main content of the Building Act amendment series. RT will organize webinars and training for its members in the fall of 2024 and in the spring, where the content of the law will be reviewed in more detail.