Renovating a bathroom in a Finnish housing company

If your apartment is part of a Finnish housing company, coordinate a bathroom renovation with the property manager before demolition begins. Your contract with the contractor, the housing company’s review, and its supervision of the work are separate processes that need to fit into one schedule.

Submit the plan for review

Explain what will change, which structures will be opened, and whether plumbing fixtures or other building systems will move. Include the plans you have, the contractors’ details, and a preliminary schedule. Ask what additional information your housing company needs for this project.

Finland’s Limited Liability Housing Companies Act requires advance notice of alterations that may affect parts for which the company or another shareholder is responsible, or the use of an apartment. It also covers how alterations are considered and supervised. Check the current provisions in the Housing Companies Act on Finlex (opens in a new tab) and agree with your housing company on the conditions for your renovation.

Separate supervision from project management

Find out which stages the housing company’s supervisor needs to inspect and how to arrange those visits. Who reports that a stage is ready for inspection? Who delivers the reports? The company’s supervision does not automatically mean that the supervisor manages your contractor’s daily schedule or carries out every inspection required by your own contract.

Ask how supervision fees are calculated and how any damage found inside the structure will be handled. Do not agree with the contractor alone on repairs that may be the housing company’s responsibility.

Plan the use of shared areas

Agree on water shutoffs, protection for access routes, elevator use, waste storage, and notices about noisy work. Give the contractor the housing company’s procedures in writing.

At handover, collect the agreed documents for both yourself and the housing company. When comparing bathroom renovation costs, check whether documentation is included and which charges from the housing company fall outside the contractor’s quote. Your total budget needs to cover more than the contractor’s bill.