1. What changed
For houses with one or two dwellings, the occupancy permit obligation is replaced by submitting an occupancy notice, and the change entered into force on 1 August 2026. The substantive requirements nonetheless remain.
This means that taking a house into use no longer requires a permit procedure but a notification. Different rules apply to residential buildings with three or more dwellings, and for those the requirements became stricter instead, for reconstruction and extension.
2. What it means in time terms
A comparison published by the ministry gives the order of magnitude. It does not replace checking the individual case.
| Procedure | Average duration |
|---|---|
| Occupancy permit | about a month, sometimes longer |
| Occupancy notice | roughly just over a week |
For the owner of a house this means being able to move in considerably sooner, provided the documentation is in order. These are averages rather than deadlines: the individual case depends on the local authority and on the completeness of the documents submitted.
3. What stayed the same
Three things were untouched by the change, and this list is the most important part of the article. They continue to apply as before.
| What stayed | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The requirement that what is built conform to the building design | the substance of the procedure |
| The need to reflect changes in an amendment design | to be done beforehand, not within the procedure |
| The building permit procedure itself | it concerns the start of construction, not taking into use |
The type of procedure changed, the substance to be checked did not. This is the most important limit of the change, and it is often misunderstood: a shorter procedure does not mean a lighter check.
4. What it changes in practice
Four consequences, two of which go together. They concern the procedure and the documents.
| Consequence | Direction |
|---|---|
| The schedule becomes more predictable | favourable |
| Preparation matters more | more demanding |
| Documentation quality becomes decisive | more demanding |
| Responsibility moves earlier, into the construction period | more demanding |
The second and fourth rows belong together: a shorter procedure does not mean less work but the same work earlier. A month-long procedure left room to remedy defects while it ran; a week does not, so defects have to be remedied before submission.
5. To whom it does not apply
Two boundaries are worth checking. Residential buildings with three or more dwellings, which have their own requirements and for which the reform moved in the opposite direction. Non-residential buildings, which are governed by separate rules.
Borderline cases must be checked with the local authority, for example where the number of dwellings has changed over time or where a building has mixed use. The number of dwellings is the decisive feature here, and it must match the register rather than the actual use.
Summary and four practical rules
The occupancy permit obligation for houses with one or two dwellings was replaced by an occupancy notice on 1 August 2026, shortening the procedure on average from a month to just over a week. The requirement that what is built conform to the design, and the need to reflect changes in an amendment design, remained unchanged: what changed is the type of procedure, not the substance checked. A shorter procedure leaves no time to remedy defects, so preparation matters more.
Four rules: check by the number of dwellings whether the building falls under the change. Explain to the client that the substance checked did not change, only the type of procedure. Move preparation of the documentation into the construction period rather than its end. Do not promise a fixed date, since an average duration is not a deadline.
This article offers professional orientation as at the date of verification. It does not replace the assessment of the local authority.