Register data and putting it right

Two requirements are stated directly in the support conditions, and the second matters technically. It concerns data matching the building as built.

According to professional sources the residential building must be entered in the building register, and according to the same source the year of its first taking into use must be recorded. The year of construction affects how the building is assessed and in some cases the support conditions too, which makes it more than a formality.

The role of the register more generally is covered in a separate guide on building permits and the building register. The rule itself is short: what is not in the register does not exist for support purposes either.

Five fields are most often wrong, and the third is the most frequent problem. It concerns the net internal area.

Field	Note
Whether the building is in the register	without this there is no application
The year of first taking into use	a requirement in the conditions
Floor area and volume data	the methodology for calculating areas has changed over time
Intended use	determines the applicable regime
Use permit or notice of use	whether it exists or not

The change in the methodology for calculating areas is covered in a separate guide. A wrong floor area affects both the support calculation and the energy class, since both are area-based.

Three steps, and the third takes time. Check the data in the building register. According to professional sources, where the data do not match reality one must approach the local authority to have them put right. And submit the necessary documents, the list of which depends on what is missing or wrong.

For older buildings the documents may be in an archive or missing altogether, and the duration of the procedure depends on the local authority and on the complexity of the case, so it cannot be promised in advance. Time has to be allowed in months.

Three situations require more work, and the third is the most sensitive. It concerns unauthorised alterations.

Situation	What it means
The building is not in the register	it must be entered, which is a separate procedure
The building is registered but has no use permit	which legal regime applies has to be established
The data differ substantially from reality	for instance an unregistered extension

The third may mean that an earlier unregistered alteration has to be resolved before the renovation. The legal status of older buildings is covered in a separate guide, including the conditions under which an earlier structure is deemed lawful.

Three reasons, and the third is the most underrated. It concerns the position in the ranking.

Correcting takes time that does not exist while a round is open. Correcting may require documents that themselves take time to obtain. And the outcome of the correction may change the input data of the design, for instance where the floor area turns out to be different.

A change in floor area changes both the energy class calculation and the cost estimate. The professional recommendation is therefore to check the register data when the idea of renovating arises, not when the application is being drafted.

The residential building must be entered in the building register with the year of its first taking into use recorded, which makes the register a precondition rather than a formality. Of the five fields to check, the most frequent problem is the floor area, since the methodology for calculating it has changed over time, and a wrong area affects both the support calculation and the energy class. Data are put right by approaching the local authority, and the duration of that procedure cannot be promised in advance.

Four rules: check the register data before the design and before the application. Approach the local authority to have them corrected. Allow for the fact that a change in floor area affects the whole calculation. Resolve unregistered alterations before planning the renovation.