When can I make renovation noise in an apartment block?
It comes down to two things — what you are doing and when. Work that is entirely inside your own flat and affects neither the common property, the building's exterior nor shared pipes generally does not have to go before the housing association; it is enough not to cause unnecessary and unreasonable nuisance (Art. 26 of the Multi-Owner Buildings Act no. 26/1994). The myth: that every renovation needs the association's or every owner's approval. Wrong — consent is only needed when the work touches the common property or the exterior. Then the tiered rule of Art. 30 applies: a substantial change to common property, including the building's exterior, needs the consent of all owners; a non-substantial change to common property needs two-thirds of owners by both head-count and ownership share; minor changes need a simple majority of ownership share. For the noise itself the Noise Regulation no. 724/2008 governs: especially loud work is only allowed on weekdays 07:00–19:00, and ordinary loud work 07:00–21:00 on weekdays and 10:00–19:00 at weekends.
📋 The rules
- Work entirely inside your own flat that affects neither the common property, the exterior nor shared pipes need not go before the housing association — it may only not cause unnecessary and unreasonable nuisance (Art. 26 of Act no. 26/1994).
- A substantial change to common property, including the building's exterior, needs the consent of all owners (Art. 30(1)).
- A non-substantial change to common property needs the consent of two-thirds of owners, by both head-count and ownership share (Art. 30(2)); minor changes need a simple majority of ownership share.
- Especially loud work (e.g. hammer drilling) is only allowed on weekdays 07:00–19:00; ordinary loud work 07:00–21:00 on weekdays and 10:00–19:00 at weekends — Noise Regulation no. 724/2008.
- Loud work near homes must be notified to neighbours in advance in a verifiable way (Art. 9 of Regulation no. 724/2008), with information on how long it will last.
🔓 Exceptions
- Work that is urgent and necessary (e.g. a repair that cannot wait) may have special rules, but the general rule on consent and nuisance still applies.
- The housing association can set house rules stricter than the regulation — e.g. narrower quiet hours — and these then bind owners and tenants.
- A change to the use of a private unit that causes substantially more nuisance than before needs the consent of all owners (Art. 27), however small the building work itself is.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Work on the common property or exterior without the required consent can be met with the association demanding that it be restored to its former state at the cost of whoever carried it out, and a dispute can be referred to the housing complaints committee or the courts. Noise outside the permitted hours falls under Regulation no. 724/2008, which the health committees enforce: the committee can impose daily fines of up to ISK 500,000 a day (2008) until it is put right. The hidden cost is coexistence and liability. If the work causes damage to the common property or a neighbour's flat — water damage, cracks, dust — liability in damages arises for whoever does the work, and it can run to a far higher sum than any fine. Unauthorised changes to load-bearing structures or pipes can also reduce the insurance cover of the whole building. Finally, a change made without consent can show up as a defect at sale of the flat and prompt a buyer's demand for repair or a discount.
📎 Official sources
- Althingi · Multi-Owner Buildings Act no. 26/1994 (Arts. 26, 27 and 30) →
- Noise Regulation no. 724/2008 (island.is) →
- HMS · housing complaints committee and multi-owner buildings →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I need the housing association's consent for work inside my own flat?
Generally not, if the work is entirely within your own private unit and affects neither the common property, the building's exterior nor shared pipes. You may not, however, cause other residents unnecessary and unreasonable nuisance under Art. 26 of Act no. 26/1994, and larger changes to pipes or load-bearing structures can still require a building permit.
What majority is needed to change the common property or the exterior?
A substantial change to common property, including the building's exterior, needs the consent of all owners under Art. 30(1) of the Multi-Owner Buildings Act. If the change is non-substantial the consent of two-thirds of owners suffices, by both head-count and ownership share, and minor changes need only a simple majority of ownership share.
What times of day can I do loud renovation work?
Under Noise Regulation no. 724/2008, ordinary loud work is allowed on weekdays from 07:00 to 21:00 and at weekends and public holidays from 10:00 to 19:00. Especially loud work, such as hammer drilling, is only allowed on weekdays from 07:00 to 19:00, and outside these hours it is not permitted.
Do I have to tell the neighbours before I start?
Yes, loud work near homes must be notified to neighbours in advance in a verifiable way under Art. 9 of Regulation no. 724/2008, with information on how long the noise will last. This applies especially to work that runs over a longer period, and good notice often reduces the chance of complaints and disputes.
What can happen if I do not follow the rules?
Work on the common property without consent can be met with the association requiring it to be restored to its former state at your cost, and health committees can stop noise outside permitted hours with daily fines of up to ISK 500,000 a day from 2008. If you cause damage to the common property or a neighbour's flat, liability in damages also arises that can be far costlier than the fine itself.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “renovation noise apartment iceland”
- “when can i drill in a flat”
- “housing association renovation consent”
- “noise regulation 724/2008”
- “multi-owner building exterior change”
- “quiet hours renovation weekend”