Can I carry out works and renovation in my flat, and for how long each day?
Conditional — you may, but within the prescribed hours and with mandatory notice to neighbours. The first national Ordinance on House Rules in Buildings (NN 86/25), in force since 12 June 2025, allows works in a flat only on weekdays 8 am–8 pm and Saturdays 9 am–7 pm, and bans them on Sundays and holidays except for emergency repairs. The key and most overlooked rule: you must notify neighbours at least 2 days before the works start. On top of that, daytime quiet applies — weekdays 3–5 pm and 10 pm–7 am, weekends and holidays 1–5 pm and 10 pm–9 am — when noise must not be heard outside the flat. The myth „in my own flat I do what and when I want" therefore falls: a renovation touching the shared or load-bearing parts (facade, roof, load-bearing wall, shared installations) requires the co-owners' consent, and larger works a construction act too. The co-owners of your building may set different work hours by a simple majority.
📋 The rules
- Work hours: works in a flat are allowed only on weekdays 8 am–8 pm and Saturdays 9 am–7 pm; on Sundays, holidays and public holidays construction works are banned except for emergency repairs (Art. 7 of the Ordinance on House Rules in Buildings, NN 86/25).
- Mandatory notice: before the works start you must notify neighbours at least 2 days in advance — this is a separate condition that applies regardless of the works being done in the permitted hours.
- Daytime quiet: even within the permitted hours, quiet applies weekdays 3–5 pm and 10 pm–7 am and weekends and holidays 1–5 pm and 10 pm–9 am, when noise must not be heard outside the flat (Art. 6 of the Ordinance).
- Shared and load-bearing parts: a renovation touching the facade, roof, load-bearing walls or shared installations requires the co-owners' consent and arrangement through the inter-owner agreement; larger structural works also require a construction act under the Building Act.
- Who enforces: house rules are enforced by the building manager and the co-owners' representative (warnings, charges); excessive noise from activities and devices by the sanitary inspectorate, and breaches of public order by the police.
🔓 Exceptions
- Emergency repairs: a burst pipe and similar emergency works may be carried out at any time, including Sundays and at night (Art. 7 of the Ordinance).
- Different hours per building: the co-owners may by a simple majority set different quiet periods and work hours for their building — first check the house rules posted in your entrance.
- Detached houses: the Ordinance applies to buildings; for detached houses the limits are set by the Noise Protection Act, local decisions, neighbour law and public-order rules.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Works in the permitted hours, with notice, carry no fine. Trouble starts with breaches of the house rules: after 3 documented warnings in 2 years the manager may charge you a fee of 50–500 € for each further breach if the inter-owner agreement so provides (Act on the Management and Maintenance of Buildings, NN 152/24), and the warnings are entered in the Register of Co-owner Communities. Noise that breaches public order is fined by the police under a special act, and excessive noise from devices and activities is sanctioned by the sanitary inspectorate. The hidden layer is liability for damage: if the works damage a neighbouring flat or the shared parts (cracks, damp, severed installations), you are liable for the repair, and without the co-owners' consent for work on a shared part you can be sued for restoration to the previous state. That is why notice and written consent pay off more than any saving on speed.
📎 Official sources
- Narodne novine — Ordinance on House Rules in Buildings (NN 86/25) →
- zakon.hr — Act on the Management and Maintenance of Buildings and the Noise Protection Act →
- Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets — building management →
❓ Frequently asked
Until what time may I do works in my flat?
You may carry out works on weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 7 pm, while on Sundays and holidays they are banned except for emergency repairs. Even within those hours you must respect the daytime quiet periods set by the house rules.
Must I notify neighbours about a renovation?
Yes, the Ordinance on House Rules requires you to notify neighbours at least two days before the works start. That obligation applies regardless of the works being done in the permitted daytime hours, and it is wise to leave the notice in writing.
Do I need the co-owners' consent for works in my flat?
For works inside your flat that do not touch the shared and load-bearing parts, consent is as a rule not needed. The moment the work touches the facade, roof, a load-bearing wall or shared installations, the co-owners' consent is required, and larger structural works also need a construction act.
May I drill on a Sunday if no one complains?
The Ordinance bans construction works in a flat on Sundays and holidays, except for emergency repairs, regardless of whether the neighbours complain. An exception is possible only if the co-owners of your building have set different work hours by a simple majority.
Who do I report overly noisy works in a building to?
A breach of house rules is reported to the manager and the co-owners' representative, who keep the warnings and can charge a fee. If the noise breaches public order you call the police, and excessive noise from devices and activities is handled by the sanitary inspectorate.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “until when can you do works in a flat”
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