Since 12 June 2025 the first national house-rules ordinance bans construction works on Sundays (art. 7)

Updated July 2026

🔨 Can I drill and do noisy work in my flat on a Sunday?

With conditions

Quick answer

Conditional — as a rule no, because Sundays have been off limits nationwide since 12 June 2025. The first national house-rules ordinance (Pravilnik o kućnom redu u zgradama, NN 86/25), in force since 12.6.2025, allows works in a flat only on weekdays 8:00–20:00 and Saturdays 9:00–19:00, and bans them on Sundays and public holidays except for emergency repairs; neighbours must be told at least 2 days in advance (art. 7). Quiet hours under art. 6 run 15–17 and 22–7 on weekdays and 13–17 and 22–9 at weekends. Careful: some write-ups miscite this as art. 12 — art. 12 is about flower pots. Your co-owners may set different hours by simple majority.

📋 The rules

Works in flats (multi-apartment buildings, nationwide) are allowed only 8:00–20:00 on weekdays and 9:00–19:00 on Saturdays; on Sundays and public holidays construction works are prohibited except emergency repairs, and neighbours must be informed at least 2 days before works start (art. 7 of the Pravilnik o kućnom redu u zgradama, NN 86/25, in force 12.6.2025, adopted under art. 31 ZUOZ).
Daily quiet hours in buildings (art. 6): 15–17 and 22–7 on workdays, and 13–17 and 22–9 at weekends and on holidays — in those windows noise must not be audible outside your flat. Celebrations are allowed if announced 2 days ahead and finished by midnight.
Local variation: co-owners may set different quiet hours and working times for their building by simple-majority decision (arts. 6(5) and 7(7)); separately, municipalities designate event zones where noise limits may be exceeded (art. 10 of the Noise Protection Act), and coastal cities pass seasonal construction bans.
Who enforces what: house-rules breaches — the building manager and co-owners' representative (warnings, charges); disturbing public order — the police under art. 13 of the Public Order Act (300–2,000 EUR or up to 30 days' jail); exceeding technical noise limits from activities or devices — the sanitary inspectorate of the State Inspectorate, which can also ban the noisy activity; ZUOZ and municipal-order matters — the municipal wardens.
The statutory noise clock: under the Noise Protection Act the protected night runs 23:00–7:00 (day 7–19, evening 19–23) — the 22:00 threshold everyone knows comes from the house rules, not from that act.

🔓 Exceptions

Emergency repairs (a burst pipe and the like) may be carried out at any time, including Sundays and night hours (art. 7(4)–(5)).
A building can legalise Sunday DIY: a simple-majority decision of the co-owners may set different working times or quiet hours for that building (art. 7(7)) — check the house rules posted in your entrance first.
Detached family houses fall outside the ordinance (it applies to buildings under the ZUOZ) — there the limits come from the Noise Protection Act, local ordinances and neighbour law, plus the public-order act if the racket disturbs others.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

In a building: after 3 documented warnings within 2 years, the manager may bill you a house-rules charge of 50–500 EUR per further breach if the co-ownership agreement provides for it (art. 32 ZUOZ, NN 152/24), and the warnings are entered in the public register of co-owner communities (deleted after 2 years). The police fine for disturbing the peace is 300–2,000 EUR or up to 30 days. A noise-act offence by a person carrying on an activity is 10,000–15,000 kn — that act is still written in kuna, which at the fixed rate of 7.53450 is roughly 1,327–1,991 EUR — plus a possible activity ban of 3 months to a year. The consequence nobody expects: for tourist-let flats, 3 house-rules breaches in 2 years let the co-owners revoke the short-term-letting consent.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can I drill on a Sunday if the neighbours do not mind?

The ordinance bans construction works in a flat on Sundays and public holidays, except for emergency repairs. The only way round it is a simple-majority decision by your building's co-owners setting different working times.

What exactly are the quiet hours?

On weekdays quiet hours run from 15:00 to 17:00 and from 22:00 to 7:00; at weekends and on holidays from 13:00 to 17:00 and from 22:00 to 9:00 (art. 6). During those windows noise must not be audible outside your flat.

Is the rule really in article 12?

No — several write-ups miscite art. 12, which actually deals with flower pots. Quiet hours are in art. 6, and the Sunday works ban and permitted working times are in art. 7 of the house-rules ordinance.

Who do I report noise to after 22:00?

If the peace is being disturbed, call the police, who act under art. 13 of the Public Order Act. House-rules breaches go to the building manager and the co-owners' representative, and noisy business activity to the sanitary inspectorate.

Does the ordinance apply to detached houses?

No — it applies to buildings covered by the Buildings Management Act. For detached houses the limits come from the Noise Protection Act, local ordinances, neighbour law and the public-order rules.

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