Decreto de Uso de Suelo y Construcción

Land Use and Building Decree

Issued in Helsinki, September 10, 1999

On the submission of the Minister of the Environment, the

following is enacted under the Land Use and Building Act
(132/1999) issued on February 5, 1999:
Chapter 1
General provisions
Section 1
Impact assessment in connection with planning
When a land use plan’s impact as referred to in section 9 of

the Land Use and Building Act (132/1999) is investigated,
the purpose of the plan, earlier investigations and other
factors affecting the need for investigation must be taken
into account. Investigation must provide the data necessary
for assessing the significant direct and indirect impact of
the plan’s implementation on the following:
1) people’s living conditions and environment;
2) soil and bedrock, water, air and climate;
3) plants and animals, biodiversity and natural resources;
4) regional and community structure, community and energy
economy and traffic;
5) townscape, landscape, cultural heritage and the built
environment.
A municipality whose territory is affected by the material

impact of a local master plan or a local detailed plan, as
referred to in section 9 of the Land Use and Building Act,
must be involved to a sufficient degree in investigating the
impact of the plan. A regional council whose administrative
area is affected by the material impact of a plan must be
similarly involved.
Section 2
Monitoring land use
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The Ministry of the Environment shall organize the

monitoring of the state and development of land use and the
built environment, and the maintenance of the necessary
database.
Within its territory, the regional environment centre

promotes and steers the organization of monitoring the state
and development of land use and the built environment and
also contributes to organizing the necessary monitoring.
Within their territories, regional councils shall see to

monitoring of the state and development of land use, the
regional and community structure, the built environment and
the cultural and natural environment as required for
regional planning and building.
Within their territories, local authorities shall see to

monitoring of the state and development of land use,
building and the built environment and the cultural and
natural environment as required for planning and building.
Section 3
Planners’ qualifications
A person drawing up a plan must have a university degree

appropriate for the task and the experience that is called
for by the difficulty of the task.
Section 4
Local building supervision authority
It is the function of the local building supervision

authority to supervise compliance with plans, to process
permits concerning building and other activities and to
supervise maintenance of the built environment and buildings
as laid down in the law.
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Regulations on participation by other municipal authorities

in the supervision of building and on arranging the
townscaping and technical inspection of building plans may
be issued by municipal ordinance.
Building inspectors shall have a construction-related

university degree suited to their duties. They must also
have sufficient experience in building design and in
carrying out construction work. In carrying out duties based
on the Land Use and Building Act, a building inspector works
under the local building supervision authority.
When carrying out duties related to implementation of the

Land Use and Building Act, a building inspector or another
official supervising building and a market supervision
official shall provide proof of identity and official status
when requested.
Section 5
National Building Code of Finland
The provisions of the Decree on the Statute Book of Finland

(696/1980)on decisions issued by ministries apply to the
National Building Code of Finland.
Stipulations issued by other State authorities on building

construction must conform with the general building
regulations in the National Building Code of Finland. When
regulations deviating from the National Building Code are
prepared, the Ministry of the Environment shall be requested
for an opinion on the matter.
Section 6
Drawing up building ordinances
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Proposed building ordinances shall be made publicly

available in the municipality for a period of at least 30
days. Members of the municipality and other interested
parties are entitled to enter objections regarding the
proposed ordinance. Objections shall be delivered to the
local authority within the availability period of the
ordinance.
Proposed ordinances and the right to enter objections shall

be publicized in the same manner as municipal notices are
publicized in the municipality, unless the significance of
the matter requires wider publicity.
The regional environment centre, the regional council and

the local authority the use and development of whose land
the building ordinance would affect shall be asked for an
opinion on the proposed ordinance.
The provisions of section 32 on making a plan proposal

available to the public again are observed also when a
proposal for a building ordinance is materially altered once
it has been made publicly available.
Section 7
Preparation of national land use objectives
Preparation of national land-use objectives shall be

organized so as to allow for public debate and interaction.
When national land use objectives are prepared, their

environmental and other impact shall be adequately
investigated and assessed.
An opinion on proposals concerning national land use

objectives shall be requested from the following:
1) ministries, regional environment centres, regional
councils and other authorities that the matter concerns;
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2) the local authorities especially concerned; and

3) nationwide organizations that are important in terms of
the proposal.
Chapter 2
Regional plan
Section 8
Cooperation in drawing up regional plans
When a regional council draws up a regional plan, it must

cooperate to a sufficient degree with relevant local and
State authorities and other parties essential to regional
planning.
When preparing a decision to draw up a regional plan by sub-

area as referred to in section 27, paragraph 2, of the Land
Use and Building Act, any local authorities concerned shall
be heard.
Section 9
Presentation of regional plans
Regional plans are presented on a map or maps of a scale

that allows the principles of land use, necessary areas and
other plan content to be indicated in an appropriate manner,
taking into account the need to steer land use.
Regional plan regulations are presented on the regional plan

map or in a separate document.
Section 10
Plan statements
A regional plan statement presents:

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1) an account of circumstances in the area, its

environmental features and changes in them, and other
information on the area to be planned essential for
investigating and assessing the plan’s impact;
2) starting point of planning, aims and proposed options;
3) a summary of investigations carried out to assess the
plan’s impact;
4) the plan’s impact on the structure of the area and
community, the built environment, nature, landscape,
arrangement of traffic and technical services, economy,
health, social circumstances and culture, and any other
significant impacts;
5) an account of the plan’s relationship to national land
use objectives, the regional scheme and development
programmes, the current regional plan, regional planning
of areas adjacent to the plan area and the local
authorities’ other planning;
6) stages of planning, including participation and
interaction procedures and a summary of comments
expressed at the various stages of the planning process;
7) the key content and principles of the selected planning
option and an account of how the results of impact
assessment and the comments expressed have been taken
into account;
8) schedule for and monitoring of plan implementation; and
9) when needed, schemes steering plan implementation.
The plan statement shall present the issues referred to

above in paragraph 1 in the manner and to the extent that
the purpose of the plan requires and that allow for
interaction in preparation of the plan.
Section 11
Negotiations between authorities
Negotiations between the authorities referred to in section

66, paragraph 1, of the Land Use and Building Act are set up
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when planning begins and after a plan proposal has been

available to the public and comments and opinions concerning
it have been received.
The regional council shall agree with the Ministry of the

Environment on setting up the negotiations, and provide the
material needed for them.
The regional environment centre and other authorities whose

sphere of activity the matter may concern are invited to the
negotiations. A memo is drawn up of the negotiations,
indicating the key issues handled and statements made.
Section 12
Making plan proposals available to the public
A regional-plan proposal shall be made available to the

public in the municipalities of the plan area for a period
of at least 30 days. Members of the municipalities and other
interested parties are entitled to enter objections to the
proposal. Objections shall be delivered to the regional
council within the availability period.
The proposal and the right to enter objections shall be

publicized in the same manner as municipal notices in the
municipality, unless the significance of the matter requires
wider publicity.
Section 13
Opinions regarding plan proposals
An opinion on a regional plan proposal shall be requested

from:
1) the regional environment centre;
2) the local authorities concerned;
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3) regional councils whose areas border on the plan area;

and
4) other authorities and organizations important in terms of
the regional plan, as necessary.
Section 14
Submitting plans for ratification
When an approved regional plan is submitted to the Ministry

of the Environment for ratification, it must be provided in
as many copies as ordered by the Ministry. Any objections
entered and opinions received shall be appended to the
documents, unless adequate account of their content is given
in the plan statement.
The Ministry shall notify all authorities that have so

requested in their opinion or separately about ratification
decisions.
Section 15
Informing local authorities
The regional council shall inform the local authorities

within its administrative area of council schemes and of
other measures that have a bearing on the planning of land
use, on the built environment and on steering of building in
the municipalities.
Chapter 3
Local master plans
Section 16
Presentation of local master plans
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Local master plans are presented on a map or maps of a scale

that allows the principles of land use, necessary areas and
other plan content to be indicated in an appropriate manner
taking into account the need to steer land use and building,
and the purpose of the local master plan.
A local master plan shall indicate whether it has been drawn

up as a local master plan with no legal consequences as
referred to in section 45 of the Land Use and Building Act.
Section 17
Plan statement
A local master plan statement presents:

1) an account of circumstances in the area, its
environmental features and changes in them, and of other
information on the area to be planned essential for
investigating and assessing the plan’s impact;
2) starting point for planning, aims and proposed options;
plan’s impact;
4) the plan’s impact on community structure, the built
environment, nature, landscape, arrangement of traffic,
especially public transportation, and technical services,
economy, health, social circumstances and culture, and
any other significant impacts;
5) an account of the plan’s relationship to national land
use objectives, the regional plan, the current local
master plan and the local authority’s other planning;
into account;
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9) when needed, schemes steering plan implementation.

Section 18

when planning begins and after a plan proposal has been
available to the public and comments and opinions concerning
it have been received.
The local authority shall agree with the regional

environment centre on setting up the negotiations, and
provide the material needed for them.
The authorities whose sphere of activity the matter may

concern are invited to the negotiations. The Ministry of the
Environment is invited to negotiations that concern key
issues related to large urban areas.
A memo is drawn up of the negotiations, indicating the key

issues handled and statements made.
Section 19
Making plan proposals available to the public
A local master plan proposal shall be made available to the

public in the municipalities in the plan area for a period
of at least 30 days. Members of the municipalities and other
interested parties are entitled to enter objections to the
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proposal. Objections shall be delivered to the local

authority within the proposal’s availability period.
The availability and the right to enter objections shall be

wider publicity.
If the local master plan is drawn up to steer building in

the manner referred to in section 72, paragraphs 1 and 2, of
the Land Use and Building Act or in an area referred to in
section 137, paragraph 3, of said Act, owners of land within
the area to be planned and titleholders known to the local
authority whose domicile is in another locality entered in
the population data system, or whose address is otherwise
known to the local authority, shall be sent a written
notification that the local master plan proposal is being
made available to the public. The notification may be sent
as an ordinary letter. However, if the party in question has
accepted the local master plan proposal, no notification
need be sent. The relevant parties are considered to have
received the notification if it has been posted at least one
week before the plan is made available to the public.
The notice referred to above in paragraph 2 must separately

indicate whether the local master plan will be drawn up as a
local master plan without legal consequences as referred to
in section 45 of the Land Use and Building Act, and if so,
in what respect.
Section 20
An opinion on a local master plan proposal shall be

requested from:
1) the regional council;
2) the local authority whose areas the plan affects; and
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3) the regional environment centre and authorities and

organizations important in terms of the regional plan, as
necessary.
Chapter 4
Joint municipal master plans
Section 21
Plan statements
If a joint municipal master plan is drawn up as laid down in

section 48, paragraph 2, of the Land Use and Building Act,
the justified reasons referred to in the paragraph and an
account of how the master plan fits in with the regional
plan shall be presented in the plan statement. Otherwise the
provisions of section 17 on the local master plan statement
apply to the joint master plan statement.
Section 22
Submitting a plan for ratification
The provisions of section 14 on submitting a regional plan

for ratification apply to submission of a joint municipal
master plan for ratification.
Section 23
Applying provisions on local master plans
Unless otherwise laid down in this chapter, the provisions

of this Decree on local master plans apply to joint
municipal master plans.
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Chapter 5
Local detailed plan
Section 24
Presentation of local detailed plans
Local detailed plans are presented on a base map at a scale

of 1:2,000 or, if the purpose or content of the plan so
require, at a larger scale.
A local detailed plan drawn up mainly to arrange holiday

housing may be presented at a scale smaller than 1:2,000
unless this means that, taking the purpose and content of
the plan into account, the demands set for presenting a plan
are not met.
A local detailed plan also indicates the numbers of

municipal districts and any names they may have, the numbers
of building blocks and the names of streets and any other
public areas.
Notwithstanding paragraph 1, a local detailed plan that

contains only matters referred to in paragraph 3 may be
presented on a scale that suits its content.
Section 25
Plan statements
A local detailed plan statement presents:

1) an account of circumstances and building stock in the
area, the area’s environmental features and changes in
them, and of other information on the area to be planned
essential for investigating and assessing the plan’s
impact;
2) starting point for planning, aims and proposed options;
plan’s impact;
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4) the plan’s impact on the community structure, the built

environment, nature, landscape, arrangement of traffic
and technical services, economy, health and safety,
different population groups’ ability to function in the
immediate surroundings, social circumstances and culture,
and any other significant impacts;
5) an account of the plan’s relationship to the local master
plan, the current local detailed plan and the local
authority’s other planning;
into account;
9) when needed, schemes steering or illustrating plan
implementation.

If a local detailed plan is drawn up for an area without a

binding local master plan, its plan statement must also give
an account of the plan’s relationship to national land use
objectives and the regional plan.
Section 26

when planning begins and, if needed, after a plan proposal
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has been available to the public and comments and opinions

concerning it have been received.
The local authority shall agree with the regional

environment centre on setting up the negotiations, and
provide the material needed for them.
The authorities whose sphere of activity the matter may

concern are invited to the negotiations. The Ministry of the
Environment is invited to negotiations that concern key
issues related to large urban areas.
A memo is drawn up of the negotiations, indicating the key

issues handled and statements made.
Section 27
Presenting the plan proposal in public
A local detailed plan proposal shall be made available to

the public in the municipality in the plan area for a period
of at least 30 days. However, a proposal concerning an
amendment of the local detailed plan whose impact is minor
shall only be made available to the public for a period of
at least 14 days.
Members of the municipality and other interested parties are

entitled to enter objections to the proposal. Objections
shall be delivered to the local authority within the
proposal’s availability period.
The availability and the right to enter objections shall be

wider publicity.
Local authorities which border on the local detailed plan

area, owners and titleholders known to the local authority
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of land within the area to be planned whose domicile is in

another locality entered in the population data system, or
whose address is otherwise known to the local authority,
shall be sent a written notification that the local detailed
plan proposal is being made available to the public. The
notification may be sent as an ordinary letter. However, if
the party in question has accepted the local detailed plan
proposal, no notification need be sent. The relevant parties
are considered to have received the notification if it has
been posted at least one week before the plan is made
available to the public.
The provisions of paragraph 4 do not, however, apply to

local detailed plans that concern only matters referred to
in section 24, paragraph 3.
Section 28
An opinion on a local detailed plan proposal shall be

requested from:
1) the regional council if the plan concerns issues
addressed in the regional plan or which are otherwise
regionally significant;
2) the regional environment centre if the plan concerns
national land use objectives, an area or feature
significant in terms of nature or building conservation,
or an area reserved in the regional plan for recreation
or conservation;
3) local authorities whose areas the plan affects; and
4) other authorities whose sphere of activities the plan
concerns and organizations important in terms of the
plan, as necessary.
Section 29
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Information on local detailed plans and whether they are

up-to-date
Local authorities shall maintain a map or set of maps

indicating their entire current local detailed plan.
In addition, local authorities shall maintain a list of

decisions on the assessment referred to in section 60 of the
Land Use and Building Act concerning whether the local
detailed plan is up-to-date.
Chapter 6
Common provisions on interaction in planning
Section 30
Expressing an opinion when a plan is drawn up
Interested parties may be provided with an opportunity to

express an opinion as referred to in section 62 of the Land
Use and Building Act when a plan is drawn up by making the
material used in preparation available and allowing opinion
to be expressed in writing or orally within a specified
period or at a special meeting on the plan, or in some other
way considered suitable. Other members of the municipality
may also express opinion in this context.
Provision of an opportunity to express an opinion is

publicized in a manner laid down in the participation and
assessment scheme that effectively provides interested
parties with the information. If other publicity is not
considered appropriate due to the nature of the matter, the
matter shall be publicized like other municipal notices in
the municipality. However, the notice shall always be
published in at least one newspaper in general circulation
in the area.
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The provisions of paragraph 2 on publicity also apply to

publicizing the initiation of planning as referred to in
section 63 of the Land Use and Building Act, as appropriate,
unless this is publicized at the same time as notice of a
planning review.
Section 31
Negotiation on a participation and assessment scheme
When the regional environment centre has decided to set up

the negotiations referred to in section 64, paragraph 2, of
the Land Use and Building Act and has notified the local
authority thereof, the local authority shall provide the
environment centre with the information needed for the
negotiations.
The regional environment centre draws up a memo on the

negotiations indicating the participants’ views on the need
to supplement the participation and assessment scheme and
the result of the negotiations. The memo shall be sent to
the parties invited to the negotiations without delay.
Section 32
Making plan proposals available again
A plan proposal shall be made available to the public again

if it is materially altered after it has first been made
available. However, this is not necessary if the alterations
concern only private interest and the interested parties are
heard separately.
Chapter 7
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Special provisions concerning shore areas

Section 33
Applying provisions on local detailed plans
Unless otherwise laid down in this chapter, the provisions

in chapters 5 and 6 on local detailed plans apply to the
detailed shore plan referred to in section 73 of the Land
Use and Building Act.
Section 34
Participation and assessment schemes for detailed shore
plans
When landowners take charge of drawing up a proposal for

detailed shore plans of shore areas they own, under section
74 of the Land Use and Building Act, they must provide the
local authority with a participation and assessment scheme
before initiating the procedures referred to in the scheme.
The local authority may make objections to the landowner
regarding the scheme and propose additions to it.
The local authority and landowner shall be invited to the

negotiations referred to in section 64 of the Land Use and
Building Act concerning the participation and assessment
scheme of a detailed shore plan as referred to in paragraph
1.
Section 35
Official negotiations concerning detailed shore plans
If landowners take charge of drawing up a proposal for

detailed shore plans of shore areas they own, both
landowners and planners shall be invited to the official
negotiations referred to in section 26 of the Land Use and
Building Act. Landowners shall provide the regional
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environment centre with the material needed for the

negotiations.
Section 36
Submitting detailed shore plans for approval
Proposals for detailed shore plans drawn up by landowners

must be submitted to the local authority for approval. The
local authority shall be provided with the plan map and
statement in four copies, an account of how the initiation
of planning will be announced, how interaction during the
planning process is being organized, and with any written
comments and or entries of oral comments.
Chapter 8
Plot division
Section 37
Drawing up plot divisions
A plot division shall be drawn up so that:

1) each plot borders on a street area; if special cause
exists a plot may also border on some other public area
through which access suitable for vehicles can be
arranged;
2) the shape and size of plots are appropriate for building,
for use of plots and for technical services.
The provisions of paragraph 1, subparagraph 1, do not apply

if access suitable for vehicles and technical services may
be arranged by easement through a plot referred to in
subparagraph 1 designated in the plot division, and
established by partition for no more than two plots.
Separate plot divisions are drawn up by a municipal

chartered surveyor or, under his orders, by another
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municipal officeholder who must hold a university-level

degree in land surveying or at least some other college-
level surveying qualification.
Section 38
Plot division map
Separate plot divisions are laid down on a map (plot

division map) indicating plot numbers, surface areas, length
of each boundary, boundary markers and their coordinates,
any buildings in the area and the properties and land
parcels making up the plots, including their surface areas.
In addition, the plot division map shall indicate, when
needed, any subsurface conduits, easements and other rights-
of-use.
If the plot division is included in the local detailed plan,

the plan map shall indicate the plot numbers and boundaries.
Other data referred to in paragraph 1 may be indicated on a
separate map.
Section 39
Presenting proposals for separate plot divisions in public
Proposals for separate plot divisions shall be made

available to the public in the municipality for a period of
at least 14 days. Those who, under section 79, paragraph 2,
of the Land Use and Building Act, must be heard when a plot
division is drawn up are entitled to enter objections to the
proposal. Objections shall be submitted to the local
authority within the availability period.
Those entitled to enter objections as referred to in

paragraph 1 shall be notified that the proposal will be made
available and that they are entitled to object. The
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the party in question has accepted the plot division

proposal, no notification need be sent. The relevant party
is considered to have received the notification if it has
been posted at least one week before the proposal is made
If all interested parties have accepted the plot division

proposal in writing, it is not necessary to make the
proposal available to the public.
Section 40
Publicizing approval of a separate plot division
Approval of a separate plot division shall be announced in

the manner in which municipal notices are publicized by the
local authority.
Chapter 9
Streets, parks and other public areas
Section 41
Street plans
If necessary because of the nature of the area or

construction activities, a street plan shall indicate how
the street area will be used for various purposes, how the
street fits in with its surroundings and its impact on the
environment.
Street plans shall indicate the principles of arranging

traffic, drainage and removal of rainwater, the level of the
street and its surfacing material, and, when needed,
planting and structures and equipment of a permanent nature.
Section 42
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Interaction when drawing up street plans
As appropriate, the provisions of section 30 are observed

when drawing up street plans. However, an opportunity to
contribute to the preparation of a street plan may also be
arranged in connection with local detailed planning or other
planning of a larger land entity.
Section 43
Presenting street plan proposals available in public
Street plan proposals shall be made available to the public

in the municipality for a period of at least 14 days.
Interested parties are entitled to enter objections to the
proposal. Objections shall be submitted to the local
authority within the availability period.
Owners and titleholders of properties bordering on the

planned area shall be notified that the proposal will be
made available and that they are entitled to object. The
the party in question has accepted the street plan proposal,
no notification need be sent. The relevant party is
considered to have received the notification if it has been
posted at least one week before the proposal is made
available to the public. If there are also other interested
parties, the proposal and the right to enter objections
shall be publicized in the manner in which municipal notices
are publicized by the local authority.
Section 44
Announcing that street areas are being taken into possession
When a street area is taken into possession as referred to

in section 95 of the Land Use and Building Act, the local
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authority shall notify owners and titleholders of the area

at least 14 days before the review and taking into
possession, as laid down in sections 4 and 8 of the Act on
Notice in Administrative Matters (232/1966). If an
interested party cannot be reached, the fact that the land
is being taken into possession shall be announced in the
manner in which municipal notices are publicized by the
local authority.
Section 45
Conduits and equipment in street areas
In order to arrange for street management and for service

conduits, equipment and structures both above and below the
street area, a local authority may maintain maps or files
for which the owners and titleholders of service conduits,
equipment and structures shall provide the necessary
information.
Section 46
Plans for parks and other public areas
Plans for the parks or other public areas referred to in

section 90, paragraph 4, of the Land Use and Building Act
shall show the principles of construction and use of the
area concerned.
If a plan for a park or other public area has special

significance for the owners and titleholders of properties
in bordering areas, for users of the area or for the
surroundings, the same procedure shall be observed in
preparing the plan as for street plans.
Section 47
Building in public areas
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Only minor structures appropriate in view of the use of the

area may be built in parks or other areas designated for
recreation in a local detailed plan, unless otherwise
indicated in the local detailed plan or the plan referred to
in section 46.
Buildings that are not appropriate in view of the use of the

area may not be built in public areas other than those
referred to in paragraph 1.
Chapter 10
Planning and construction of buildings
Section 48
Qualifications of planners
Persons drawing up a building design or special design shall

have a construction-related university degree appropriate
for the planning functions in question, or an earlier
construction-related higher-level vocational or other
degree, and sufficient experience of working on the type of
planning in question.
Buildings that are small or have ordinary technical

properties may also be designed by persons with a college-
level qualification in construction or in the relevant line
of special study, or a corresponding earlier qualification
if they are sufficiently experienced.
In addition, a person who does not possess one of the

aforementioned qualifications but is deemed to have the
skill required in view of the type and extent of the
construction work or design task may also carry out minor
design works.
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The person in charge of the design in its entirety and of

its quality (principal designer) and the person in charge of
special design shall also possess solid professional ability
to manage the design in its entirety.
When the qualifications of designers are assessed, the

provisions of section 123, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Land
Use and Building Act are taken into account. More detailed
provisions are issued in the National Building Code of
Finland.
Section 49
Building design
The master drawings enclosed with a building permit

application comprise a site plan and floorplan, section and
elevation drawings. An extract from the base map covering
the area or, when building in a local detailed plan area,
from the local detailed plan, a Property Register extract
and, when needed, a plot map shall also be enclosed with the
application. Of these documents, those to which the local
building supervision authority has access are not required,
however.
The ground investigation report on the building site and, if

needed, an account of the site’s health effects and ground
levels, and the type of foundation and any other measures
required as a result shall be enclosed with the building
permit application.
Any need to provide the local building supervision authority

with special designs and reports is stated in the building
permit, at the start-up meeting or, if special cause exists,
during the construction work. This is not necessary if the
building in question is smallish with basic structural and
technical attributes.
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More detailed regulations on building designs are issued in

the National Building Code of Finland.
Section 50
Essential technical requirements of buildings
Buildings shall be designed and constructed so that their

essential technical requirements are met and continue to be
met with normal maintenance during their planned economic
service life.
The essential technical requirements of a building are as

follows:
1) Structural strength and stability. During construction
and use, loads on the building may not cause collapse or
deformations that endanger strength or stability. Also,
loads may not damage other parts of the building or
equipment or fixed utilities installed in the building.
Structural damage caused by an external factor may not be
disproportionate to the occurrence causing it.
2) Fire safety. In the case of a fire, the load-bearing
structures of a building must withstand the fire for the
minimum time set for them. Progress and spread of fire
and smoke and their spread in the building must be
restricted. Measures must also be taken to prevent the
fire from spreading to nearby buildings. In the event of
fire, any persons in the building must be able to leave
it or it must be possible to rescue them in some other
way. The safety of rescue personnel must also be taken
into account in construction.
3) Hygiene, health and the environment. A building shall not
endanger health or adversely affect hygiene, especially
because of emissions containing toxic gases, dangerous
air-borne particles or gases, dangerous radiation,
pollution or contamination of water or ground, lack of
means to process smoke or solid or liquid waste, or
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moisture in parts of the building or its interior

surfaces.
4) Safety in use. The use and maintenance of a building
shall not entail unacceptable risk of an accident, such
as risk of slipping, falling or colliding, or of fire,
electrical accident or explosion.
5) Noise abatement. Noise to which persons in the building
or in its vicinity are subjected shall be limited to a
level which does not endanger health and provides
acceptable conditions for sleeping, resting and working.
6) Energy economy and heat insulation. Taking the climate
and the building’s users into account, heating, cooling
and ventilation equipment must allow for a low level of
energy consumption when the building and the said
equipment is being used.
The requirements laid down above in paragraph 2 concern

generally predictable loads and impact. More detailed
provisions on essential technical requirements for building
construction are issued in the National Building Code of
Finland.
Separate provisions apply to the environmental protection

requirements for activities in the building.
Section 51
Residential building
It is specially important that the location of a residential

building and the arrangement of its spaces and other
planning of dwellings take environmental factors and natural
circumstances into account. Sufficient natural light shall
be provided for residential rooms.
Space intended for residential use shall be fit for the

purpose, pleasant and comfortable. The design of dwellings
shall promote the functionality and suitability of
29
residential space for different and changing residential

needs.
More detailed provisions on the design of dwellings are

issued in the National Building Code of Finland.
Section 52
Work space
Work space shall be designed so that it is fit for the

purpose and safe. The requirements for dwelling design
concerning residential rooms shall be observed in the design
of work space, as appropriate. Sufficient light may also be
provided in a work space by indirect natural light via
another space. Also, lighting may be partly or fully
artificial if this is justified by the nature of the
activities.
The local detailed plan may allow the location of work space
below ground level. In such cases, special attention shall
be given to sufficient ventilation, safety and lighting of
exits, fitness for purpose of required backup systems, and
comfort and pleasantness.
The Occupational Safety Act (299/1958) also contains

provisions on work spaces and their design.
Section 53
Ensuring accessibility in building
Administrative and service buildings, commercial and service

premises in other buildings to which everyone must have
access for reasons of equality, and their building sites
shall also be suitable for use by persons with restricted
ability to move around or function otherwise.
30
Taking into account its design and the number of storeys and
other circumstances, a residential building and associated
spaces shall meet the requirements for accessibility in
building.
For purposes of equality, buildings with work space shall be

designed and built so that they provide the persons referred
to in paragraph 1 with sufficient opportunity to work,
taking into account the nature of the work.
More detailed provisions on ensuring accessibility in

building are laid down in the National Building Code of
Finland.
Section 54
Places of assembly
Building or action permits concerning places of assembly

confirm the maximum number of people allowed simultaneously
in the place concerned. A notice indicating this number
shall be fixed in the place of assembly in the place so that
it is easily visible. If necessary for fire safety and
personal safety, the local building supervision authority
may also issue a decision on the matter and on measures
required also elsewhere than in connection with a building
or action permit.
The provisions on places of assembly also apply to spectator

areas in places of assembly and to tents used for
conferences, exhibitions and public gatherings, and to other
corresponding structures, as appropriate.
The provisions of section 53, paragraph 1, also apply to

places and areas of assembly.
Section 55
31
Ecological considerations in building
When the requirements set for a building are applied, the

finished building’s environmental impact shall be taken into
account to ensure that its ecological properties will be
sustainable when it is used for its intended purpose. When a
building is designed, the environmental load caused by
building materials and supplies during the building’s life
cycle shall be investigated as required. Special attention
shall be paid to the repairability and replaceability of
building elements and technical systems.
Permit applications and notifications concerning the

construction or demolition of a building or part of a
building shall include an account of the amount and type of
construction waste and how it will be sorted, unless the
amount of waste is minor. Applications and notifications
shall report separately any construction and demolition
waste that is harmful to health or the environment, and how
it will be disposed of.
The planned service life of a building and of construction

elements shall be taken into account in the use and
maintenance instructions drawn up for the building.
Section 56
Providing facilities for waste management
As separately prescribed on the matter, the type of

activities in a building and possible location of recovery
receptacles must be taken into account when premises and
structures are provided for the waste management of a
property. If needed, such facilities and structures shall be
enclosed or otherwise protected to prevent the risk of fire
or environmental hazard.
32
Section 57
Distance from a building
The provision of sufficient safety distances to prevent the

risk of major accidents from dangerous substances must be
taken into account when the location of a building project
and the suitability of building site are considered.
Buildings that pose a fire hazard may not be closer than 15

metres to land owned or held by another, or closer than 20
metres to a building on land owned or held by another.
Outside local detailed plan areas, buildings may not be

constructed closer than five metres to land owned or held by
another without the other party’s consent, or, unless
special cause exists, closer than ten metres to a building
on land owned or held by another.
Section 58
Roof and height of buildings
When viewed from the street or yard, the roof of a building

may rise at a slope of no more than 45 degrees from the
upper edge of the face of the elevation. This may be
deviated from if justified for reasons of townscaping or the
appearance of the building.
The height of a building is calculated from the ground level

to the point of intersection of the roof and the face of the
elevation.
Section 59
Minor overhangs
Structures serving the intended use of a building, and minor

gables and towers may be built higher than the building or
33
roof height stipulated in the local detailed plan, if they

suit the building and the surroundings and do not cause any
material inconvenience to neighbours.
Unless otherwise stipulated in the local detailed plan, the

stairs, balconies, bay windows, eaves and corresponding
overhanging parts of a building and parts of the exterior
wall housing additional insulation may to a minor degree
extend beyond the plot boundary into a street area or other
public area, as stipulated in the municipal building
ordinance.
Elements of construction that extend beyond the plot

boundary shall not hinder the intended use of a public area.
34
Chapter 11
Permits required in building and the permit procedure
Section 60
Opinion of the regional environment centre
Under section 133, paragraph 3, of the Land Use and Building

Act, the regional environment centre shall be asked for an
opinion on a building permit application when the
application concerns an area that is:
1) covered by a nature conservation programme approved by
the Government;
2) located within the area of a biotype protected under the
Nature Conservation Act (1096/1996), or an area where a
specially protected species lives and where a prohibition
referred to in section 29, paragraph 1, or section 47,
paragraph 2, of the Nature Conservation Act is in force;
3) located in a landscape conservation area under the Nature
Conservation Act; or
4) located in an area reserved for recreation or
conservation in a regional plan based on the Land Use and
Building Act or on the Building Act (370/1958).
An opinion is not required, however, when the construction

work is based on a regional environment centre deviation
decision or a local authority deviation decision on an
application on which the regional environment centre has
issued an opinion. Also, an opinion is not required under
paragraph 1, subparagraph 4, if a legally binding local
master plan or a local detailed plan is in force in the
area.
The regional environment centre shall issue its opinion

within three months.
Section 61
Construction of an outbuilding
35
The building ordinance may stipulate that, outside local

detailed plan areas, a notification procedure rather than a
permit procedure is applicable in the case of the
construction of smallish outbuildings, excluding saunas,
which are in connection with existing dwellings or are
necessary for the purposes of agriculture.
The provisions of paragraph 1 also apply to the construction

of a similar outbuilding indicated in the local detailed
plan.
Section 62
Actions requiring a permit
Subject to preconditions and restrictions laid down in the

Land Use and Building Act and below in this Decree, an
action permit is required to erect or locate a structure or
installation that cannot be considered a building, or to
alter the outward appearance or layout of a building, as
follows:
1) for the construction of a shelter, shed, kiosk, outhouse,
performance stage or some other corresponding structure
(structure);
2) to set up or construct a sports grounds or place of
public assembly, an area for caravans other than that
referred to in the Outdoor Recreation Act (606/1973) or a
corresponding area, and a spectators’ area, tent for the
public or corresponding facility (structure for the
public);
3) to store a caravan, houseboat or corresponding structure
for a purpose that is not related to ordinary camping or
boating (movable equipment);
4) for the construction of a mast, smokestack, storage tank,
skilift, monument, largish antenna, wind power station or
largish lighting column or corresponding structure
(separate equipment);
36
5) for the construction of a largish pier or some other

structure altering the waterline or having a material
impact on it, or to build a canal, breakwater or
corresponding structure (waterline equipment);
6) for the construction of a largish storage or parking area
that is separated from the surroundings or for arranging
a corresponding area (storage area);
7) to alter the elevation, roof shape, roofing or its
colour, material or colour of exterior cladding, to
install an awning that affects the streetscape, or to
alter the fenestration (elevation action);
8) to place outdoors structures, texts or images other than
those referred to in the Nature Conservation Act for
advertising or other commercial purposes, or to place an
advertisement permanently or for a long period in such a
way that it covers a window (advertising action);
9) for the construction of a separating fixed fence or wall
edging the street as part of the built environment
(fencing);
10)for other arrangements and alterations that have a
significant and long-term impact on the townscape or
surroundings (townscaping); or
11)to combine or divide residential apartments (arrangement
of an apartment).
The permit referred to above in paragraph 1, subparagraph 1—

10, is not needed for action based on a legally binding
plan.
Section 63
Exemption from permit requirement and notification procedure
The building ordinance may stipulate that action as referred

to in section 62, paragraph 1—10, that shall be deemed minor
in view of the circumstances in the municipality or part
thereof, is exempt from any permit requirement in the
municipality or part thereof.
37
The building ordinance may also stipulate that the

notification procedure referred to in section 129 of the
Land Use and Building Act applies to actions referred to in
section 62 within the municipality or part thereof.
Section 64
Building masts or wind power stations
When a building or action permit application is filed for

the building of masts, the application must include:
1) an account of the project’s impact on landscape and
neighbours;
2) an account of any other masts the applicant is planning
to build in the close vicinity; and
3) an account of whether antenna space is available in
existing masts that would serve the purpose of the
intended mast and are already part of the general
telecommunications network.
The provisions of paragraph 1, subparagraphs 1 and 2, apply

to permit applications to build wind power stations, as
appropriate.
Section 65
Hearing of neighbours
Subject to section 133, paragraph 1, of the Land Use and

Building Act, the local building supervision authority shall
notify neighbours of a building permit application and allow
them at least seven days to enter objections. The
notification may be posted as an ordinary letter.
If the neighbours are not known or cannot be reached without

difficulty, or if there are more than ten neighbours who are
entitled to be heard, they shall be considered notified when
38
the application has been publicized in the same manner as

municipal notices are publicized in the municipality.
Applicants may enclose with their application a declaration

that all or some of the neighbours are aware of the project,
and an account of any position they have taken on the
construction work. The hearing prescribed in paragraph 1 is
not necessary where the applicant has provided such evidence
of having heard the neighbours.
The party undertaking the building project is in charge of

the notification needed on the building site that a permit
issue is pending. When the need for and method of
notification is considered, aspects of the project, such as
size and location, are taken into account. The purpose of
this notification is to make any material changes that will
be caused in the surroundings by a building project or some
other activity generally known.
Section 66
Instructions for use and maintenance of buildings
Subject to special causes, use and maintenance instructions

shall be drawn up for a building used permanently as a
residence or to work in. This also applies to repair and
alteration work on such a building that is comparable to
building construction, and, as appropriate, to repair and
alteration work which otherwise requires a building permit.
The use and maintenance instructions should contain the

information required for appropriate use of the building and
for the performance of maintenance duties, taking into
account the building’s intended use and attributes and the
planned service life of the building and its construction
elements and equipment.
39
More detailed provisions on instructions for the use and

maintenance of buildings are laid down in the National
Building Code of Finland.
Section 67
Publicizing intention to demolish
If the demolition of a building or part thereof may degrade

a historically or architecturally valuable townscape or
built environment, the local building supervision authority
shall notify the municipal board and the regional
environment centre thereof within 14 days of receiving the
demolition notification or a permit application for building
that entails demolition.
Section 68
Postponing the processing of a building permit application
to assess whether a plan is up-to-date
The local building supervision authority shall notify the

municipal authority in charge of assessing whether a local
detailed plan is up to date that a building permit
application is pending if it is evident that an assessment
of whether the local detailed plan is up-to-date as referred
to in section 60, paragraph 2, of the Land Use and Building
Act must be carried out before the permit can be granted.
Processing of the building permit must in such cases be
postponed until it is known whether the plan is up-to-date
or confirmed that assessment is not necessary.
After receiving the notification referred to above in

paragraph 1, the local authority shall without unnecessary
delay assess whether the local detailed plan is up-to-date
and notify the local building supervision authority of the
result of the assessment.
40
Section 69
Notifying the regional environment centre
Local authorities notify the regional environment centre of

a demolition or landscape work permit as soon as the permit
has been granted. The notification shall include the permit
decision and a map of the surroundings indicating the
location of the area or building.
Chapter 12
Carrying out construction work
Section 70
Site managers’ qualifications
The site manager of a construction works shall have a

construction-related university degree or a degree required
of a responsible foreman in sections 68, 132 and 137 of the
Building Decree (266/1959), hereinafter earlier decree, that
is appropriate for the task. In addition, the site manager
shall have the construction experience required in view of
the type and extent of the construction project.
When the building in question is smallish and structurally

straightforward, the site manager may also be a person who
does not possess one of the aforementioned qualifications
but is otherwise deemed to meet the preconditions for the
task.
When applying for approval as site manager, a site manager

as referred to above shall prove that he has the
qualifications required to carry out the duties. A written
statement shall be enclosed with the application in which
the applicant undertakes liability for managing the
construction work.
41
A person approved as a site manager for similar construction

work in the same municipality no more than five years
earlier does not require new approval for confirmation of
competence. In such cases a notification of intention to
function as a site manager and the written statement
referred to in paragraph 3 will suffice.
Section 71
Specialist foremen
Specialist foremen in charge of constructing water mains and

sewage systems and ventilation equipment are required in
construction work, as appropriate in view of the difficulty
of the tasks. The building permit may also stipulate that
specialist foremen must also be designated for other fields
or, if special cause exists, an order may be issued to this
effect during ongoing work. As appropriate, provisions on
site managers apply to the approval of specialist foremen.
The provisions of section 123, paragraph 1 and 2, of the

Land Use and Building Act are taken into account when the
qualifications of a specialist construction work foreman are
assessed. More detailed provisions on minimum qualifications
are issued in the National Building Code of Finland.
Section 72
Commencing construction work
Construction work is considered to have commenced when the

casting of foundations or installation of the foundation’s
construction elements begins.
In compliance with provisions on landscape work permits,

excavating, quarrying, felling of trees and other
corresponding preliminary work may be carried out before
construction work begins.
42
The piling of a building’s foundations may be carried out

before construction work begins in accordance with the
piling plans submitted to the local building supervision
authority.
In the case of repair and alteration work on a building that

is subject to permit, work is considered to have commenced
when the demolition or construction of structures or
construction elements is begun.
Section 73
Construction management
The duties and responsibilities of site managers begin as

soon as they have been approved or after they have submitted
a notification of taking on the responsibilities of a site
manager. Site managers can be released from their duties and
responsibilities only by submitting a written request or if
they are replaced by another approved person.
Site managers shall see to it that:

1) the building supervision authority is notified of the
commencement of construction work;
2) construction work is carried out in compliance with the
permit granted for it and that the provisions and
regulations on building are observed;
3) necessary measures are taken to remedy defects and
mistakes observed in the course of construction work;
4) requests for reviews required under the building permit
are made in good time, and that the inspections and
measures stipulated at the start-up meeting or later are
carried out at the appropriate stage of the construction
work; and
5) approved drawings and necessary special drawings, an up-
to-date building inspection report, any test results and
43
other necessary documents are available on the building

site.
What is provided on site managers applies to specialist

foremen, as appropriate.
Section 74
Start-up meeting
The building permit stipulates on the start-up meeting

required in order to fulfil the statutory duty to take care
in building. A party undertaking a building project shall
agree with the local building supervision authority on the
date and time of the start-up meeting and convene the
meeting before construction work begins. The start-up
meeting must be attended at least by the party undertaking
the project or its representative, the principal designer of
the building and the site manager.
The obligations of the party undertaking a building project,

as defined in the permit documents, key parties to the
design and construction work, persons responsible for the
various stages of construction and persons who carry out
inspections of work phases, as well as other reports and
measures intended to guarantee the quality of construction,
shall be noted and entered in a record.
On the basis of the start-up meeting the building

supervision authority shall consider whether any separate
investigations are required to guarantee the quality of
construction (quality control report). Procedures defined at
the start-up meeting or in a quality control report shall be
observed in the construction process.
Section 75
44
Setting out
If the building permit so stipulates, the local building

supervision authority shall see to it that the location of
the building and its level are set out according to the
approved drawings before construction work begins.
Once the foundations of a building have been laid or a

corresponding construction stage has been completed,
construction work may not continue until the location of the
building and its level, as referred to in paragraph 1, have
been confirmed in a review.
Section 76
Reviews and inspections
During construction, the following reviews may be required,

as appropriate: foundation review, structural review and
HEPAC review. The building permit may also require other
reviews as well. When necessary, reviews may be combined or
carried out in stages.
The party undertaking the building project, the site

manager, the foreman for the special field covered by the
review and, when necessary, the designers of the building
shall be present at reviews. The review may, however, be
carried out in the absence of one of the above.
The purpose of a review is to confirm whether the measures,

inspections and necessary investigations related to a
particular stage of construction work and any measures
required because of defects and mistakes have been carried
out.
In addition, other inspections and visits necessary to

supervise the construction process may be made at a
construction site. An entry is made in the construction
45
inspection document or permit documents that a review or

inspection has been carried out. The provisions of this
section also apply to the final review of a building.
Section 77
Construction inspection document
The persons designated in the building permit or agreed at

the start-up meeting as responsible for a construction stage
and the persons who inspect work phases shall record the
inspections they carry out in the construction inspection
document. The developer’s, designer’s, contractor’s or an
expert’s justification for any deviation from the provisions
on construction work is also recorded in the document.
The record made of the final review shall indicate that an

inspection document has been maintained; a summary of the
document shall be archived together with the permit
documents concerning the building.
More detailed provisions on the supervision of construction

work and on inspection documents are laid down in the
National Building Code of Finland.
Section 78
Developer supervision
Developer supervision approved by the local building

supervision authority releases the party undertaking a
building project completely or partly from all official
building supervision during the course of construction work.
In the final building review, however, the authorities will
check whether the developer has fulfilled its supervision
duties and whether the building conforms to the permit and
can be commissioned.
46
A supervision scheme (supervision scheme) drawn up for

developer supervision shall comprise an account of the
building project, the developer, the supervision
organization and experts used by the developer, the parties
carrying out the construction work and the responsible
construction management, in so far as they are known to the
party applying for developer supervision. When approval of
developer supervision is considered, the developer’s ability
to supervise the building process in accordance with the
scheme must be taken into account.
Information on the site managers and foremen and any other

information required in the approval has to be added to the
supervision scheme as soon as it becomes known to the party
undertaking the building project.
Section 79
Deviation from the design
The building inspector may grant approval for deviation from

the approved design during the course of construction unless
the nature of the deviation and the provisions and
regulations on permit consideration require substantial
amendment of the plan and the deviation affects the
interests of neighbours.
Any amendments approved during the course of construction

and the approving official shall be indicated on the
drawings. Inspected drawings shall be submitted to the local
building supervision authority before the final review.
Chapter 13
Arrangements related to construction
Section 80
Building easements
47
A permanent or fixed-term building easement encumbering

another property, as referred to in sections 158 and 159 of
the Land Use and Building Act, may be established for a plot
or building site, entitling the holder:
1) to use the foundation of a building or a retaining wall
on the encumbered property to lay the foundations of a
building or a retaining wall on the easement holder’s
property, and to extend the foundations of a building or
retaining wall to the encumbered property (foundation
easement);
2) to use the wall or structure of a building on the
encumbered property to brace an intermediate floor or
some other structure, or for some other corresponding
purpose, and to build so that buildings located on the
property boundary have a party wall (structural
easement);
3) to place service conduits and related equipment in a
building on the encumbered property and to use the
necessary spaces (equipment easement);
4) to use an accessway, emergency shelter or parking place
in a building on the encumbered property (usage
easement);
5) to use heating plants or heat transfer equipment,
facilities for waste management or other community
infrastructure equipment and spaces reserved for such
purposes located on the encumbered property (maintenance
easement);
6) to use premises intended for common use and other
facilities serving residential, work or property
management purposes and spaces reserved for such purposes
located in a building on the encumbered property (joint
easement);
7) to make a door or other opening in a wall on the boundary
of the encumbered property or to not build a fire wall
(wall easement); and
8) to extend the roof of a building or part of the external
wall containing additional insulation so that it
48
overhangs the encumbered property or to construct the

roof so that water drains onto and is conducted via the
encumbered property (tolerance easement).
Section 81
Property Register entries
After gaining legal force, the establishment or removal of a

building easement shall be entered in the Property Register
under the easement holder and the encumbered property. An
easement entered in the Property Register remains in force
even if ownership of the property changes.
When plot divisions or property boundaries are altered, the

surveyor or, if the matter concerns the combining of
properties, the keeper of the Property Register shall at the
same time issue a decision adjusting the easement so that it
conforms to the change, and remove any easement that the
change in partition has made unnecessary. In the case of a
changed block or plot number, the matter shall be resolved
by the keeper of the Property Register after hearing the
interested parties.
The provisions laid down above also apply to decisions

referred to in sections 161—164 of the Land Use and Building
Act, as appropriate.
Section 82
Erecting a fence
Unless otherwise stipulated in the local detailed plan or

the building ordinance, or decided by the local building
supervision authority, property owners are entitled to erect
a fence on the boundary of their property. When necessary,
the building supervision authority shall require a fence to
49
be erected and determine the type and location of the fence

and the distribution of costs between neighbours.
Section 83
Avoiding harmful effects in building
Parties engaging in building projects shall protect street

areas and other public areas, community infrastructure and
other such equipment against damage, and repair any damage
that has occurred. The measures needed to avoid harmful
effects may be specified in the building permit or during
the course of construction.
In addition, regulations on fencing construction sites,

protective structures preventing damage to persons or goods,
measures to prevent disturbance to traffic and other
disturbance and on arranging construction work so that the
construction site does not cause unreasonable nuisance to
neighbours and passers-by may be specified in the building
permit or during the course of construction.
Section 84
Indication of address
The owner of a building shall identify the building and its

staircases by a number or letter that is visible from the
street, another traffic way and a traffic area on the same
plot, in accordance with the local authority decision on the
matter. Such indications of address shall also provide
directions for emergency and maintenance vehicles and other
traffic to the property.
Chapter 14
Deviation
50
Section 85
Applying for deviation
The following documents shall be included with applications

for deviation as referred to in section 171 of the Land Use
and Building Act:
1) a map of the surroundings that indicates the location of
the area, and a site plan that indicates existing and
planned building and any construction activity on the
construction site;
2) documents showing that the applicant holds the title to
the construction site or is otherwise entitled to apply;
and
3) an account of any hearings carried out by the applicant
as laid down in section 86, paragraph 2.
Applications must provide an estimate of the principal

impact of the project involving the deviation and the
grounds for the application.
Deviation applications are submitted to the local authority.

If it is the regional environment centre’s responsibility to
process the application under section 171 of the Land Use
and Building Act, the local authority shall send the
application to the environment centre together with its
opinion on the matter.
Section 86
Hearings based on deviation applications
Neighbours of a construction site shall be notified that

deviation has been applied for and given at least seven days
to enter objections. The notification may be sent as an
ordinary letter. For the purpose of hearing other interested
parties as referred to in section 173, paragraph 1, of the
Land Use and Building Act, when such wider hearing is
needed, the application shall be announced on the municipal
51
notice board and advertised in at least one newspaper in

general circulation in the area affected by the application;
the interested parties shall also be provided with a
corresponding period to enter objections. The period in such
cases is calculated as of the date of the announcement’s
publication in a newspaper.
Applicants may enclose with their application a declaration

that all or some of the neighbours are aware of the project,
and an account of any position they have taken on the
construction work. The hearing organized by the local
authority and prescribed in paragraph 1 is not necessary
where the applicant has provided such evidence of having
heard the neighbours.
The local authority pays the costs of hearings organized by

it and may charge them to the applicant under section 173 of
the Land Use and Building Act.
Section 87
Validity of deviation decisions
Deviation decisions shall determine the period within which

a building permit in accordance with the decision must be
applied for. The period may not exceed two years.
Section 88
Informing other authorities of deviation decisions
A local authority must send a deviation decision to the

regional environment centre without delay after the decision
has been issued. A site plan and a map of the surroundings
indicating the area affected by the decision, or some other
map which provides sufficient information on development in
the area, shall be enclosed with the decision.
52
Section 89
Deviation decisions that lack legal force
Building permits may be granted on the basis of deviation

decisions that lack legal force. In such cases, the building
permit must stipulate that construction work may not
commence before the decision has gained legal force.
Section 90
Applying procedures in areas requiring planning
The provisions of this chapter apply when matters concerning

the special preconditions for building permits referred to
in section 137 of the Land Use and Building Act in areas
requiring planning are resolved.
Chapter 15
Appeal
Section 91
Issuing rectification reminders on land use plans
Rectification reminders as referred to in section 195 of the

Land Use and Building Act shall indicate in what respect
national land use objectives have not been taken into
account when a plan was drawn up or in what respect a plan
is otherwise considered to contravene the law.
Section 92
Demonstrating right of appeal
In addition to what is otherwise prescribed on appeal,

registered organizations as referred to in section 191,
53
paragraph 2, of the Land Use and Building Act shall explain

their sphere and area of activities.
Chapter 16
Miscellaneous provisions
Section 93
Entry into force of plans and certain decisions
Regional plans come into force when the ratifying decision

has been publicized in the municipalities of the region in
the same manner as municipal notices are publicized in them.
What is laid down on the entry into force of regional plans
also applies to legally binding joint municipal master
plans.
Local master plans, local detailed plans and building

ordinances come into force when the decision to approve them
has been publicized in the same manner as municipal notices
are publicized in the municipality. Plot divisions come into
force when the decisions approving them gain legal force.
Building prohibitions issued by the authorities and the

building restriction referred to in section 33, paragraph 3,
the restriction on action referred to in section 128,
paragraph 1, subparagraph 3, and the building prohibition
and restriction on action referred to in section 177,
paragraph 5, of the Land Use and Building Act come into
force when they have been publicized in the same manner as
municipal notices are publicized in the municipality.
Building prohibitions based on section 53, paragraph 3, and

related restrictions on action referred to in section 128 of
the Land Use and Building Act deriving from the approval of
a local detailed plan are brought into effect by the
relevant approval decision.
54
Section 94
Publicizing approval decisions
Local authorities shall send decisions approving local

master plans, local detailed plans and building ordinances,
plan maps and statements and the building ordinance to the
regional environment centre without delay. Local authorities
shall also send copies of opinions issued and objections
entered, unless they are sufficiently explained in the
approval decision.
Also, the authorities, municipal members and those who have

entered objections shall be notified without delay of
decisions approving plans and building ordinances if they
have so requested while the plan or building ordinance was
Section 95
Providing plans and building ordinances for information
Regional councils shall send ratified regional plans to the

ministries concerned, the regional environment centre, the
District Survey Office, the regional councils whose areas
border on the regional plan area, the local authorities and
local building supervision authorities in the regional plan
area and, as appropriate, to other authorities.
Local authorities shall send local master plans, local

detailed plans and building ordinances that have come into
force to the District Survey Office, regional council, local
building supervision authority, any neighbouring local
authority adjacent to the plan area, and, as appropriate, to
other authorities. The regional environment centre shall be
notified when a plan or building ordinance comes into force.
55
Section 96
The authorities’ right to receive information
The information referred to in section 205 of the Land Use

and Building Act which the Ministry of the Environment and
regional environment centres are entitled to receive
includes information on land use and the state and
development the built environment, the status of planning
and permits, and the organization of administration and
administrative action that are needed for monitoring land
use and the built environment, and any documents needed for
supervision or other official functions under consideration.
Separate provisions apply to fees charged for Property
Register data and for National Land Survey of Finland aerial
photograph and map material.
Section 97
Issuing decisions after publication
In the case of decisions to be issued after their issue has

been made public under sections 142 and 198 of the Land Use
and Building Act, the decision-making authority shall
announce the issuance of the decision before the issue date
on its notice board. The announcement shall indicate the
authority, the matter concerned and the decision’s date of
issue. The announcement shall be kept on the notice board of
the authority that issued the decision for at least the
period reserved for making claims for rectification or
filing appeals.
Decisions shall be available to interested parties on the

date of issue indicated in the announcement.
Section 98
Amendment and repeal of land use plans, building ordinances,
plot divisions and street plans
56
What is laid down in this Decree on drawing up land use

plans, building ordinances, plot divisions and street plans
also applies to their amendment and repeal.
Section 99
Cross-border environmental impact
If a plan that is being drawn up is likely to call for

procedures as referred to in section 199 of the Land Use and
Building Act, the regional council or local authority
drawing up the plan shall notify the regional environment
centre that planning is under way. The notification shall
include the participation and assessment scheme related to
the plan and other information needed to estimate whether
cooperation with another state is called for.
The regional environment centre shall send the participation

and assessment scheme, its own opinion on the matter and
other necessary information without delay to the Ministry of
the Environment so that it can notify the other state. The
Ministry of the Environment supplies the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs with the notification sent to the other state for
its information.
The Ministry of the Environment or a regional environment

centre designated by the Ministry shall provide authorities,
natural persons and organizations of a state that is party
to a treaty referred to in section 199 of the Land Use and
Building Act with an opportunity to take part in
participation and interaction procedures related to
compilation of the plan. To this end, the regional council
or local authority drawing up the plan shall provide the
Ministry of the Environment or the regional environment
57
centre designated by the Ministry with the necessary

information on assessments of the plan’s impact.
Section 100
Publication of building reminders
Owners and titleholders of relevant plots or construction

sites shall be notified of decisions concerning the reminder
referred to in section 97, paragraph 1, of the Land Use and
Building Act as laid down in section 8 of the Act on Notice
in Administrative Matters.
Section 101
Building reminder register
The building reminder register referred to in section 97,

paragraph 5, of the Land Use and Building Act must include
at least the following concerning each plot and construction
site whose owner or titleholder has been issued with a
reminder to build:
1) the date of the decision to issue a reminder to build and
the provision on which the reminder is based;
2) an account of those notified of the reminder and when;
3) an entry on reversed and lapsed reminders and that the
obligation has been fulfilled; and
4) an entry on notifications sent to the office of a
district court under section 97, paragraph 5, of the Land
Use and Building Act.
An entry shall also be made in the register when a reminder

becomes legally valid or is repealed on the basis of an
appeal.
58
Section 102
Record of compensations not yet paid
If an agreement has been reached on compensation as referred

to in section 109 of the Land Use and Building Act, the
local authority shall keep a record of compensations not yet
paid.
Section 103
Application of building permit provisions to other permits
The provisions of chapters 10—13 on building permits and on

carrying out construction work also apply to action,
demolition and landscape-work permits and to measures based
on them, as appropriate.
Section 104
Type approval
Applications for type approval should be filed with the

Ministry of the Environment. They should indicate the
purpose of the construction product and the attributes for
which type approval is sought. Type approval decisions are
issued for a maximum period of five years. Type-approved
products shall be marked in a manner approved by the
Ministry.
Chapter 17
Entry into force and transitional provisions
Section 105
Entry into force
This Decree comes into force on January 1, 2000.

59
Measures required to implement this Decree may be taken

before it comes into force.
Section 106
General transitional provisions
When this Decree has come into force, references to an

earlier decree in other legislation shall instead refer to
this Decree.
Instead of section 62 of this Decree, the provisions of

sections 50, 121 and 137 of the earlier decree and
regulations issued under them in a municipal building
ordinance shall be applied until the said building ordinance
is amended and the amendment has come into force. However,
taking into account the provisions of section 63, the
provisions of section 62 of this Decree are applicable as of
January 1, 2002 at the latest.
Provisions in force when this Decree comes into force apply

to issues being processed by administrative authorities or
courts at that time.
Section 107
Transitional provision on the qualifications of planners
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3 on planners’

qualifications, persons deemed to meet the requirements for
a planning task on the basis of planning experience gained
before this Decree comes into force may carry out planning
tasks appropriate in view of their experience.
60
Section 108
Transitional provisions on the qualifications of building
inspectors
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4, paragraph 3,

persons appointed to the post of a building inspector before
this Decree comes into force and persons who fulfil the
qualifications required of building inspectors under section
158a of the earlier decree may function as building
inspectors.
Helsinki, September 10, 1999
President of the Republic

MARTTI AHTISAARI
Minister of the Environment Satu Hassi

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Land Use and Building Decree

Issued in Helsinki, September 10, 1999

On the submission of the Minister of the Environment, the

When a land use plan’s impact as referred to in section 9 of

A municipality whose territory is affected by the material

The Ministry of the Environment shall organize the

Within its territory, the regional environment centre

Within their territories, regional councils shall see to

Within their territories, local authorities shall see to

A person drawing up a plan must have a university degree

It is the function of the local building supervision

Regulations on participation by other municipal authorities

Building inspectors shall have a construction-related

When carrying out duties related to implementation of the

The provisions of the Decree on the Statute Book of Finland

Stipulations issued by other State authorities on building

Proposed building ordinances shall be made publicly

Proposed ordinances and the right to enter objections shall

The regional environment centre, the regional council and

The provisions of section 32 on making a plan proposal

Preparation of national land-use objectives shall be

When national land use objectives are prepared, their

An opinion on proposals concerning national land use

2) the local authorities especially concerned; and

When a regional council draws up a regional plan, it must

When preparing a decision to draw up a regional plan by sub-

Regional plans are presented on a map or maps of a scale

Regional plan regulations are presented on the regional plan

A regional plan statement presents:

1) an account of circumstances in the area, its

The plan statement shall present the issues referred to

Negotiations between the authorities referred to in section

when planning begins and after a plan proposal has been

The regional council shall agree with the Ministry of the

The regional environment centre and other authorities whose

A regional-plan proposal shall be made available to the

The proposal and the right to enter objections shall be

An opinion on a regional plan proposal shall be requested

3) regional councils whose areas border on the plan area;

When an approved regional plan is submitted to the Ministry

The Ministry shall notify all authorities that have so

The regional council shall inform the local authorities

Local master plans are presented on a map or maps of a scale

A local master plan shall indicate whether it has been drawn

A local master plan statement presents:

9) when needed, schemes steering plan implementation.

The plan statement shall present the issues referred to

Negotiations between the authorities referred to in section

The local authority shall agree with the regional

The authorities whose sphere of activity the matter may

A memo is drawn up of the negotiations, indicating the key

A local master plan proposal shall be made available to the

proposal. Objections shall be delivered to the local

The availability and the right to enter objections shall be

If the local master plan is drawn up to steer building in

The notice referred to above in paragraph 2 must separately

An opinion on a local master plan proposal shall be

3) the regional environment centre and authorities and

If a joint municipal master plan is drawn up as laid down in

The provisions of section 14 on submitting a regional plan