Residential health refers to matters related to the health conditions of the apartment. They are e.g. Matters related to the apartment’s temperature, ventilation, noise and chemical and biological conditions. The conditions of the apartment must not cause harm to the resident’s health. If the health-related conditions of the apartment do not meet the requirements, measures must be taken to find out and correct them.
Residential health is regulated in the health protection act and in the housing health regulation. The residential health ordinance defines limits for different health conditions in apartments. In addition to apartments, the regulation also applies to certain public spaces such as daycare centers, educational institutions and nursing homes.
Who is responsible for the health conditions of the apartment?
The responsibility for the health conditions of the apartment is divided according to what is stipulated in the housing corporation act or agreed upon in the articles of association regarding maintenance responsibility between the housing association and the shareholder.
If the health problem is the responsibility of the housing association, the housing association or its representative, such as the property manager, is obliged to find out the cause of the problem and correct the deficiencies. The partner is responsible for such damage that belongs to the partner according to the division of responsibility of the housing association. For example, moisture damage in surface materials is often the responsibility of the partner, but moisture damage that extends to structures is the responsibility of the building company.
However, the responsibility always lies with the resident, i.e. The tenant or partner, if he himself has caused a health hazard. In this case, the resident is responsible for the costs of finding out and correcting health hazards.
What to do if a health hazard is suspected in the apartment?
If a health hazard is suspected in the apartment, the owner of the property or his representative must be notified. The tenant must report his suspicions to the landlord. The notification should be made in writing. If the required investigation or correction measures are not taken, you can contact the municipality’s health protection authority.
If the housing company does not investigate the health problems properly, the partner has the right to have the necessary investigations done. The company is obliged to reimburse the costs to the partner if the examinations reveal a health hazard. Correspondingly, if the tenant performs a health examination in the apartment himself and a health problem is revealed in the apartment, the tenant can demand the costs of the examination from the landlord.