Minor changes in building regulations have been recently introduced by the government. Changes affect concluding construction contracts, occupancy permits, constructions subject to simplified notification and a few provisions regarding electronic construction log. Some of the changes will be specified below.
Some provisions of Government Regulation No 191/2009 (IX. 15.) on building industry’s construction activities have been amended. According to the new rules, construction contracts shall be concluded in writing if the construction is carried out as business. On the other hand, countersigning by an attorney-at-law or advocate general is no longer required in case a construction trustee is engaged.
The amendment specifies preferential rules of construction for family members: construction works may be carried out by non-professional family members only if the work is not subject to the obligation to prepare construction documentation or if the documentation is though mandatory but it is supervised or approved by a contractor.
Government Regulation No. 312/2012. (XI. 8.) on construction authorities, procedure and inspections has also been amended. Previously, a deviation from the final building permit and the approved architectural-technical documentation was allowed in cases when the deviation was though subject to a building permit but it complied with the legal requirements and did not change the mass, dimensions, height, floor contour, location or installation parameters of the building or that of the plot. This exemption has now been deleted, thus such deviations are henceforth subject to a new preliminary permit. On the other hand, the regulation introduces a new exemption rule: in case of row houses and duplexes, if the planned modification does not have an impact on the grounding and holding device of the adjacent building then, subject to further specific conditions, no approval is required. However, any deviation shall be properly documented in the construction log, otherwise the occupancy permits may be rejected.