There are no limits to the ingenuity of the inhabitants: the basement of an apartment building has been converted into another room, which you can access directly from your apartment

A reader who approached Delfi Būstas, who did not want to reveal his identity, asked if it was legal to install a staircase in his apartment on the ground floor, which leads to the basement, where there are additional rooms belonging to the apartment. According to the reader, such “apartments” are installed by their neighbors. The reader wonders if such activities do not damage the structures of the entire apartment building.

The State Inspectorate for Spatial Planning and Construction, responding to the reader’s questions, reports that the supervision of the use of multi-apartment residential buildings is carried out by the municipal administrations, therefore, in specific cases of legal (illegal) connection of the basement to the apartment and fines must be the responsibility of the municipal administration of the city where such repairs are being carried out.

“In the general case, the crossing of an opening in a bearing structure (in this case, the floor between the 1st floor and the basement) is considered an important reform of a multi-apartment house. The project expertise was carried out, it was received the decision (protocol) of the owners of the apartments and other premises of the multi-family residential building on the remodeling works in accordance with the procedure established in article 4.85 of the Civil Code ”,

It is continued that during the mentioned construction works, one of the essential requirements of the structure may be violated: the mechanical strength and stability of the structure, that is, deformations of the structure, collapse of the structure or its parts, may occur, etc.

Overhaul of an apartment building (when a building permit is not required) without a major overhaul project and project experience is considered to be the execution of construction work in violation of the requirements of the laws. In accordance with the provisions of article 356 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, a warning or fine of fifty to 1 (one) thousand euros is provided for the execution of construction works in violation of the requirements of legal acts. The protocols of administrative infractions in relation to the execution of construction works in violation of the requirements of the legal acts will be drawn up by the Construction Inspection.