> Checking invoices: when the same fault is billed again and… > Lähde: https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/ > Koko sivusto koneluettavana: https://huoneistokierros.fi/llms-full.txt [Knowledge base](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/) # Checking invoices: when the same fault is billed again and again Huoneistokierros · 28 August 2026 · 6 min read ![Couple going through bills and papers at the kitchen table](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/pariskunta-paperit.C_YRl-G6_Pw4SE.jpg) In this article 1. [Who is responsible for checking invoices](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#who-is-responsible-for-checking-invoices) 2. [A correct invoice can reveal the wrong solution](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#a-correct-invoice-can-reveal-the-wrong-solution) 3. [Practical recommendations](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#practical-recommendations) 4. [What shareholders are entitled to know about costs](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#what-shareholders-are-entitled-to-know-about-costs) 5. [Checking benefits everyone](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#checking-benefits-everyone) 6. [Frequently asked questions](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#frequently-asked-questions) 7. [Sources](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/checking-housing-company-invoices/#sources) Checking invoices usually means checking the amount, the date, the contract and who approved it. But the board and the property manager can get more out of invoices: when they are linked to a building component and a timeline, they build up a fault history of the building that helps identify recurring problems. For example, the stairwell door may generate a maintenance invoice of €250, then €290 the following month and €340 three months later. Each job may have genuinely been done, properly ordered and correctly billed. After the third invoice, though, it is worth asking why the same door keeps generating new invoices. ## Who is responsible for checking invoices Under chapter 7, section 2 of the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act (asunto-osakeyhtiölaki, 1599/2009), the board is responsible for ensuring that the supervision of the accounts and financial management is properly organised. The property manager is responsible for ensuring that the accounts comply with the law and that financial management is reliably organised (chapter 7, section 17). The board’s responsibility does not mean that the chair or every member has to check every invoice line personally. Nor does the law prescribe a single approval model, such as approval of every invoice by two board members. What matters is that supervision is organised in a way that suits the company’s circumstances, for example through the property management firm’s financial administration, an electronic approval system and approval limits set by the board. The board should not assume that the property manager will definitely notice everything, and the property manager should not have to work without defined responsibilities. A good process sets out: - who checks the content of an invoice and who approves it - which contract or order the invoice is based on - how unusual invoices are handled - how significant overruns are brought to the board’s attention. ### An audit does not replace day-to-day supervision A housing company must have an auditor if its buildings contain at least 30 apartments controlled by shareholders or if the shareholders demand one. Otherwise, an operations auditor (toiminnantarkastaja) is usually elected, unless the articles of association provide otherwise. Both check after the event, so the company’s own supervision needs to work during the financial year. ## A correct invoice can reveal the wrong solution Imagine a drain line that is unblocked in January (€380), March (€420), July (€390) and October (€450), a total of €1,640. Each invoice may be correct, but the fourth one already shows that only the symptom is being treated. Recurrence does not prove that earlier repairs were done badly. The cause may be the age of the building component, the way it is used, a structural problem or chance. But recurrence is a good reason to ask questions. From invoices you can identify recurring fault sites, equipment that is constantly being repaired, services whose costs are rising and building components whose repair method should be reassessed. Not all recurring invoices relate to a building fault. The maintenance contract includes certain work, and other work is invoiced separately. If the board does not know what the contract contains, extra invoices can come as a surprise. A clear contract and clear invoicing also protect the service provider. Assessing the maintenance contract is covered in the article on [housing company maintenance costs](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-company-maintenance-costs/). ## Practical recommendations The following are practical recommendations, not legal requirements. ### Check on two levels The first level is an ordinary content check: supplier, amount, basis for invoicing, order or contract, work done and approval. On the second level, you find out why the invoice arose. Has the same problem occurred before? How much has this item cost over the year? Would a more permanent repair be cheaper? ### Give every invoice a location “Maintenance work €375” tells you little. “Staircase A front door, closer, €375” tells you more. When invoices and work orders are linked to a building component, the trend becomes visible: the staircase A front door cost, for example, €240 in 2024, €680 in 2025 and already €1,420 in 2026. ### Agree an alert threshold Agree a simple rule: if several repair invoices arrive for the same item within a short period, the matter is raised separately for the board or property management to look at. The threshold depends on the item, the cost, the risk and the age of the building. The third visit is often a good moment to ask about the cause. ### Track the largest cost items The board does not need to analyse every €12 expense. Once or twice a year, it is enough to go through the most expensive fault sites, the most frequently repeated maintenance visits, the fastest-growing cost groups and extra work outside the contract. When invoices are linked to the [fault history](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-company-fault-history/), you can see, for example, that drain line B has clogged five times and cost €2,480, at which point a technical investigation is worth considering. Recurring costs and costs that grow unnoticed are covered in more detail in the article on [housing company costs](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/hidden-housing-company-costs/). ## What shareholders are entitled to know about costs A shareholder has no general right to browse the company’s accounts or all its invoices whenever they like. At the general meeting, however, they have a right to ask questions (Limited Liability Housing Companies Act, chapter 6, section 25): on request, the board and the property manager must give more detailed information on matters that may affect the assessment of an item on the agenda. When the financial statements are being considered, the right also covers the company’s financial position more generally. If the information needed for an answer is not available at the meeting, a written answer must be given within two weeks. Information is not given if it would cause the company material harm. A shareholder can therefore ask at the general meeting, for example, why maintenance costs went up or why repair costs for the same building component keep recurring. In addition, an amendment that came into force on 1 October 2026 gives a shareholder the right to receive without delay a copy of a document held by the company concerning their own apartment that is relevant, for example, to assessing the maintenance of the apartment or the resulting costs (chapter 7, section 6). The company may charge a reasonable fee set by the board for the copy. The right covers the shareholder’s own apartment, not the company’s entire accounts. ## Checking benefits everyone Most invoices are in order. Clear orders, contracts and reports also reduce ambiguity for maintenance companies and contractors, and when the same problem recurs, the approach can be reassessed together. Often the biggest saving comes from not having to repair the same fault for the sixth time. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does the board have to check every invoice? No. The law requires that the supervision of the accounts and financial management is properly organised, not that the board approves every invoice itself. ### Does the audit replace checking invoices? No. The audit and the operations audit are carried out after the event and have their own objectives. Day-to-day handling of invoices needs its own working process. ### What should you do if the same fault is repaired again and again? Gather the earlier work orders, invoices and fault history together and assess whether a technical expert is needed to find the root cause. ## Sources - [Limited Liability Housing Companies Act 1599/2009, up-to-date version (Finlex, in Finnish) (opens in a new tab)](https://finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2009/1599) - [Act amending the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act 535/2026 (Finlex, in Finnish) (opens in a new tab)](https://finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/saadoskokoelma/2026/535) This article provides general information and does not replace case-specific legal or technical advice. Free assessment ## Know what condition your housing company's apartments are in On a preventive apartment round we go through every apartment in a single visit at a fixed price and record our findings in an electronic report. The assessment is free of charge. [Book a free assessment](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/contact/#kartoitus)[Get a price estimate](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/pricing/#hinta-arvio) Preventive maintenance at a fixed price Every apartment on a single round. [Book a free assessment](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/contact/#kartoitus) Read next ## Related articles - ![Plumber checking the cabinet under a kitchen sink](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/putkimies-keittio.DYNH1Qgf_Z2ucVnv.jpg) 18 August 2026 · 4 min read ### Housing company fault history: making recurring faults visible Three drain unblockings in three years may be one and the same problem. How to compile a fault history and how it helps find the causes of recurring faults. - ![Woman reading in an armchair next to her cat](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/kotona-kissa.DkIOFh9h_Z2mcj1w.jpg) 12 August 2026 · 6 min read ### Reporting a fault: fixing the symptom or the cause? A fault report describes a symptom, not always the cause. How shareholders report faults well and how the board spots recurring faults worth investigating. - ![Woman reading papers by the window](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/nainen-lukee.DBdhDGzC_7rX5.jpg) 4 October 2026 · 9 min read ### Board member responsibilities and liability for damages What a housing company board member answers for under the law, when that becomes personal liability for damages and how to reduce the risk. Free assessment ## Let's plan the right round for your housing company Call us or send a contact request. The assessment and advice are free of charge. We can visit the property if needed. [Send a contact request](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/contact/#kartoitus)[Call +358 10 666 9988](tel:+358106669988)