> The maintenance log: what to record and how to keep it useful > Lähde: https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/ > Koko sivusto koneluettavana: https://huoneistokierros.fi/llms-full.txt [Knowledge base](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/) # The maintenance log: what to record and how to keep it useful Huoneistokierros · 9 August 2026 · 7 min read ![Stairwell of an old block of flats with an arched window](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/porraskaytava-ikkuna.DzcyfvRC_Z17XDBe.jpg) In this article 1. [Operating and maintenance instructions in the law](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/#operating-and-maintenance-instructions-in-the-law) 2. [A good entry points to the next step](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/#a-good-entry-points-to-the-next-step) 3. [When the information is in five places](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/#when-the-information-is-in-five-places) 4. [Test the maintenance log with five items](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/#test-the-maintenance-log-with-five-items) 5. [If information is missing](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/#if-information-is-missing) 6. [Frequently asked questions](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-log/#frequently-asked-questions) The maintenance log (huoltokirja) brings together the building’s basic information, maintenance instructions and a record of what has been done to the building and what has been observed in it. A useful maintenance log does not create itself: the board and the property manager should know what the law requires, what kind of entry actually helps and how to check in practice that the log is working. A building is in use for decades, and in that time boards, property managers and maintenance companies change many times. If the history is not recorded, the same matters are investigated again and again and information has to be dug out of people’s memories. ## Operating and maintenance instructions in the law In law, the maintenance log corresponds to the building’s operating and maintenance instructions, which are provided for in section 139 of the [Building Act (rakentamislaki, 751/2023) (opens in a new tab)](https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2023/751) (in Finnish). Machine-readable operating and maintenance instructions must be drawn up for a new building. Instructions are also drawn up in connection with a renovation or alteration that requires a building permit, or a change of use, but then only for the part of the building concerned. The instructions include, among other things, - basic and size information on the property and the building - as-built and historical information on the building - monitoring information on the building’s upkeep - the information required for the maintenance needs report and the maintenance plan. Measures carried out in maintenance, repair and alteration work are entered in the instructions, and the building owner is responsible for keeping them up to date. In a housing company, the owner is the company, so in practice the board takes care of this with the help of the property manager. Older housing companies do not necessarily have instructions in the sense meant by the law, as the obligation applies to new buildings and certain projects that require a permit. In everyday language, the same set of information is called the maintenance log (huoltokirja) or property maintenance manual (kiinteistönpitokirja). It typically includes drawings, maintenance and inspection schedules for building components and equipment, investigations and condition assessments, official inspections, and the maintenance and fault history. ### A register of alteration notifications is mandatory for everyone A shareholder must notify the board or the property manager in writing in advance of maintenance and alteration work that may affect structures that the company or another shareholder is responsible for, or the use of an apartment. The board must keep a register of these notifications and store them reliably, apartment by apartment. The information is also submitted to the National Land Survey of Finland’s Residential and Commercial Property Information System. Information about a bathroom renovation can still be important years later, when a leak or the division of responsibilities is being investigated. More on the topic: [alteration work by a shareholder](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/shareholder-renovations/). ### The maintenance log does not settle who is responsible Maintenance responsibility is determined by the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act (asunto-osakeyhtiölaki) and the articles of association. The maintenance log tells you what has been done, but not whose responsibility a matter is. ## A good entry points to the next step Knowing only that something was inspected at some point tells you little. Compare two entries: “Roof inspected 10 May 2026.” “Roof inspected 10 May 2026. Observation: wear around a roof penetration. To be monitored; need for a closer investigation to be assessed in the autumn. Responsible: property manager.” The second shows what was done, when, what was found and what happens next. When every significant observation has a recorded follow-up and a person responsible, the maintenance log steers the work rather than just storing papers. Servicing and maintenance should be recorded separately. Changing the filter in a ventilation unit and a condition survey of the whole system are measures on different levels, as are cleaning the gutters and assessing the rainwater system. Both belong in the maintenance log, but with different significance. ### An observation is not a diagnosis Observations made during a maintenance round or a building walk-through, such as a crack or a damp mark, should be recorded. But an observation and a technical diagnosis are different things: the entry is the basis for deciding whether an expert investigation is needed. A walk-through does not replace a condition survey when one is needed. ### Keep open items on a list of their own Completed work is easy to record. It is harder to remember an observation that was left awaiting a decision, a quote that was not accepted or a fault that it was decided to monitor. If these get lost, the matter is investigated again later, often only once the repair has become more expensive. Keep a list of open items in the maintenance log: what has been observed, what has been decided and who is taking the matter forward. ## When the information is in five places Information is rarely missing altogether. Usually it is scattered: some in email, some in minutes, some in the maintenance company’s system, some in a paper folder and some in a board member’s memory. An example: in 2018, a moisture-related anomaly is noticed in the building, investigated and repaired. In 2021, the same part of the building is inspected again, and in 2024 the board changes. When a new anomaly is noticed in the same spot in 2026, the new board has to start the investigation from scratch if the earlier information cannot be found. Nobody necessarily did anything wrong, but the information was not passed on. Not everything has to be gathered into a single file. What matters most is that the essential information can still be found when the chair, the property manager or the maintenance company changes. Keeping information and passing it on during handovers is covered in more detail in the article [information management in a housing company](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/housing-company-records-management/). ## Test the maintenance log with five items The question “do we have a maintenance log?” tells you little. It is better to ask whether the information can be found when it is needed. Choose five items, for example the roof, the ventilation, the rainwater system, the drains and the smoke alarms in the common areas, and find out for each one: - When was it last inspected? - What was found at the time? - Who did the work, and has the report been kept? - When does it need to be checked again? If the answers can be found in a few minutes, the maintenance log is serving its purpose. If you have to search for them for a long time, the system needs improving. ### Annual checklist The following questions are worth going through once a year, for example when preparing the [maintenance needs report](https://huoneistokierros.fi/en/knowledge-base/maintenance-needs-report/): 1. Is the maintenance log up to date, and who updates it? 2. Can the reports from the latest maintenance work and inspections be found? 3. Have the deficiencies found been recorded, and has a follow-up been agreed for open items? 4. Do we know when the next inspections are due? 5. Are the maintenance contracts and their key terms available to the board? 6. Can the documents for earlier repairs and shareholders’ alteration work be found? 7. Can a new board member access the essential information without a lengthy induction? 8. What information are we currently missing? ## If information is missing Not all old information can be recovered. But it is worth recording the gap, and systematic collection can start straight away. A comprehensive walk-through of the whole building, including the apartments, creates a baseline against which future observations can be compared. The apartment-by-apartment observations in an apartment round’s digital report, for example, can be stored in the maintenance log. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is a maintenance log mandatory? Operating and maintenance instructions under the Building Act are mandatory for new buildings and for certain renovation and alteration work that requires a building permit. The Limited Liability Housing Companies Act does, however, require every company’s board to keep a register of shareholders’ maintenance and alteration work notifications. ### Who is responsible for keeping the maintenance log up to date? The building owner, that is, the housing company. The board decides how upkeep is organised, and the property manager or the maintenance company usually makes the entries. ### Does the maintenance log replace the maintenance plan? No. The maintenance log tells you about the past and the present; the maintenance plan is about the future. The information in the maintenance log is, however, the most important starting point for planning. 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 - ![Laundry drying in the autumn courtyard of a block of flats](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/sisapiha-pyykit.CxRPzYH8_Z1w97aG.jpg) 4 September 2026 · 6 min read ### Autumn maintenance: getting a housing company ready for winter In autumn a housing company gets ready for winter: gutters, heating, ventilation, outdoor lighting and the yard. A checklist and tips on recording findings. - ![Worried older couple going through bills at a laptop](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/seniorit-laskut.DSVYdGSq_Z1j7T7E.jpg) 29 August 2026 · 9 min read ### Unpaid maintenance charges: what if a neighbour doesn't pay? A neighbour's unpaid charges do not pass to you, but arrears can weaken the housing company's finances. How collection and taking over an apartment work now. - ![Colourful Art Nouveau apartment building facades with balconies](https://huoneistokierros.fi/_astro/jugendtalot-varikkaat.DRnB5wQ__1I8pxp.jpg) 24 July 2026 · 5 min read ### The long-term maintenance plan (PTS): contents and updates A PTS is not required by law, but it shows what will happen to the building over ten years. What it contains, who prepares it and how to read it. 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)