Responsibility for windows changed on 1 October 2026: who pays now?

An amendment to the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act came into force on 1 October 2026. For windows, it means that the housing company is now responsible for maintaining the windows as a whole, unless the articles of association provide otherwise. The old split between outer and inner windows, which caused a great deal of disagreement, has gone.

The change is based on the Act amending the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act (535/2026 (opens in a new tab)), issued on 16 June 2026. It stems from government proposal HE 34/2026 vp (opens in a new tab) (in Finnish). Below we go through what the change means for the board, the property manager and the shareholder.

What changed

Before the amendment, the Act contained no explicit provision on windows. The division of responsibility was based on the preparatory works of the 2009 Act: the company was responsible for the outer windows and the shareholder for the windows inside the outermost one. With a modern window of two to four panes, this split was awkward, because the inner sash and inner panes affect thermal and sound insulation just as much as the outer ones. According to the government proposal, the unclear legal position caused shareholders and companies extra costs in sorting out disputes.

Under chapter 4, section 2, subsection 2 of the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act, the company must now maintain the structures, insulation and windows of the apartments. Windows are therefore in the same position as structures and insulation.

Which parts of the window the company is responsible for

According to the reasoning in the government proposal, the company’s responsibility covers the window and its structure as a functional and technical whole. As a starting point, the company is responsible for:

• the outer and inner panes and any permanently installed sealed glazing unit
• sashes and frames
• fittings such as hinges, locks, handles, catches and coupling mechanisms
• seals
• vent flaps
• fixed insect screens that form part of the window structure.

The inner surface of the inner sash is also the company’s responsibility, even though it resembles the apartment’s other interior surfaces. The reasoning notes that leaving it to the shareholder would not make technical sense, because the inner surface is usually refurbished at the same time as the other parts of the window.

The responsibility covers the company’s standard level (perustaso), meaning windows that the company has installed or accepted as its responsibility. The Finnish Real Estate Federation (Kiinteistöliitto) uses the same idea when it talks about standard-level panes, sashes and other parts.

What remains with the shareholder

As a starting point, the shareholder no longer has any maintenance responsibility for the windows, but the duty of care remains. Under chapter 4, section 3 of the Act, the shareholder must take good care of their apartment so that the parts the company is responsible for are not damaged. The shareholder is not responsible for normal wear and tear.

In practice, the shareholder is responsible for ordinary cleaning of the windows and using them with care. In addition, under chapter 4, section 8, they must notify the company without delay of faults and defects that the company is responsible for repairing.

Damage is different from maintenance

Maintenance responsibility does not mean that the company always pays. If a window is broken through the carelessness of a shareholder or resident, the company can claim damages under chapter 24 of the Act. A repair resulting from wear, ageing or a technical fault is the company’s responsibility. So with a broken pane, it is worth first establishing why it broke and what the articles of association say.

The articles of association can provide otherwise

The Act’s maintenance provisions are non-mandatory, meaning the articles of association can provide otherwise. According to the Finnish Real Estate Federation, earlier maintenance provisions in the articles of association remain in force. If, before the amendment, the articles already stated that the shareholder is responsible for, say, the inner sashes or panes, that provision still applies.

The first task is therefore to read your own articles of association. If a provision is unclear, its interpretation should be clarified with the property manager or a lawyer before any decision on costs. If the company wants to depart from the new starting point, this is decided as an amendment to the articles of association.

Cases that began before October

There is no specific transitional provision on maintenance responsibility for windows. The new chapter 4, section 2 applies from 1 October 2026, but sharing the costs of, for example, a fault detected before the amendment came into force or a repair already under way may require a case-by-case assessment.

For damages, the transitional provision is clear: if a claim is based on an act or omission that took place before 1 October 2026, the old Act applies.

If the shareholder has replaced the windows themselves

Window alterations made by a shareholder are alteration work, to which chapter 5 of the Act applies. Alteration work must be notified in writing in advance to the board or the property manager (chapter 5, section 2), and the company can set conditions for the work.

Following the amendment, chapter 5, section 1 states explicitly that the shareholder is responsible for maintaining the alteration work they have carried out and for any additional maintenance costs it later causes the company. The exception is in chapter 4, section 2, subsection 3: the company is responsible for an installation made by a shareholder if it is comparable to work the company has carried out or approved and the company has been able to supervise the work. A window chosen by the shareholder that departs from the standard level does not therefore automatically become the company’s responsibility.

The board’s first steps

• Check what the articles of association say about windows.
• Update the division of responsibilities table and inform shareholders of the change.
• Give clear instructions on how to report window faults.
• Commission a condition survey of the windows: draughts, misting between the panes, worn seals, loose fittings and damaged sashes and frames.
• Schedule window repairs or replacement in the maintenance needs report (kunnossapitotarveselvitys).

The government proposal estimates that centralised maintenance can extend the service life of windows and support energy efficiency. The company can now also tender window maintenance for the whole building at once.

Guidance for shareholders

Notify the company if a window is draughty, the space between the panes keeps misting up, a handle or hinge has come loose, a seal is worn or a vent flap is not working properly. Do not replace seals or fittings yourself, as these are now in principle the company’s responsibility. If you are planning changes to the windows, submit an alteration work notice before starting.

You will find a practical checklist and help with interpreting the symptoms in the article on housing company windows, and responsibility for other parts of the building in the article on the division of responsibilities in a housing company.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the provision?

Act 535/2026 came into force on 1 October 2026. The provision on windows is in chapter 4, section 2, subsection 2 of the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act.

Is the housing company now responsible for seals, handles and hinges?

As a starting point, yes, because they are part of the window as a technical whole. However, damage caused through carelessness may make the shareholder liable to pay compensation.

Can the articles of association still make the shareholder responsible for windows?

Yes. A provision in the articles of association takes precedence over the Act’s starting point, and provisions recorded before the amendment remain in force.

Does the change apply to balcony doors?

The Act mentions windows. Responsibility for balcony doors should be checked in the articles of association and the company’s division of responsibilities table.

Sources: Act 535/2026, Finlex (in Finnish) (opens in a new tab); HE 34/2026 vp (in Finnish) (opens in a new tab); Kiinteistöliitto: maintenance responsibility 2026 (in Finnish) (opens in a new tab).

This article provides general information and does not replace case-specific legal or technical advice.