The building regulations have been updated to correspond to the revised Building Act. It has also been updated to correspond to the Helsinki city strategy 2025–2029, which aims to build an increasingly comfortable, well-functioning and sustainable city.
What should residents and permit applicants know?
The new building regulations apply to all matters initiated on or after 5 November 2026.
The new Building Act has decreased the possibilities of municipalities to steer construction for which a building permit is not required, which has led to removing some of the previous provisions from the building regulations. That said, many small garden and property projects, such as most fences, terraces and other ordinary garden constructions, remain possible without a building permit.
Most notable changes
Nature values increasingly considered
The renewed building regulations pay particular attention to securing biodiversity and developing a cosy urban environment.
The building regulations emphasise preserving the natural state of gardens and plots. The aim is to increase urban nature, enhance biodiversity and improve stormwater management.
The consideration of the living environments of trees and birds is also increasingly emphasised. Bird-safe construction is introduced in the regulations as a new provision aiming to decrease the number of birds which hit the walls or windows of buildings.
New maximum building coverage on detached house plots
Managing urban run-off waters and ensuring the comfort of the detached house environment are the main objectives.
In future, the buildings, constructions and terraces on plots intended for detached and semi-detached houses are allowed to cover no more than 35% of the area of the plot, unless otherwise defined in the local detailed plan. This change aims to secure the sufficient amount of green areas on plots.
Durability and circular economy are emphasised in the planning of buildings.
The building regulations encourage planning buildings that are durable, adaptable and easy to repair while promoting the reuse of building materials and other circular economy solutions.
Emergency access solutions transferred to plots
The emergency access arrangements for new construction of residential buildings are primarily intended to be carried out on the plot or in the building itself. Rescue lifting places are no longer located on public areas in new projects.
The change will free up street and park areas for other uses, such as planting, parking, snow management and the infrastructure required for public transport.
The new building regulations should be considered in time
It is advisable to get to know the building regulations already in the planning stages of a construction project. This will make the project progress smoother and decrease the amount of changes required in later stages.
The Helsinki building regulations are an essential collection of provisions steering construction along with city plans.