What is possible and what is not possible when remodeling an apartment

Is it possible to remodel an apartment?

Yes, this is standard practice if the owners want to change the apartment to suit their needs. But you need to adhere to SNiPs, SanPiNs and other repair requirements.

Redevelopment is a change in the configuration of an apartment. The work performed is recorded in the technical plan and technical passport. Both documents are stored in the BTI. They indicate the boundaries of the rooms, their location, area, purpose of the walls and other characteristics. Before starting redevelopment, it must be agreed with the regulatory authorities. For example, in Moscow this is the Moscow Housing Inspectorate, in the regions - local administrations.

Redevelopment can be done by residential property owners. If there are several owners, the consent of each of them is required, otherwise permission for redevelopment will not be issued. The consent of the tenants is not required.

Is it possible to increase the corridor at the expense of the room?

We have a narrow and long corridor. We want to put a wardrobe in it and, accordingly, increase its area by expanding it by moving one wall into the room. Is it possible to do such a redevelopment and how to arrange it?

• statement;
• passport;
• redevelopment project;
• written consent of all residents;
• a technical passport + title documents (if the housing is registered in the manner prescribed by law) are requested by the local government body in the manner of interdepartmental interaction, if the applicant has not provided them.

What is prohibited

Anything that leads to a deterioration in people’s living conditions is prohibited. Work that leads to the destruction of the building will also not be allowed. Access to public communications cannot be restricted.

For example, in Moscow, the prohibitions are described in paragraph 10 of Moscow Government Decree No. 1335-PP of August 19, 2021 (replacing PP No. 508). For regions, local government regulations apply.

Let's look at what you absolutely cannot do in an apartment.

Demolish load-bearing walls

Load-bearing walls are the supporting structures that support an apartment building. Impact on load-bearing walls must be extremely careful.

It is forbidden:

• Completely demolish load-bearing walls to suit the layout.
• Hollow out openings in load-bearing walls without the permission of the author of the house.
• Leave openings without reinforcement with metal structures.

If you demolish a load-bearing wall, part of the house may collapse. Therefore, 100% dismantling of supporting structures is unacceptable!

Move the kitchen or bathroom to the living room

Also prohibited.

This is reported by paragraph 24 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 47 of January 28, 2006. It is unacceptable to place the kitchen and bathroom above the living rooms of neighbors.

A kitchen with a gas stove cannot be moved into the living room. Even if you have an electric stove, transfer is not possible in all cases.

A bathroom is a toilet and a bathtub. There are “wet” zones, that is, water supply systems. If you move the bathroom into the room, it will end up under the neighbors' living room. And if a pipe breaks, water will flood the residents from below.

On a note! There is an option to move the bathroom or kitchen to the living room. To do this, your apartment must be on the 1st floor of an apartment building. That is, there are no neighbors below, therefore, the risks of flooding them are reduced to zero.

Expand the room with a balcony

You cannot combine a loggia or balcony with a room where people live. And there are a number of explanations for this:

1. Firstly, the temperature in the room will drop - due to the fact that the balcony is considered a “cold zone”.
2. Secondly, it is prohibited to install heating radiators on the balcony.
3. Thirdly, this is a violation and you will be forced to redo the repair.

The best option is to remove the window sill block and build something like a transparent glass partition. Or, as they call it, a “French” window.

Combine the room and kitchen with a gas stove

Absolutely forbidden!

Gas equipment is a high-risk system. The kitchen must be isolated. To do this, it will be equipped with a swing door. If you want to make an opening in the wall between the room and the kitchen, you will not be given permission to do so. But if there is a swing door in place of the opening, it can be agreed upon.

Seize the vestibule, attic and other property of the house

Common property is not the property of individual residents of the entrance. It is unacceptable to “seize” such property.

If you add a vestibule, part of the staircase, attic or basement to the apartment, you will be forced to return everything as it was.

Other jobs

The law also prohibits:

• trim ventilation ducts and create niches in them;
• clean thresholds in the bathroom and toilet;
• connect heated floors to the heating battery;
• block access to meters, water supply risers, ventilation and other engineering systems;
• seal the only window in the kitchen;
• dismantle batteries in living rooms.

It is still impossible to remodel an apartment if the house is in disrepair. Only reconstruction is allowed there, but in general such buildings are subject to demolition.

Complaint about illegal redevelopment of neighbors' apartment

What is the difference between redevelopment, redevelopment or reconstruction? Detailed analysis

It is forbidden to organize wet areas above living rooms

When expanding the bathroom, it is important not to go into the living room area. All apartments in standard houses follow the vertical layout, so if you enlarge the bathroom at the expense of the living room, it will turn out that part of the wet area will be above the living room of the apartment below.

Such redevelopment will not be approved. If you ignore this prohibition, then the housing inspection has the right to force the owner to restore the original layout. The violator will also be required to pay a heavy fine.

Organizing a wet area above the living room means worsening living conditions in the apartment below.

What can you do

Along with prohibitions, there are also permitted works. With their help, owners can change the layout of apartments without the risk of damaging the structure of the house.

Move or demolish a partition

But this only applies to non-load-bearing partitions. On the technical plan they are indicated by ordinary lines (load-bearing walls - bold).

1. Most often, the separator between the bathroom and the toilet is demolished - you get a combined bathroom.
2. You can turn your apartment into a studio by demolishing the non-load-bearing wall between the room and the kitchen. At the same time, the kitchen should not be gasified. The gas supply valve must be closed.
3. The construction of new partitions will make it possible to turn one room into two. For example, by creating a study or dressing room for storing things.

It is advisable to build partitions from lightweight materials, such as plasterboard. Heavy walls can put pressure on the floors. And not every partition will be allowed for you to create.

Expand the bathroom through the corridor

The corridor is an auxiliary non-residential premises. Due to it, it is quite possible to increase the area of ​​the bathroom and toilet. By the way, this is one of the most popular solutions for remodeling an apartment.

Important points:

• Expansion of the bathroom due to the corridor space will require laying a waterproofing layer.
• For such work, a redevelopment project is required, with the execution of hidden work certificates - they are signed by the drafter of the project, and then checked by an interdepartmental commission when the repair is completed.
• The exit from the bathroom should lead into the corridor, and not into the living room or kitchen.

In general, a 99% increase in the bathroom due to the corridor is acceptable.

Move the kitchen to the hallway

It is also not against the law.

Instead of the room where the kitchen used to be, you can make another room, for example, a study. The newly created kitchen in the hallway should be at least 5 m² if you have a one-room apartment, and at least 8 m² if the number of rooms in the apartment is more than two.

On the ground floor, the kitchen can be moved anywhere - even to the hallway, even to the bedroom. On the middle floor, the kitchen can be moved to the corridor, provided that there is no neighbor’s bathroom above it. There should be no living quarters below. If your neighbors expanded the room at the expense of the corridor before you, moving the kitchen will not work.

Combine a room and kitchen with an electric stove

Kitchen-living rooms are popular. Visually, the space becomes larger, and it becomes possible to combine it with interior elements. All you need to do is remove the wall between the living room and the kitchen (if you have an electric stove).

Demolish the window sill block

An interesting option is to combine a balcony/loggia with a living room in an apartment. This cannot be done directly - due to legal prohibition. But you can make a partition between the balcony and the inner room. Usually they create a “French window” - glass swing doors.

To implement the idea, the window sill block will have to be completely dismantled. For example, in a brick and monolithic house this will not be a problem. But in a panel building, the dismantling of the window sill block is extremely difficult to coordinate.

Other permitted redevelopment works include sealing a doorway, replacing a gas stove with an electric one, creating mezzanines, dismantling them, merging adjacent apartments, etc.

Make an opening in a load-bearing wall

It is impossible to completely demolish a load-bearing wall, but you can make an opening in it.

The most difficult thing is to coordinate the opening in the load-bearing wall on the lower floors. For example, on the 1st floor the load on the structure reaches 80-90%. Any opening will weaken the cross-section of the load-bearing wall, which means the risk of the house collapsing will increase.

To create an opening, you need to order a redevelopment project and a technical report. The technical specifications are prepared by the author at home. In Moscow it is JSC MNIITEP. During the inspection, the specialist will ask for technical plans of the neighboring apartments - below and above. If their owners have already approved openings in their load-bearing walls, you will not be issued a permit.

How to properly increase the area of ​​the bathroom due to the corridor

In order to expand the bathroom due to the corridor, you need to move one wall to the required distance. Even if it is 15 centimeters, it may be that they are not enough to install a washing machine or a longer bathtub in which you can lie down without bending your knees.

There is no need to be sad if the bathroom is so small that you can only move sideways in it. There are many ways to increase the area. One of them is an increase in the number of square meters due to the corridor, in which we are still located, according to statistics, for a much shorter amount of time.

What redevelopments can be done without a project?

The project is needed in most cases. But sometimes you can do without it, namely:

1. Not redevelopment, but cosmetic repairs, for example - you have wallpapering, installing air conditioning, windows, replacing sockets or plumbing equipment in the toilet.
2. A sketch is drawn up - approval according to this scheme is considered a simplified version. It is enough to order a technical plan from the BTI and apply the planned changes to it. For example, laying a door block or demolishing plasterboard partitions in a Khrushchev building.
3. Selecting one of the standard projects in the catalog from the author of the house (JSC MNIITEP). Instead of a project, it is enough to provide a link to the redevelopment option you like, and the administration will approve it. But you cannot deviate from the standard project - otherwise the commission will not accept the work.

Before agreeing on redevelopment without a project, it is better to consult with specialists or a lawyer.

What are the consequences of illegal apartment redevelopment?

Uncoordinated redevelopment is considered unauthorized. If the supervisory authorities become aware of it, they will punish the owner of the living space. A signal about illegal redevelopment may come from a plumber, meter checkers, vigilant neighbors or other persons.

What could be the consequences:

• Administrative fine – from 2,000 to 2,500 rubles under Part 2 of Art. 7.21 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
• Make repairs and return the home to its original condition - based on an order from a housing inspector or a court decision. Of course, you will have to do the repairs at your own expense. And if you make an opening in a load-bearing wall, the costs can reach 500,000 rubles.
• A ban on leaving the country - if the court obliges you to eliminate violations, but you have not done so yet.
• Problems with selling an apartment - you can sell your home, but the price will be lower than for apartments without problems. Buyers will likely ask for a significant discount. After all, they will have to legitimize the redevelopment of the apartment on their own.
• The risk of being left without housing is if the court decides that the apartment should be put up for auction (clause 1, clause 5, article 29 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation). This is an extreme measure, but there are examples in practice.
• Criminal liability – when unauthorized redevelopment damages property or damages people’s health. It is possible that the violator will not get off with a fine. Serious injuries result in a prison sentence.

It should not be taken to extremes. Moreover, it is quite possible to coordinate the redevelopment.

What redevelopment can be done in a mortgaged apartment?

The same as in an apartment without encumbrances in the form of a mortgage.

Banks often accommodate clients who want to remodel their living space. The contract may not prohibit repair work. Therefore, redevelopment in a mortgaged apartment is not expressly prohibited.

Another thing is that the work must be coordinated with the bank and insurance company. Without their permission, redevelopment cannot be registered in Rosreestr, and it will be considered illegal. The lender will approve the simplest alterations according to a sketch without any problems, and the same for a project. And if the plans involve load-bearing walls, they may refuse. There are known cases when the bank did not approve the dismantling of the heated towel rail when the partition between the bathroom and the toilet was demolished.

Organization of a second bathroom

It is permissible to organize an additional bathroom in the non-residential part of the apartment. You can use a corridor or a storage room. The main thing is that on the BTI plan these premises are not designated as living rooms and there is a technical possibility of connecting engineering equipment.

Such alterations must be agreed upon in advance and the availability of utility networks (water supply and sewerage pipes) calculated.

To expand a small bathroom, use the most convenient and legal option.

author : Ruslan Kirnichansky

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Lawyer's answers to private questions

Is it possible to do redevelopment in a municipal apartment?

The law does not directly prohibit it. But before starting work, you need to obtain written permission from the Department of Housing Policy - the owner of the municipal apartment. If redevelopment is allowed, it can be done. In case of failure, unfortunately, repair work is prohibited.

Is it possible to expand the room through the corridor?

Yes. To do this, you can move a non-load-bearing wall in the apartment between the room and the corridor. Due to this, part of the non-residential space will become residential. The main thing is not to forget about the exit from the combined bathroom - the door should be in the corridor, and not in the living room. There is also an option to expand the living room by removing the built-in wardrobes.

Is it necessary to coordinate the expansion of the doorway in the kitchen? We plan to make it 10 cm wider.

Depends on the purpose of the wall. If it is load-bearing, any openings must be agreed upon with the author of the house. And strengthen the opening with metal structures around the entire perimeter. If the wall is not load-bearing, then a 10 cm opening is too minor a change. They can be coordinated according to the sketch, and not according to the project. Often inspectors do not have questions about minor deviations from the technical plan.

Algorithm of actions

The living area of ​​the home can be increased through a corridor or storage room by changing the configuration of the apartment.

At the same time, according to Article 25, Part 2 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to make changes to the housing registration certificate.

Redevelopment means:

• dismantling and moving walls;
• increasing living space due to storage rooms, hallway, corridor and other auxiliary premises;
• re-equipment and installation of vestibules;
• eliminating the dark kitchen, the entrance to it through the living rooms and apartment.

Increasing the living space in an apartment involves the following algorithm of actions:

1. development of a redevelopment project;
2. preparing an application, as well as the required documentation and submitting them to the relevant authorities to obtain permission to carry out work;
3. carrying out redevelopment and its registration.

Prepare a project

The preparation of a redevelopment project can be carried out by an individual entrepreneur or an organization that has joined an SRO (self-regulatory organization).

They are required, in accordance with Part 1 of Article 55.8 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, to have a certificate of admission to such work.

After creating the project, the individual entrepreneur or organization registers it with the SES, Rospotrebnadzor, fire supervision and architectural planning department.

Contact the authorized body along with documents

In Moscow, the Moscow Housing Inspectorate is coordinating the redevelopment.

Why does the owner of the apartment or a person authorized by him apply directly to the body responsible for approving redevelopment at the location of the housing, or through the MFC and provide the following documentation there:

• statement;
• original or notarized title documents for housing;
• prepared and executed project for the apartment;
• registration certificate of housing;
• written consent of all family members living in the apartment according to the social rental agreement;
• if the house is an architectural, cultural and historical monument, a conclusion from the body for the protection of architectural, historical and cultural monuments will be required on the admissibility of redevelopment work.

After the documents are accepted by the authority, a receipt is issued indicating their receipt, indicating the date of receipt and the list in accordance with Part 3 of Article 26 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

Get permission

The authority makes a decision within 45 days to refuse or approve the work.

In case of refusal, the decision can be appealed within three months from the moment it became known about the refusal in court (Part 1 of Article 218 and Part 1 of Article 219 of the CAS RF).

Carry out reconstruction and register

After the redevelopment work is completed, its completion is confirmed by the acceptance committee, which draws up a report.

How to approve illegal redevelopment in a five-story building? How to obtain a cadastral passport after redevelopment? Find out here.

Is it necessary to legalize the redevelopment of an old wooden house inside? Read on.

Then the body responsible for approving the redesign sends this act to Rosreestr so that the information is entered into the Unified State Register of Real Estate. Within 15 days, Rosreestr makes changes to the Unified State Register and sends a notification to the apartment owner by email or mail.