BUILDING ACT CHANGES: THE RULES OF SIMPLE NOTIFICATION

At the end of March 2017, the Hungarian Parliament accepted the amendment to the Building Act, which enters into force on 27 April 2017. According to the current rules, if natural persons start the construction of new buildings which do not exceed the limit of 300 sqm or the extension of existing residential buildings up to 300 sqm, the constructions works have to be carried out by a simple notification instead of a building permit.

As a result of the recent amendment, the simple notification will also be applicable in case of the construction or extension of a building above 300 sqm ensuring own housing purposes and also if the new residential building contains only one complete flat. In addition, the list of unlawful cases had been extended, as in case these conditions are not met, it shall be considered as unlawful construction activity. According to the amendment, after the completion of the construction or extension works, the function of the building may not be changed within 5 years calculated from the issuance of the certificate by the authority verifying the existence of the residential building constructed by simple notification.
The annex of the Building Act containing the amount of the administrative fees for issuing the official certificate has been removed from the Building Act and will now be regulated in a ministerial decree.
The amendment shall not apply for the building authorization procedures already in process.