Croatia cracking down on visible air-con units on facades

The Croatian government has submitted a proposal for the Building Management and Maintenance Act for its first reading in Parliament.

The part of the proposal that has garnered the most public attention concerns restrictions on the conversion of residential properties for commercial use. If the proposal is approved, from 1st January 2025, property owners will require the consent of 80 per cent of the building’s co-owners to convert flats into tourist apartments.

However, this is not the only change. The new proposal also elaborates on certain aspects of maintaining residential buildings.

The government has included severe penalties in the new law for those whose air conditioning units are visible from the street on building façades, as well as for unauthorised alterations such as the closing of balconies or loggias.

Fines could reach up to five and a half thousand euros, and the law is set to come into effect from the New Year, reports Dnevnik.hr.

“This issue with air conditioning units is a problem for the city. High-rise buildings can position them on balconies; they don’t need to be on the main façade,” said some residents. “Air conditioning units are a necessary evil. We have no other place to put them, so they end up on the façades,” they added.

Even on buildings that have undergone energy renovations, some air conditioning units remain in place. “Our buildings really look disastrous. Of course, the variety of air conditioning units makes it even more noticeable, but it’s not simple. Those who installed older units might need to replace the pipes as well,” explained a building representative, Nedjeljko Tišljer.

Most buildings are in a state of disrepair, and the law will come into effect from the New Year. However, it will not be applied retroactively, meaning that residents or contractors who disobey the rules could face hefty fines.

“Anyone installing an air conditioning unit on a façade visible from the street could face fines ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 euros, while the building’s co-owner could be fined between 1,000 and 5,000 euros,” stated Željko Uhlir, State Secretary at the Ministry of Construction.

In addition to air conditioning units, the new Building Management Act also addresses subsequent alterations, such as the closing of balconies or loggias. “We have a few residents who closed their loggias and legalised them, but there are also many who did it without authorisation,” said another building representative.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s Split or Karlovac. Too much time has passed without proper building management. Not only do our cities look unattractive, but the relationships between co-owners are also strained, and the rules are unclear,” Uhlir added.

Besides inspectors, local community wardens will also be responsible for enforcing order.

“These air conditioning units are still being installed on façades. Even tradespeople who should be warning their customers don’t do so; they just go ahead and install them. So far, I haven’t heard of anyone being fined for it,” said the building representative.