Defect notice (reklamaatio)

A defect notice (reklamaatio) is a notification by which you tell the seller about a defect you have found in a home or property. It must be made within a reasonable time from when the defect was discovered or should have been discovered. In the practice of the Consumer Disputes Board, a reasonable time has usually been considered to be about 3-4 months, but the time depends on the case. If you delay too long, you can lose your right to invoke the defect.

The defect notice also has an absolute deadline, after which the defect can no longer be invoked, even if it is found only later. For a share-based apartment (a housing company apartment) the deadline is 2 years, and for real property (your own lot and house) it is 5 years from the transfer of possession. In cases of deliberate or dishonourable conduct, the deadline does not bind the seller.

Always make a defect notice in writing, for example by email, so that its timing and content can be proven later. Describe the defect, when you noticed it, and what you demand. At this stage you do not need an exact euro amount or a final repair estimate, what matters most is reporting the defect in time. You can add details later.

A defect notice typically concerns hidden defects (salainen virhe), which the buyer could not have detected before the deal. If you notice anything clearly abnormal in a home, it is worth acting at once and noting your observation down, so that the reasonable time does not run out.