Hidden defects after buying a home in Norway: how to complain (2026)

If you discover a fault after taking over the home, complain in writing to the seller as soon as possible. The absolute deadline is five years from takeover, but you must also report it within reasonable time after you discover the fault. A general “sold as is” reservation does not protect the seller in a consumer purchase, so you have rights even if the listing said the home was sold in its current state.

A hidden defect (skjult feil) is a fault that neither you nor the seller knew about at purchase and that was not shown in the condition report or the disclosures. Rot behind a wall or a leak under the tiles are typical examples. Faults you could see in the report or at the viewing do not count, because you had a duty to investigate.

How to complain, step by step

1. Document the fault. Take photos and note what you found and when. Do not start repairs before the fault is documented, or the evidence can disappear.
2. Complain in writing to the seller. Describe the defect and state that you are making a claim. An email or letter is enough, and it gives you a timestamp for when you reported it.
3. Contact your insurer. If you have buyer’s insurance, it handles the lawyer and the case. The seller in turn often reports the matter to their seller’s insurance.
4. Get a professional assessment. A surveyor or tradesperson can establish cause and cost, which is what you need to put a figure on the claim.

The deadlines: 5 years, reasonable time and 3 years

Three deadlines decide whether your claim holds up. The most important is the absolute five-year limit.

Deadline	What it means
Within reasonable time	You must complain soon after you discovered, or should have discovered, the fault
5 years (absolute)	The right lapses five years after takeover, no matter what
3 years (limitation)	A monetary claim can lapse three years after you gained, or should have gained, knowledge of it

Because time counts against you, report it in writing the moment you see something wrong. Waiting is the most common way to lose an otherwise valid claim.

”Sold as is” does not stop you

Many buyers think a “sold as is” reservation means they took on all the risk. In a consumer purchase, the reservation has no effect. Since 2022, avhendingslova section 3-9 says a seller cannot sign away liability toward an ordinary home buyer that way. The home must match the report and the information you were given.

Incorrect information in the self-declaration

Before the sale, the seller fills in a self-declaration (egenerklæring) about the home. If the seller withholds or gives incorrect information about something they knew or must have known, there is a defect under avhendingslova sections 3-7 and 3-8. If the seller knew about an earlier water leak and did not mention it, your position is strong. Keep the self-declaration and the sales prospectus, as they are the record of what you were told.

What the insurance covers

Buyer’s insurance mainly covers legal and case costs when you pursue a claim against the seller, not the repair itself. The seller in turn often has seller’s insurance (boligselgerforsikring) covering their liability for hidden defects after the sale. For many buyers, the insurance lowers the threshold for taking a real case, because you do not have to pay a lawyer up front.

Whether the seller must cover the fault depends on the scale and on what was disclosed. A minor deviation is not always enough, but a genuine hidden defect of some value usually gives you a claim.

Heimer reads the sales prospectus and surfaces the TG findings, the self-declaration and the total price before you bid, so fewer faults become a surprise afterward. Paste the listing.