Major construction defects found in new Kuopio apartment building

A new residential building constructed by Lujatalo in Kuopio, Finland, has been plagued by extensive defects, with one apartment requiring 74 separate repairs, Yle reports. Three years after moving in, resident Janne Vainio finally received a fully functional home—though disputes between the housing association and the developer remain unresolved.

When Vainio took possession of his 58.5 m² apartment in March 2019, it lacked running water and electricity. The 300,000-euro unit, located in Kuopio’s city center, proved riddled with flaws. “The list of defects was as long as the bread lines in Moscow in 1984,” Vainio said. After three years of repairs, 74 separate issues were addressed, though some disputes with Lujatalo persist.

Legal experts describe such conflicts as widespread in Finland’s new housing developments. Mikko Saari, a lawyer specializing in construction disputes, states that nearly every new residential project faces some level of disagreement. “These cases can drag on for over a decade,” he noted, citing tactics where developers deliberately delay repairs by disputing responsibility or performing superficial fixes. Some ignore inquiries entirely, leaving residents uncertain about progress.

Lujatalo declined to comment on Vainio’s case but asserted that defects are typically resolved within three months of the one-year inspection. Tero Saanisto, the company’s residential construction director, attributed prolonged disputes to “personal chemistry” between parties or mismatched quality expectations. “We may not have met the customer’s anticipated standard,” he admitted.

Despite a 2024 ruling by Finland’s Consumer Disputes Board ordering Lujatalo to address the Kuopio building’s defects, repairs have advanced slowly. Vainio estimates spending over 1,000 hours managing the issue, sending weekly emails to the developer for more than six years. “The sauna alone was fixed three times. Why not do it right the first time?” he questioned.

Saari advises new-home buyers to hire independent inspectors during construction, ensure all building documents are transferred to the housing association, and meticulously document defects during the one-year warranty period.