Croatia imposes fines for installing air conditioners on building façades

Croatia has passed a new building management law that makes installing air conditioners on building façades punishable by fines of up to EUR 10,000.

Extremely high temperatures, which are becoming increasingly common due to climate change, would be almost unbearable without air conditioning. Croatia’s new Law on Building Management and Maintenance, which comes into effect on January 1, 2025, bans the installation of external air conditioning units on building façades.

The law will not be applied retroactively, meaning that citizens who already have air conditioners installed will not face fines.

Similar regulations were in place before, but were not enforced consistently

“Any contractor who installs an air conditioner on a façade visible from the street can be fined between EUR 5,000 and EUR 10,000,” Željko Uhlir, State Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, has told Nova TV. Apartment owners who fail to comply with the Law can also expect fines, ranging from EUR 1,000 to EUR 5,000.

Similar legal provisions prohibiting the installation of air conditioners on façades existed before, but were not consistently enforced. Installers are supposed to warn customers about these provisions, but they regularly fail to do so. Air conditioners remain on façades even in buildings that have undergone energy renovation.

The new law also imposes fines for construction works that disfigure the appearance of buildings

According to Nedjeljko Tišljer, a tenant representative, the unsightly appearance of buildings in Croatia is exacerbated by external air conditioning units. “But the change is not so simple, because people who want to move their air conditioners will likely have to replace the pipes as well,” said Tišljer.

The new law also imposes fines for construction works that spoil the appearance of buildings, such as enclosing balconies or loggias. Uhlir stressed that buildings have not been managed properly for a very long time, which has strained relationships between co-owners and deteriorated the appearance of Croatian cities.