The Construction State Control Bureau (BVKB) reminds that on 10 March 2026, amendments to Cabinet Regulation No. 384 “Building Inspection Standard LBN 405-21 – Technical Inspection of Buildings” entered into force. These amendments clarify the procedure for periodic technical inspections of buildings and define cases where such inspections will no longer be required.

The amendments to the building standard establish specific situations in which periodic technical inspections may be waived for second- and third-group public buildings or multi-storey apartment buildings. These situations include:

• part of the building has been renovated or reconstructed within the last 10 years and the works have been commissioned for use;

• the building authority has prohibited the use of the building;

• the building has been conserved;

• the building is not actually in use and is located in a fenced area.

However, in cases where a building is not in use but is freely accessible from at least one façade, the construction specialist must still assess pedestrian safety risks and the need for conservation measures during the inspection. This will help identify potential hazards to the surrounding environment and public safety in time, such as risks of structural detachment, falling façade elements, or other dangerous defects, and ensure that the owner implements the necessary safety or conservation measures.

The amendments also introduce a new obligation for the building owner (or, if none, the legal possessor) to inform the local building authority or BVKB if a second- or third-group public building or a multi-storey apartment building is not actually being used or if its use is resumed.
BVKB is currently improving the functionality of the Construction Information System (BIS) so that from 1 November 2026, building owners will be able to submit this information through BIS instead of spending time contacting the building authority or BVKB directly.

The amendments further stipulate that the building standard will no longer apply to:

• inspections of linear engineering structures of electricity supply operators and their associated transformer substation buildings, and

• safety assessment of lifts, as this is regulated by other legal acts.

“Technical inspection of buildings is an important tool for ensuring the safe use of buildings. At the same time, practice showed that in some cases it was carried out formally simply to comply with regulatory requirements. With the amendments, the regulation maintains safety control where necessary but allows inspections to be waived where a building is not in use or has recently been renovated,” notes BVKB Director Baiba Vītoliņa.

To improve the availability of information on building energy efficiency, the amendments also require that during periodic technical inspections public buildings owned by the state or municipalities with an area exceeding 250 m² must obtain an energy certificate if the building does not already have a valid one. This approach will help ensure regular updating of data on building energy efficiency and support state policy planning in the field of building stock renovation and decarbonisation.

The amendments also clarify the scope of periodic technical inspections. During the inspection, the inspector will primarily evaluate:

• the mechanical strength and stability of load-bearing structures,

• safety of use,

• the existence of documentation on the maintenance of fire safety systems, and

• visually assess possible changes in the building that could negatively affect fire safety.

These clarifications help clearly distinguish technical building inspections from other supervisory areas, such as fire safety control.

BVKB also reminds that certified construction specialists conducting building inspections must continue to upload their technical inspection reports to the Construction Information System (BIS). BIS serves as a unified platform for storing information on the technical condition and use of buildings, ensuring transparent information exchange between professionals and institutions and helping the state obtain up-to-date data on the condition of buildings and the building stock.

The amendments will affect more than 17,000 property owners, both natural and legal persons, as well as construction companies and certified construction specialists performing periodic technical inspections.

BVKB invites owners and managers of second- and third-group public buildings, as well as professionals in the construction sector, to familiarise themselves with the amendments and to contact BVKB or the relevant municipal building authority in case of questions.

Learn more about Cabinet Regulation No. 384 “Building Inspection Standard LBN 405-21 – Technical Inspection of Buildings.”