Renovating an apartment: what you can do yourself and what needs a permit

A summary of legal articles in newspapers and news sites (sources at the end), not legal advice. Legal texts may have been amended; check the original texts or ask the competent authority. Updated 24 October 2026.

An apartment is privately owned, but it sits in a building with shared load-bearing structure and technical systems. That is why even work inside your home has limits. This article helps you tell apart what you can do yourself, what needs a permit, and what to ask before hiring workers.

1. Types of renovation work

Work	Level	Notes
Repainting walls, changing lights, replacing sanitary fixtures	Usually done yourself	Do not damage shared areas or affect other homes
Re-laying floors, replacing furniture, building cabinets	Usually done yourself	Follow working hours and building rules
Replacing water pipes or wiring inside the unit	Proceed with care	May involve shared-ownership parts; ask the building management
Chiselling walls, adding doors, moving the bathroom	May need a permit	If it affects the design of the privately owned area or the structure
Demolishing load-bearing walls, altering columns, beams, slabs	Permit required	Strictly restricted
Extending, encroaching on shared areas, changing use	Not allowed without approval	Prohibited acts

The table is only a guide; specific cases are determined by the building management and the authorities.

2. Legal bases that could be opened

• Housing Law 2023, clause 5 Article 3: according to LuatVietnam, the law prohibits changing or extending a home without the owner's consent; renovating an apartment building must comply with the Housing Law, the Construction Law and, where the law requires, the project.
• Older rule quoted by many articles: apartment owners may not alter the load-bearing structure or the design of the privately owned area on their own; they may repair or replace damaged privately owned parts as long as they do not damage shared parts or deform or damage the structure (Luật Hùng Phúc, citing the Housing Law 2014 and Circular 28/2016/TT-BXD). Because that law has been replaced, you need to check the corresponding provision of the Housing Law 2023 before applying it.
• Circular 05/2024/TT-BXD: according to LuatVietnam, you must cooperate so that the maintenance team can handle leaks in floors and bathrooms that involve shared-ownership parts; after repairs you must restore the original condition and compensate if you damage others' property.

3. When a permit is needed: documents and deadlines

According to LuatVietnam, a permit application includes:

1. An application form in the prescribed template.
2. Documents proving ownership or use rights.
3. Drawings of the current condition and photos of the apartment and the surrounding area before the work.
4. Renovation design documents.

Submit 2 sets. According to that article: the authority has 7 days to appraise the file and may inspect the site and request additions once; the consulted authority has 12 days to reply; the licensing authority decides within 15 days after receiving a valid and complete file. The licensing authority depends on the grade of the building (usually the district People's Committee for grade III and IV works, per the article; the rest needs confirming with the locality).

4. What to ask the building management before starting work

Beyond the law, each building has its own rules. You usually need to ask:

• Do you have to register the work and pay a deposit?
• Working hours, rest days, how materials are transported, use of lifts.
• Whether you may change doors, glass or install air conditioners on the facade (the building's appearance is often restricted).
• Whether the developer's warranty is affected if you do the work.

5. Common mistakes

• Chiselling the bathroom floor to move pipes: this may affect waterproofing and shared parts; find out carefully (waterproofing a home).
• Demolishing a wall to enlarge a room: is it a load-bearing wall or a partition? You need the building's structural drawings.
• Installing a gas stove or water heater against the building's fire-safety rules: ask the building management.
• Extending the balcony, enclosing it, or building a cage outside the facade: this falls under extending or changing the exterior.

6. Checklist before renovating

1. Read the sale contract, building rules and the current-condition drawings.
2. Get the structural and technical-system drawings of your unit (pipes, wiring) from the building management or developer.
3. List the items as light, medium or heavy work.
4. Ask who you need permission from for each item, in writing if possible.
5. Choose workers with apartment experience, and write the duty to restore and compensate into the contract.
6. Take photos before and after the work.

7. If you buy a unit handed over as shell

Understand the boundaries above before signing the contract (shell or finished handover). For reference costs, see interior finishing costs.

Note: do not alter the load-bearing structure or shared-ownership parts on your own. When in doubt, ask the building management and the local construction authority before starting work.

• LuatVietnam — Sửa chữa nhà chung cư có phải xin phép không? (cites clause 5 Article 3 of the Housing Law 2023, Circular 05/2024/TT-BXD; documents, permit deadlines; the page shows no publication date), accessed 24/10/2026.
• Luật Hùng Phúc — Các trường hợp sửa chữa nhà chung cư không phải xin phép (cites the Housing Law 2014 and Circular 28/2016/TT-BXD; no publication date; regulations may have changed), accessed 24/10/2026.
• The articles above are summaries by news sites / law firms, not original texts on the state portal.