Must pay 2 million for conversion of apartments

Apartments.Photo: pixabay.com

Company who converted two large apartments into 21 single rooms must pay NOK 2 million in compensation

An 86 year old city property owner has been granted compensation by the court of appeal after his tenant converted two apartments at Frogner into 21 single dwellings without permission.

 

Since 2013, Stein Tore Bjørningstad Bjørni has tried to evict the tenant from the town property he owns at Frogner in Oslo, reports the newspaper Dagens Næringsliv.

He believes the two urban apartments in question were illegally converted into 21 single rooms.

Bjørni lost the case in Oslo District Court, but appealed and won in the Borgarting Court of Appeal.

In 2010, he entered into an agreement to rent out two flats on the third floor of Thomas Heftyes gate to Frogner Boligutleie (Frogner Apartment Rentals), wrote the newspaper.

Breach of contract

The apartments had been run as a guesthouse during the interwar period, and consisted of twelve rooms for rent when Frogner Boligutleie took over the contract.

The Court of Appeal concluded that the significant rebuilding and changes ‘constitutes a qualifying breach that entitles a claim under the tenancy agreement’.

Frogner Boligutleie, as well as the private owners, are sentenced to pay compensation of NOK 2 million to restore the apartments, in addition to covering Bjørni’s court costs of NOK 1.3 million.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today