Do you need a permit to renovate an apartment in Geneva?

This question comes up at the very start of a renovation, and it calls for a careful answer: everything depends on the type of works, the building and your situation (owner in a co-ownership, or PPE, owner of a house, or tenant). In Geneva, building authorisations are handled by the cantonal authority, whereas in the canton of Vaud the commune is the main point of contact.

Works that usually raise the question

Purely interior works that do not modify the structure or the facades generally do not need an authorisation: renewing floor and wall finishes, rethinking the layout of furniture, changing the decoration. An authorisation may, however, be needed as soon as the project involves:

• a window or another opening in the facade;
• a load-bearing wall or another structural element;
• the designated use of a room.

Our role in checking

From the concept phase, we identify the interventions that may require an authorisation and adapt the design where necessary. When the works affect the structure or the facade, we work with an architect and an engineer and prepare the file together. In a PPE building, the co-ownership rules and the administrator must also be consulted. If you rent, the régie (property manager) remains your first point of contact.

Final confirmation must always come from the competent cantonal authority. To see the kind of projects we carry out in Geneva, discover the Tranchées apartment, the japandi apartment Pic Pic or the Devancet villa in Vernier.

Key takeaways

• Purely interior works generally do not need an authorisation.
• Windows, load-bearing walls and the use of rooms are the points to check.
• Confirmation comes from the Geneva cantonal authority, and from the PPE where relevant.