Getting radiator replacement approved by the house manager is mandatory if the apartment is connected to the building's central heating. A radiator is part of the whole building's heating system: to remove it, the heating riser usually has to be shut off and drained, and a wrongly chosen radiator or valve can leave the neighbours without heat. Get the work approved in advance and plan it outside the heating season.
The Apartment Property Law (Dzīvokļa īpašuma likums) also counts heating elements within the apartment as common property if their operation depends on the utilities in common ownership. A radiator connected to the building's heating riser is usually exactly such a case.
Explanations on LV portāls stress that each case is assessed separately. If disconnecting or removing the radiator affects the building's shared heating system, it is common property. The exact boundary in a particular building may be set by the building design, the management contract or decisions of the owners' meeting. This determines who pays: a radiator that is separate property is replaced by the apartment owner, while replacing a radiator that is common property needs a decision of the owners' meeting.
In both cases you need the house manager's approval. The same applies to a towel rail replacement if the rail is connected to the hot water or heating riser.
In 2023 the heat supply company "Siltumserviss Rīga" stated that an unapproved radiator replacement in one apartment is the most common reason why the heat supply to the whole building is disrupted during the heating season. In one season the company recorded more than 120 such cases in the buildings it serves.
The reasons are technical. A radiator with a different output, too little flow at the connection point or valves without a bypass can upset heat circulation in the whole building or part of it. Old Soviet-era single-pipe systems are especially sensitive, as the water in the riser passes through all the radiators one after another. Because the work is done behind the closed door of an apartment, the faulty spot is hard to find, and the neighbours may be left in the cold for a long time.
The LV portāls explanation states that without a calculation you must not significantly increase the radiator's output, change the connection layout or remove thermostatic regulators if this affects the balancing of the system.
A written application or an e-mail to the house manager is usually enough. LV portāls recommends stating:
Also ask whether the building needs a calculation or design documents, whether a thermostatic valve may be fitted and whether a bypass is mandatory. Ask for the conditions in writing so that the plumber can follow them.
To remove a radiator, the heating riser usually has to be closed and drained if there are no shut-off valves at the radiator. The riser and the heating substation are the building's common property, so the house manager organises the shutdown. After installation the system is refilled and bled.
During the heating season this means that all the apartments on that riser are temporarily left without heat. That is why heat supply specialists recommend carrying out heating system alterations outside the heating season. If a radiator leaks in the middle of the season, report it to the house manager straight away and agree on an emergency shutdown.
Find out what you have
The radiator type (cast iron, steel panel, aluminium), its size, whether the connection is from the side or from below, and whether the radiator has valves and a bypass.
Application to the house manager
State the address, the time and the details of the new radiator. Wait for a written reply and the conditions.
Timing and neighbours
Agree the day of the riser shutdown with the house manager and warn the neighbours on the same riser.
Removal and installation
The old radiator is removed, the pipe ends are checked, and the brackets, valves and new radiator are installed in the approved layout.
Refilling and testing
Once permitted, the riser is refilled, the radiator is bled and the joints are checked. Let the house manager know that the work is finished.
Once you have the approval, you can book the work on the radiator replacement page.
The LV portāls explanation states that unauthorised replacement of heating elements that are common property may lead to administrative liability under Section 25 of the Construction Law (Būvniecības likums). If other co-owners suffer losses because of one co-owner's actions, that co-owner must compensate them. An unapproved alteration may also be noted in a property valuation, for example when taking out a loan.
Radiator replacement costs from €70 per radiator (labour). The radiator, valves and brackets, as well as any design documents required by the house manager and shutting off the riser, are not included. The price depends on:
We give the exact price once we have assessed the situation and agree it before the work starts. Shutting off and refilling the riser is organised by the house manager, and there may be a separate charge for it according to the building's rules.
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Radiator replacement in an apartment | from €70 | depends on the radiator type, valves and condition of the pipes; we agree the price before the work |
Underfloor heating connected to the building's heating riser is the same kind of intervention in the shared heating system as replacing a radiator, only bigger. The floor circuit takes heat from the same riser that heats the neighbours and can disrupt circulation. That is why it is not done without the house manager's approval.
The Ministry of Economics explained on LV portāls that rebuilding the internal heating usually requires a layout plan prepared by a qualified specialist, and the plan is agreed with the building's owner or manager. Without documents, the building authority may treat such a rebuild as unauthorised. The regulations have no separate method for splitting heating charges for an apartment with underfloor heating, but the owners can agree on a different arrangement.
In an apartment, the safer option is often electric underfloor heating, installed by an electrician. If the house manager allows a water-based system, see underfloor heating installation.
Sources
After submitting, we'll contact you within 5 minutes!
We'll contact you within 5 minutes!