Case Study of Standard Multi-Storey Residential Building Owners and Tenants’ Perception of Building Technical Conditions and Renovation Issues

Abstract

Abstract The majority of residents in Latvia live in standard multi-storey residential buildings, which were constructed between 1950 and 1992. At present, these buildings are obsolete; besides, in the course of construction process the durability and reliability levels were planned to be insufficient. In Riga, residents of standard multi-storey residential buildings do not support building renovation and are passive, despite the availability of the EU and government support as well as co-financing of building renovation projects. The majority of the respondents assume that the apartment is the most significant asset of the family. Moreover, 34 % - 69 % of the participants have renovated their apartment and save resources within their apartment boundaries. Only some respondents evaluate the technical condition of communal property, but most respondents do not have information concerning resource supply and energy accounting as well as are not interested in resource saving possibilities within the building in general, and do not understand the importance of technical maintenance of the building.