How long is a tilstandsrapport valid?
The tilstandsrapport must be no older than 6 months when the buyer receives it (Ældre Sagen).
You must be shown the reports and the ejerskifteforsikring offer before you make an offer or sign the purchase agreement. If all of that is provided, the seller is as a rule released from liability for hidden defects, even if you do not take out the insurance (Ældre Sagen).
How long are the elinstallationsrapport and energimærke valid?
- Elinstallationsrapport (electrical report): 1 year.
- Energimærke (energy label): 10 years.
Calculator: is the condition report still valid?
Check the dates of the tilstandsrapport, elinstallationsrapport and energimærke
Tilstandsrapport: no older than 6 months when the buyer receives it. Elinstallationsrapport: 1 year. Energimærke: 10 years (Ældre Sagen).
The energy label is valid for 10 years, and in that time the house may have changed both ways. New solar panels or district heating make the old label worse than the house. A broken heat pump or a switch to a wood stove make it better. In our data 36 of 63 houses had a C, even though 58 of 63 were built in 1950-1990: the letter is often "pulled up" by district heating, not by the walls.
In 54 of 55 detailed electrical reports in our data there was at least one item on "illegal installation", and in 37 of 63 houses there were sockets without working earthing. "Illegal" usually means "done yourself", not "dangerous". The most important section to read is "fire risk": such items appeared in 41 of 55 reports.
What happens if the tilstandsrapport has expired?
From our data: 17 of 74 condition reports had already expired when we downloaded the sales documents (HUSDATA). The report may have been valid when the house was listed. But if you receive it after 6 months, ask the seller for a new one: otherwise he risks not being released from liability, and you get an outdated picture of the house.
What does "ikke besigtiget" mean in a tilstandsrapport?
The surveyor inspects what he can reach. If there is no access, he writes "ikke besigtiget" (not inspected) or "delvist besigtiget" (partly inspected).
From our data: in 52 of 76 reports part of the house was not inspected or only partly inspected. In 43 of them at least one part was not seen at all (HUSDATA). Typical examples:
- a loft or eaves space (skunk) screwed shut;
- a facade right on the boundary that cannot be reached;
- the floor under a carpet;
- a crawl space (krybekælder) the seller knows about but which is not in the report.
Share of reports. Source: HUSDATA Nordjylland 2026.
The electrician has his own "not inspected" too. 14 times in our data the electrician wrote that he could not find where a socket or a light got its power, and a few more times that he could not remove a lamp or a panel cover. These are places nobody checked, and they are not in the tilstandsrapport.
What does a tilstandsrapport not cover?
Apart from the "not inspected" areas, by law the report does not look at cosmetics and normal wear, and the sewer is not part of the standard inspection. That is exactly where surprises hide most often, and exactly where the ejerskifteforsikring is weakest: the insurer can point out that the area was not inspected, and proving the problem existed before the purchase is very hard.
One buyer told a Facebook group that the condition report did not find serious mould, but his own surveyor did. The mould was in a loft marked "not inspected" in the report.
None of the 63 reports we reviewed in detail mention radon, only 8 mention the sewer, and a TV inspection of the sewer is not recommended even once. That is how the law works: these things are not in the tilstandsrapport. "A clean report" means "clean in what was inspected".
The report does not say whether all buildings on the plot are legal. In 29 of 76 houses in our data there were buildings not in the BBR register: a shed, a carport, a conservatory. The surveyor notes the deviation but does not check the building permit. The question for the agent: "is there a building permit or not?".
How do you check the areas that were not inspected yourself?
You do not need to hire someone straight away to see whether there may be a problem. Anything grey or "not inspected" in the report, ask to see at the viewing:
- loft and eaves spaces: torch through the hatch, look for dark patches, a musty smell, wet insulation;
- crawl space: is there access, is it dry, does it smell damp;
- floor under the carpet: ask for a corner to be lifted;
- window corners and walls behind furniture: condensation and mould;
- facade at the boundary: at least from over the hedge or in the seller's photos.
If you see signs of damp, or you are refused access, that is already a signal: then bring your own surveyor for exactly that area.
When should you use your own surveyor?
- the house is old and important areas are "not inspected";
- you have seen signs of damp, mould or old leaks yourself;
- the seller and the report contradict each other.
My view
I read the "not inspected" section before the red items. Red items are known costs. "Not inspected" means unknown ones, and those are exactly what the insurance pays worst for. If the loft and crawl space of an old house were not inspected, I would not sign until someone had seen them, even if it is you with a torch.
Yurii Khlivnenko, founder of NordIndsigt
On your own or with us?
You can read the report yourself if you have Danish and the patience for dozens of pages. The harder part is telling which "not inspected" is a detail and which is a reason to call a surveyor. Hundreds of reports read help us with that. And a buyer who likes the house reads "not inspected" as a formality. With us you get, within 24-48 hours, a list of areas to see at the viewing and questions for the agent in your language.
In short
The first thing to check: is the report still valid, and what in it was not inspected?
What did the surveyor not see in your house?
BoligCheck shows what has not been checked and what it could cost.
Order BoligCheck, DKK 299Frequently asked questions
How long is a tilstandsrapport valid?
The tilstandsrapport must be no older than 6 months when the buyer receives it (Ældre Sagen).
Calculator: is the condition report still valid?
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What happens if the tilstandsrapport has expired?
From our data: 17 of 74 condition reports had already expired when we downloaded the sales documents (HUSDATA). The report may have been valid when the house was listed. But if you receive it after 6 months, ask the seller for a new one: otherwise he risks not being released from liability, and you get an outdated picture of the house.
What does "ikke besigtiget" mean in a tilstandsrapport?
The surveyor inspects what he can reach. If there is no access, he writes "ikke besigtiget" (not inspected) or "delvist besigtiget" (partly inspected).
What does a tilstandsrapport not cover?
Apart from the "not inspected" areas, by law the report does not look at cosmetics and normal wear, and the sewer is not part of the standard inspection. That is exactly where surprises hide most often, and exactly where the ejerskifteforsikring is weakest: the insurer can point out that the area was not inspected, and proving the problem existed before the purchase is very hard.
How do you check the areas that were not inspected yourself?
You do not need to hire someone straight away to see whether there may be a problem. Anything grey or "not inspected" in the report, ask to see at the viewing:
