What the Danish condition report classifications mean
A tilstandsrapport is a surveyor's assessment of a property's visible condition. Every defect is classified by severity. Reports from before October 2020 use K1/K2/K3; newer reports use grey, yellow and red — the meaning is identical. This guide explains what each classification means and what you should do as a buyer.
The classification system
| Old (pre-2020) | New (from 2020) | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| K3 | Red | Critical defect. Risk of personal injury or major structural damage. Must be repaired immediately. | Demand repair or a significant price reduction. Consider walking away. |
| K2 | Yellow | Significant defect. Should be repaired — can worsen and become more expensive over time. | Get contractor quotes. Use them as the basis for price negotiation. |
| K1 | Grey | Minor defect. No immediate action required, but should be monitored. | Note it and plan maintenance over time. |
| IB | IB | Nothing to note — no visible defect found. | No action needed. |
| UN | UN | Not investigated — surveyor did not have access to this area. | Find out why. Demand independent access before signing. |
What yellow (K2) means for you
Yellow is the most common classification in an average Danish property report. It means the surveyor found a defect that should be repaired — not immediately critical, but not something to ignore either.
Key point: Because yellow defects are documented in the report, they are not covered by owner's defect insurance. You take them on as known issues. That is exactly why they matter before you sign. What does owner's defect insurance cover? →
A yellow defect won't automatically kill a deal. Most properties have several. What matters is understanding precisely what you are taking on and whether the price reflects it.
Typical yellow defects
- Roof: Blocked gutters, missing or misaligned tiles, early breakdown of roofing felt
- Damp: Moisture traces in basement or crawl space without active water ingress
- Facade: Cracks in brickwork, flaking render, early corrosion on wall ties
- Windows and doors: Rot in frames, defective seals, failed double glazing
- Installations: Older electrical wiring that does not meet current standards (not dangerous)
How to use the report in price negotiation
1. Get quotes
Contact one or two contractors — a plumber, carpenter or electrician depending on the defect — and get a written quote for repair. This gives you a concrete number to negotiate from.
2. Request a price reduction
Yellow and red defects are legitimate grounds for a lower price. The seller is aware of them — they are in the report. You are not asking for anything unreasonable. Ask for a reduction matching the documented repair costs.
Negotiation tip: A specific, documented amount is easier for the seller to accept than a rough estimate. Lead with the quotes, not a gut feeling.
UN — not investigated
If you see UN on critical elements — roof, foundation, basement — demand access for an independent assessment before you sign. UN protects the seller's liability but gives you no information. It is a blind spot in the report.
The electrical inspection report (elinstallatørrapport)
A condition report covers the building fabric — structure, roof, damp, foundations. It does not cover the electrical installation. For that there is a separate document: the elinstallatørrapport, which must be carried out by an authorised electrician.
The elinstallatørrapport is required alongside the tilstandsrapport for the seller to benefit from the home buyer guarantee scheme. It classifies the electrical installation's compliance with current regulations and notes anything that poses a safety risk or legal non-compliance.
Key things to look for in an elinstallatørrapport:
- IT-fejl (faults): Active non-compliance with current electrical regulations — these may require mandatory remediation.
- Forældet installation (outdated installation): Old wiring (e.g. rubber-insulated cables from pre-1970) that is not compliant but not necessarily immediately dangerous. A common finding in older properties.
- Sikkerhedsmæssig risiko (safety risk): Anything that poses an active hazard — this requires immediate attention.
Updating old wiring in a large house can cost 50,000–150,000 DKK or more. If the elinstallatørrapport flags extensive outdated installation, get a quote from an electrician before you sign — and use it in price negotiations.
How old can the reports be?
For the home buyer guarantee scheme to apply at the time of sale, both the tilstandsrapport and elinstallatørrapport must be no more than 6 months old at the time the purchase agreement is signed. If you are buying a property that has been on the market for a while, check the dates on both reports.
If the reports have expired, the seller must either commission new ones or sell without the guarantee scheme — in which case they cannot limit their liability for hidden defects.
Buying without a condition report
A seller is not legally required to produce a condition report — but if they don't, they cannot use the home buyer guarantee scheme. This means:
- The seller cannot limit their liability for hidden defects. You retain the right to claim against them for defects discovered after purchase, under general Danish property law.
- You cannot take out owner's defect insurance — the insurance is tied to the existence of a valid condition report.
- The seller does not need to pay 50% of an insurance premium (because there's no insurance to pay for).
Buying without a report can work in your favour — you have a stronger claim if defects surface later — but it also means no insurance safety net and potentially a costly legal battle to pursue the seller. For most buyers, a fresh report commissioned by the seller is the better outcome.
If the seller won't provide a report: You can commission an independent building survey yourself (bygningsgennemgang) at your own cost — typically 3,000–8,000 DKK — to inform your purchase decision. This is not the same as a tilstandsrapport and does not trigger the insurance scheme, but it gives you information.
Surveyor liability
If a building surveyor (bygningssagkyndig) misses a defect that should have been visible during a competent inspection, they can be held liable for the resulting loss. This is separate from the owner's defect insurance route.
In practice, pursuing a surveyor for negligence is difficult: you must prove both that the defect was visible at the time of inspection and that a competent surveyor exercising due care would have identified it. The defect must also not have been in a UN (not investigated) area, since the surveyor has expressly disclaimed access to those.
Surveyor claims are handled through their professional indemnity insurance and the Danish consumer complaint board (Nævnenes Hus). Time limits apply: generally 3 years from when you discovered the missed defect.
