Logging permit

Logging permits

Felling trees in a zoned area requires a permit.

The landscape work permit is regulated Section 53 of the Construction Actin. The landscaping permit is issued by the building inspector.

According to Section 53(2) of the Construction Act, minor landscape modification measures do not require a landscape work permit, but a tree felling permit is required.

In sparsely populated areas outside the planning area, a tree felling permit is generally not required. The exception is cultural landscape areas.

The ban on destroying and weakening breeding and resting places for the flying squirrel, a species included in the Directive, can prevent the felling of even a few trees.

Basics of a tree felling permit

Trees intended for felling will be inspected on site if necessary for the purpose of handling the matter. The permit applicant or the permit applicant's representative must be present during the inspection. A tree felling permit can also be processed and issued based on information provided by email. The issued permit will be recorded in the city's files.

When assessing the need for felling, the condition of the tree, the benefits and disadvantages of felling, the landscape value and the general appearance of the area are taken into account, among other things. Littering, shading the tree or installing solar panels are not automatically grounds for felling. In addition, the person felling the tree may also be obliged to plant new trees on the plot. This depends on how empty the plot is left.

The city does not conduct condition inspections of privately owned trees. The condition of the trees is assessed visually during a site visit.

Trees on the plot boundary and on the neighbor's plot

The permit applicant must check the boundaries and ensure that the trees to be felled are entirely on their own property. If the base of the tree is even partially on the neighbor's or the city's side, the tree may not be felled without the consent of both parties.

A neighbor has the right to remove branches and roots that extend onto his property and cause a nuisance up to the boundary line. The tree owner must be notified of the action well in advance before the work begins (Act on Certain Neighborhood Relations, Section 8). The actions must be limited to what is necessary to remove the nuisance and must not be carried out in such a way that the tree is unnecessarily damaged or dies.

If the trees on your neighbor's side are causing a nuisance, there is little you can do about it other than discuss the nuisance with your neighbor. The trees are the property of the owner of the plot and you do not have to cut them down.

The city cannot intervene in tree disputes between neighbors.

Applying for a tree felling permit

Logging permits regarding contacts will be sent primarily by email to the head of public works (minor measures 1-3 trees) or to a gardener.

Landscape work permit When applying, contact information is sent to the building inspector.

The email should include the following:

• the name and street address of the permit applicant, as well as a telephone number for possible contact
• the type and number of trees to be felled and the reason for felling
• the location of the tree or trees to be felled on the plot (the trees can be marked on an aerial map on Google Maps, for example)
• a few photos of the tree or trees to be felled.

If email is not possible, you can contact us by phone.

A tree felling permit issued by a gardener or municipal engineering manager is free of charge. A landscape work permit is subject to a fee.