Redesigning an Apartment: What Cannot Be Approved?

Questions about the rules of apartment redesign are among the most frequent on our website. We asked an expert to explain in which cases it's impossible to get approval for layout changes and what exceptions exist.

Alexey Parshin, expert and head of GOROD company specializing in apartment redesign approvals

What cannot be changed on the kitchen?

You cannot move the kitchen into a living room or bedroom. Therefore, converting an apartment into a studio won't work: you won't be able to change the location of sewage and water supply pipes. Also, placing a kitchen above a living area of neighbors from the lower floor is not allowed.

However, you can combine the kitchen and living room if you have an electric stove installed. Or move the kitchen to a corridor or storage room, provided that you previously allocate five square meters for placing a kitchen niche. In this case, all equipment must remain in its original location.

Increase the area by using space from the bathroom and living room.

Demolish or relocate ventilation channels.

Reduce the kitchen area to less than five square meters.

Important:

To switch from a gas stove to an electric one, you must get approval from the gas service (and sometimes other organizations) — it's all about increasing electrical power supply for the new stove to function properly.

What cannot be changed in the living room?

Relocating or demolishing load-bearing columns and walls.

This type of redesign will definitely not be approved — moving a wall can harm the structural integrity of the building, which is dangerous.

Increase the living room area at the expense of bathroom and kitchen space.

Only residents on upper floors may do this; others won't get approval for such redesigns.

Breaking the wall between a living room and kitchen with a gas stove.

But there are exceptions: if the partition is non-load-bearing and you replaced the gas stove with an electric one, you can remove the wall. However, you must install a hermetically sealed sliding partition between functional zones.

What cannot be changed in the bedroom?

Connecting to the general heating system for installing water-based radiant floors (and more).

Demolishing a load-bearing wall to connect the balcony to a room.

What cannot be changed in the bathroom?

Moving the bathroom any distance.

Your "wet" zones must be located strictly above "wet" zones of neighbors.

Ignoring floor waterproofing.

Removing the threshold between the bathroom and corridor.

Creating an exit from the bathroom into a living room.

The bathroom exit must lead to a corridor or hall. However, there are exceptions: in apartments with two bathrooms, one can lead to the corridor while the other may go to the bedroom.

What cannot be changed on a balcony or loggia?

Moving radiators from the room to an attached balcony.

Combining a balcony and a room without installing a French window and checking the wall you want to demolish.

Removing the threshold between a balcony and a room (in panel buildings).

Adding extensions to the balcony and changing the external appearance of the building.