Eierseksjon

Eierseksjon is a form of property ownership used in Norway that enables the ownership of a dwelling unit within a multi-unit building to be separated from ownership of the building's common parts. Each unit, or seksjon, has its own title in the public land register and is defined by a seksjonsbeskrivelse and a seksjoneringsplan. The owner has exclusive ownership of the interior of the unit and an undivided share of the building’s common areas through a joint ownership arrangement called sameie.

The sameie consists of all the eierseksjonseiere and is responsible for managing and maintaining the common parts, such as stairs, roofs, and exterior areas, as well as any shared debt (fellesgjeld) that has been incurred for the property. Costs related to the common parts are charged to owners as felleskostnader, typically in proportion to their ownership shares.

Creation and transfer are governed by the eierseksjonsloven (Act on Ownership of Housing Sections). A building is seksjonert (divided into sections) through a formal plan and is registered in the grunnboken (land register). When a unit is sold, the transaction includes the transfer of the unit’s title and the owner’s share in the common parts, with any existing fellesgjeld reflected in the buyer’s obligations.

Eierseksjon is distinct from borettslag and other forms of housing ownership. In a borettslag, residents typically own shares granting the right to use a dwelling within a cooperative structure, whereas in an eierseksjon the owner holds direct title to a specific unit and a share of the common property through the sameie. This arrangement is common in modern apartment buildings and condominiums.