Dolda fel

What it means

A dolt fel, a hidden defect, is a fault that was already present when you bought the home, but that you could not see during a careful inspection before the purchase, and that you did not have to expect given the home’s age, condition and construction. So normal wear and tear is not a hidden defect. An old home is allowed to have an old home’s weaknesses. This is about the things you simply could not have found.

How long you can make a claim against the seller

For a house or villa you have ten years from the day you take possession (tillträde) to raise a hidden defect with the seller. For a bostadsrätt, an apartment held through a tenant-owner association (BRF), the limit is two years from possession. In both cases you also have to come forward within a reasonable time after you discover the defect, so do not sit on it once something turns up.

How your duty to inspect fits in

A fault does not count as hidden if you should have spotted it during a careful inspection before the purchase. That is why the inspection matters: only faults that genuinely could not be found can later become a hidden defect. A deviation counts as a defect when the home differs from what was agreed, or from what you were reasonably entitled to expect at the time of purchase.

What to do

Do a thorough inspection before you buy, ideally with a besiktningsman (a professional surveyor), and keep a record of what was checked. If you later find a fault that could not have been seen, save the evidence, take photos, and contact the seller within a reasonable time. That puts you in the strongest position if it comes to a discussion.