Dwellings

Dwelling

A dwelling is defined as one or more rooms that has been built or rebuilt for the purpose of being used as a round-the-year dwelling for one or more persons. It must be possible to have access to the room (-s) without having to go through another dwelling. Both dwelling units and single rooms are counted as dwellings. A dwelling unit is a conventional dwelling with at least one room and kitchen. Single rooms are living quarters with separate entrance and with access to water and toilet outside other living quarters.

Building

Buildings in the Cadastre(Matrikkelen), are defined as constructions that can be measured by utility floor space. Measurement of utility floor space is defined in Norwegian Standard NS 3940 Area and volume calculations of buildings. Registering is in some cases voluntary if the building is less than 15 m2 and does not contain a separate dwelling.

Year of construction

The year of construction is the year the building was ready to move into. Based on multiple different sources(Matrikkelen, FINN.no, SEFRAK, Askeladden, SERG). In buildings with more than one dwelling, where the dwellings are being occupied gradually, the year of construction is the year when at least half of the dwellings are ready to move in to. In houses that have been renovated, the year of construction is the original year of construction. For dwellings on extensions to the main building, where data is only registered on the extension of the building, the year of construction of the extension is used.

Utility floor space

The floor area measured within the outer walls, defined in Norwegian Standard NS 3940 Area and volume calculations of buildings.

Number of rooms in the dwelling

A room must satisfy the room requirements of the Building Act and be 6 m2 or larger. Kitchen, bath, hallway and the like are not counted as rooms.

Number of bathrooms

A bathroom is a room with a bathtub or a shower installed.

Number of toilets (WC)

The number of toilets within the dwelling. Toilets that are located outside the dwelling and shared by several dwellings is not counted.

Densely populated area

1. A hub of buildings shall be registered as an urban settlement if it is inhabited by at least 200 persons (60 - 70 dwellings).

2. The distance between the buildings shall normally not exceed 50 metres. Deviations are allowed for areas that cannot/are not to be occupied, for example parks, sports facilities, industrial areas or natural barriers such as rivers or arable land. Also included are agglomerations that naturally belong to the urban settlement with up to a distance of 400 meters from the centre of the urban settlement.

Urban settlements are geographical areas with dynamic boundaries. Thus the number of urban settlements and their boundaries will change over time, depending on construction activity and changes of resident population.