For companies
Site cabins or apartments for your crew in Norway?
Both can meet Norway's accommodation rules. The difference is what you have to arrange yourselves, and what everyday life is like for the crew after the shift.
By Sebastian Aragon · Last updated 13.10.2026
Short answer
When the site is near a town, apartments are usually simplest for the company: ready to move into, no set-up or permit, and a bedroom for each worker. Site cabins fit where there are no homes within a reasonable commute.
Site cabins or apartments: which fits a 6 to 24 month project?
Since 01.06.2024, Norway's Workplace Regulations require a bedroom for each worker when the employer provides housing, and the rule applies to cabins and homes alike. When the site is near a town, apartments are usually simplest, because they are ready to move into and need no set-up or permit. Site cabins fit when there are no homes within a reasonable commute, or when many people need to live together in one place.
| Site cabins | Apartments via HomeShare | |
|---|---|---|
| Included | The unit itself | Furniture, bedding, kitchen equipment, washing machine, electricity and internet |
| You arrange | Transport, set-up, power, water and sewage connections, emptying, cleaning and land | None of this |
| Permit | Can be required off the construction site | None |
| Accommodation rules | You provide enough bedrooms, bathrooms and common space | One bedroom per worker |
| Looking after it | You or a supplier | One contact person with us |
| Contract | Rental agreement for the units | One lease per home, with a notice period matched to the project |
What comes with site cabins, and what do you arrange yourselves?
Cabin rental usually covers the units themselves, and the rest is ordered or arranged on top. Ask for quotes that show every item:
- transport to and from the site, set-up and dismantling
- power, water and sewage connections, and the running power bill
- emptying, cleaning and maintenance
- land, if the cabins cannot stand on the construction site
- a building permit, where needed
- new transport and set-up if the crew moves on to another site
Work out the cost per worker for the whole project period, not just per month.
What does the crew get with an apartment?
With an apartment, the crew comes home to an ordinary home after the shift, with a bedroom of their own and a place to cook and rest. The homes are fully furnished, with electricity and internet included. We search from the site address, so the commute is as short as possible. If something comes up, a leak, a missing key or a resident who needs to be replaced, we take care of it.
Tell us about the project.
Get a quote →What do Norway's accommodation rules require?
When an employer provides housing, chapter 3A of the Workplace Regulations (arbeidsplassforskriften) has applied since 01.06.2024. The main rule is a bedroom for each worker, with a window that opens. There must be at least one shower and one toilet per five workers, and common space of at least 1.5 m² per person (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority). The rules apply to cabins and homes alike. Read more in the article on accommodation requirements.
Do you need a permit for site cabins?
Cabins on the construction site where the work is going on are as a rule exempt from a permit, under section 4-2 (a) of the building application regulations, SAK10 (Government.no, in Norwegian). Off the site, they need a permit under the Planning and Building Act, unless they stand for two months or less (Bærum municipality, in Norwegian). A temporary building may stand for up to two years (City of Oslo, in Norwegian). Apartments need no permit.
Can you deduct VAT on site cabins?
Yes, as a rule. On 25.08.2026 the Norwegian Directorate of Taxes held that VAT on movable worker cabins is deductible, following the Gulating Court of Appeal judgment in the case against Norske Shell in 2024 (Sticos, in Norwegian). Compare cabin quotes excluding VAT.
When are site cabins the right choice?
Site cabins are right when there are no homes within a reasonable commute, when many people need to live together in one place, or when the site is so remote that travel to and from homes takes too long. When the site is near a town, apartments are usually simpler for both the company and the crew.
Send us the site address and how many workers need housing. We map the homes around the site and send you a non-binding quote within 48 hours, so you can compare it with the cabin quotes.
Tell us about the project.
Get a quote →Questions & answers
What companies ask.
How quickly do we get a quote for apartments?
We send a non-binding quote with addresses, photos and move-in date within 48 hours. We search and map homes from the site address, and the quote shows the homes we have found.
Can we combine site cabins and apartments?
Yes. Many projects keep office, changing and canteen cabins on site while the crew lives in homes nearby. Then the cabins do not have to meet the rules for overnight accommodation.
What happens to the apartments if the project is shortened or extended?
A lease is signed for each home, with a notice period matched to the length of the project. If the project is extended, we extend on request.
Who looks after the homes while the crew lives there?
You have one contact person with us from check-in to check-out. If something comes up in a home, we handle it, and you get one invoice a month for all the homes.
