For companies
Workers' accommodation requirements in Norway
When a company provides housing for staff working in Norway, the Workplace Regulations set specific requirements for bedrooms, bathrooms and common space. Here are the rules, who is responsible, and how to document that the housing complies.
By Sebastian Aragon · Last updated 13.10.2026
Short answer
Since 01.06.2024, chapter 3A of Norway's Workplace Regulations applies when the employer owns or rents the housing staff live in. The main rule is a bedroom for each worker, at least one shower and one toilet per five workers, and common space of at least 1.5 m² per person.
What applies when a company provides housing for staff in Norway?
Since 01.06.2024, chapter 3A of the Workplace Regulations (arbeidsplassforskriften) applies to housing an employer provides for staff in Norway (Lovdata, in Norwegian). The chapter came with an amendment on 10.04.2024. It sets requirements for bedrooms, showers and toilets, common space and the general standard of the home.
| Requirement | Section | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| The home is soundly built and maintained, with daylight, the right temperature, good air and fire and electrical safety | 3A-1 | Inspection before move-in |
| A bedroom for each worker, with a window that opens and can be used as an escape route, not a walk-through room | 3A-2 | Count bedrooms against workers |
| Common space near the bedroom, at least 1.5 m² per person, with table and chairs | 3A-3 | Measure living and dining space |
| At least one shower and one toilet per five workers, lockable and near the bedroom | 3A-4 | Count showers and toilets |
When is the employer responsible for the housing?
The employer is responsible when there is a clear link between the employment and the housing, for example when the employer owns or rents the home (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority). The actual situation decides, not how the contract is set up. If the company rents homes for the crew, the rules apply. If workers find and rent a home themselves, they do not.
Does each worker need their own bedroom?
Yes, a bedroom of their own is the main rule (section 3A-2). There are three exceptions:
- Seasonal work of up to 12 weeks in a calendar year: up to four per room, at least 4 m² per person. Not for maintenance and restoration.
- Short-term work away from the normal workplace: the same limit. The guidance describes this as stays of less than a week.
- Collective agreement: two may share a bedroom if the parties with the right to make recommendations have agreed it.
For a construction project of several months, the exceptions rarely fit.
How many bathrooms, and how much common space?
There must be at least one shower and one toilet per five workers, lockable, near the bedroom and separate for women and men or for separate use (section 3A-4). Common space must be near the bedroom, with at least 1.5 m² per person and table and chairs (section 3A-3). The guidance also covers facilities for cooking and laundry.
Tell us about the project.
Get a quote →Who is responsible between client, main contractor and subcontractor?
The duty to provide proper accommodation lies with the employer of the workers who live in the home. The client must in particular set requirements for proper accommodation under section 9 (j) of the Construction Client Regulations (Labour Inspection Authority, in Norwegian). Under the generally applicable collective agreement for building sites, the employer must as a rule provide board and lodging when workers are sent away to work (section 6, in Norwegian). As a subcontractor, it is you who must make sure the housing complies, while the client can require it in the contract.
What happens if the rules are broken?
The Labour Inspection Authority can issue orders, stop operations and impose fines. From 2019 to 2023 it carried out 2,589 inspections of workers' accommodation and found breaches in 641 of them, 25 %. This led to 308 orders, 125 stoppages and 76 fines (Norsk Byggebransje, 19.04.2024, in Norwegian).
How do you document that the housing complies?
Document each home before move-in, and keep the records for as long as the crew lives there:
- the number of bedrooms and who sleeps in each
- the number of showers and toilets
- the size of the living and dining space
- photos of bedrooms, bathrooms and smoke detectors
- a contact person for faults along the way
When you rent homes through HomeShare, we rent out with one worker per bedroom, and you have one contact person who handles whatever comes up. Send us the site address and how many workers need housing, and we will map the homes around the site and send you a non-binding quote within 48 hours.
Tell us about the project.
Get a quote →Questions & answers
What companies ask.
Can two workers share a bedroom?
Only as an exception. Two may share if an employers' association and a trade union with the right to make recommendations have agreed it. For seasonal work of up to 12 weeks a year, or short-term work away from the normal workplace, up to four may share, with at least 4 m² per person.
Does the short-term work exception cover a construction project?
Rarely. The Labour Inspection Authority's guidance describes short-term work as stays of less than a week, and a construction project of several months falls outside it.
Where can we read the regulations?
Chapter 3A is in the Workplace Regulations on Lovdata. The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has a page on workers' accommodation in English.
What does HomeShare do to meet the requirements?
We rent out with one worker per bedroom, in line with the main rule. The homes are fully furnished, with kitchen, bathroom and washing machine, and you have one contact person with us while the crew lives there.
