Areas zoned for huts, holiday cottages etc. are for seasonal huts and holiday cottages. In these subareas, a limited number of tourist huts, hunting huts and emergency huts can be built, provided that their number is compatible with the overall zoning of the area.
Facilities to support small-scale commercial activities can be established as long as they are for personal use only and are located close to the hut. Facilities can include drying racks, smoke ovens, garden implements or the similar.
Overall provisions for each subarea can be accessed below.
Provisions and subareas
The overall provisions for each subarea are the basis for the municipality's granting of area allotments and building permits.
General Provisions
The general provisions apply to all subareas of the municipalities in towns, settlements and open country areas. The provisions are general and do not consider the local conditions in the subareas.
In K areas, distinction is made between five types of huts: Recreational huts, holiday cottages, tourist huts, school camps, and hunting and emergency huts:
A recreational hut is a hut used for short-term stays. Recreational huts can be used for private purposes only, and the floorage is restricted to 20 m2. No planning permission is required to build a recreational hut.
Holiday cottages are recreational huts used for private purposes. Holiday cottages can have a floorage exceeding 20 m2 and up to 60 m2. Planning permission is required to build a holiday cottage, cf. the current building legislation.
Tourist huts/hotels are huts used or let on commercial terms. Typically, huts are let to tourists or local residents, and can have a floorage up to 60 m2. No specific guidelines exist on the size of tourist huts. Under the current building legislation, planning permission is required to build a tourist hut.
Camp schools are buildings used for municipal purposes, such as by primary and lower secondary schools, after school care or institutions. Camp schools are municipal property. Camp Shools can have a floorage up to 80 m2. Under the current building legislation, planning permission is required to build a camp school.
Hunting and emergency huts are small huts that are accessible to the public for short-terms stays in connection with traditional hunting, sealing, whaling, sheep breeding and leisure activities. Typically, these huts are built by the municipality or an organisation. While no guidelines exist on the size of hunting and emergency huts, such huts are typically small. A planning permission is not required to build such huts under the current building legislation.
K areas are subdivided into:
- K1: Huts and holiday cottages
- K2: Abandoned settlements
The following guidelines apply to the different huts:
| Access | Size | Height | Building | Area | |
| Recreational hut | Private | Max. 20 m2 | 2 storeys Max. 7.5 m | ÷ planning permission | + area allotment |
| Holiday cottage | Private | Max. 60 m2 | 2 storeys Max. 7.5 m | + planning permission | + area allotment |
| Tourist hut | Rental | Max. 60 m2 | 2 storeys Max. 7.5 m | + planning permission | + area allotment |
| Camp school | Rental | Max. 80 m2 | 2 storeys Max. 7.5 m | + planning permission | + area allotment |
| Emergency/hunting hut | Public access | No provisions | 1 storey Max. 5.5 m | ÷ planning permission | + area allotment |
* In areas zoned for huts, holiday cottages etc. building can be constructed with 2 storeys, provided that it is ground floor and attic.
Solid waste is to be incinerated or removed. Incineration is to entail no risk to surrounding buildings or nature, nor is it to cause inconvenience to anyone.
For night soil, it is possible to use sanitary buckets. The content is either to be emptied directly into the sea, composted or disposed of without causing inconvenience to anyone or the surrounding nature. Wastewater from existing houses with a water closet is to be disposed of in the same manner.
K1: Huts and holiday cottages
Areas zoned for hut and holiday cottage are areas with low building density in which no ‘urbanisation’ can take place. As such, every activity related to land use is to take place near the huts.
The minimum distance between huts is 60 metres. The municipal council may introduce other larger minimum distances in the detailed provisions for an area. If deemed necessary due to local conditions, the council may, e.g., introduce minimum distances between huts of 100 or 200 metres. The maximum height of recreational huts and holiday cottages is 2 storeys, corresponding to one storey and a habitable attic. The maximum height of foundations is one metre at the lowest part of the footing. Buildings are to be continuously maintained to not disfigure the landscape.
Roads, tracks, paths, jetties or public technical supply plants cannot be constructed in areas zoned for huts and holiday cottages. Technical supply plants, such as generators, solar panels or other energy production systems, can only be small, independent plants close to the individual huts. When used, they are not to cause inconvenience to neighbours by emitting noise, smoke, smell, vibrations or the like.
K2: Abandoned settlements
As a main rule, abandoned settlements are classified as K areas. The minimum distance between huts is 30 metres. The maximum allowed building height for recreational huts and holiday cottages is 2 storeys, corresponding to one storey and a habitable attic. The maximum allowed building height for camp schools is 2 storeys. The maximum height of the foundation is one metre at the lowest part of the footing. Buildings are to be continuously maintained to not disfigure the landscape.
In abandoned settlements, existing road systems, lanes, paths and jetties can be maintained and expanded. Technical supply plants, such as generators, solar panels or other energy production systems, can only be small, independent plants close to the individual huts. When used, they must not cause inconvenience to neighbours by emitting noise, smoke, smell, vibrations or the similar.
Distances to the coastline and other natural habitats
According to the current legislation on the protection of nature, Act No. 29 of 18 December 2003, placing buildings, planting, cultivation and drainage or other changes in the terrain is prohibited within a distance of 100 meters from salt lakes and saline lakes, trout rivers, hot springs and the coastline.
Recreational and tourist huts can only be placed closer than 100 meters from the said habitats, if this is determined in an addendum to the town plan containing detailed provisions for the subarea concerned.
The Government of Greenland may in special cases grant exemptions from the above distances.
