Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV),       20 February 2026 7:45 AM
Capitals flats sell under price as construction contracts

The property market has cooled in recent months and flats are selling below the advertised price. Samtök iðnaðarins (Federation of Icelandic Industries) report a contraction in housing construction over the coming year.

That aligns with a new report from Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun (Housing and Construction Authority). The report states that activity in the property market was considerable last year, when every thirteenth home in […] more

Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV),       20 February 2026 7:34 AM
No oversight of halfway houses

There is no oversight of halfway houses and anyone can operate such services. Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun (Housing and Construction Authority) wants to increase supervision and, in its review of halfway houses published yesterday, states that no laws or regulations cover their operation.

They are neither subject to licensing nor supervision, and the conditions governing their operation are therefore unclear, as stated in the […] more

Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV),       20 February 2026 7:21 AM
Seyðisfjörður scrap 'seen from space', joke residents

Seyðisfjörður is a beautiful town in the east of Iceland, with many old Norwegian timber houses, the Blue Church, and the Rainbow Street. However, what immediately greets passengers on cruise ships and the ferry Norræna when docking, is not all picturesque.

Around the slipway, car wrecks and scrap have accumulated on a large no-man’s-land between plots. Locals have joked that from outer space you can see the Great Wall of China - and […] more

Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV),       20 February 2026 7:08 AM
Grindavík residents get voting location choice

A temporary provision in the Act on Local Government Elections concerning elections in Grindavík has been approved by Alþingi.

The provision gives those residents of Grindavík who had legal domicile in Grindavík before the evacuation on 10 November 2023 the option of voting in Grindavík, or in the municipality where they now have legal domicile.

Last autumn the authorities launched an open consultation […] more

Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV),       20 February 2026 6:57 AM
Where are the parties standing candidates?

Lines are beginning to become clearer for most political parties regarding the number of municipalities, or councils, they will contest in the local elections in May. However, at least two parties have not yet decided where they will stand.

Local government elections in Iceland take place on 16 May. The last such elections were held in 2022 and a total of 470 principal representatives were elected to municipal councils - 233 men and 237 […] more

Iceland Review,   19 February 2026 5:47 PM
Hot Take on Cold Topics | A Perfect Sauna Ritual

Kría Mobile Sauna in Gufunes. Photo Brynja Dögg Friðriksdóttir. Kría Fargufa. more

mbl.is,   19 February 2026 2:30 PM
Public sector sick leave is double compared to the private sector

Absence due to illness among public sector employees is twice as common as in the private sector, and the direct cost to the public sector from sick leave is significantly higher. This is among the findings of a new analysis by the Iceland Chamber of Commerce on sick-leave entitlements for public employees. more

mbl.is,   19 February 2026 12:30 PM
Photos: Ash Wednesday fun at Smáralind

There was no shortage of Ash Wednesday cheer at Smáralind yesterday, as hundreds of children arrived smiling in their most dazzling costumes and sang for shop staff in exchange for candy. more