Presents a review of the problem area relating to unintentional ventilation, with special reference to the significance of this phenomenon with regard to the heat balance of buildings. It also contains a list of research tasks which the authors consider to be urgent. Factors which affect unintentional ventilation are discussed, such as wind and temperature conditions outdoors, permeability of the climate envelope of buildings, flow conditions on rooms with known rates of air supply and known temperature conditions, air movements in a flat and in the entire building.