“Give Value to Your Property, Register It!”
One of the issues arising after the post-communist period was privatization and property rights, as private property was heavily contested, even prohibited by the Constitution at the time. Considering the transition through which private property passed, it is understood that some of them were returned to former owners through the Law “On the Return and Compensation of Property to Former Owners,” while a significant portion was acquired by new owners. However, within the territory of the Republic of Albania, there still exist properties “without an owner,” at least de jure, which have never been registered previously.
All those owners who de facto possess previously unregistered properties are advised to initiate their initial registration process in order to establish property rights.
Initial registration refers to the process which consists of the first-time registration of immovable property in the property data registry. Therefore, after this registration, previously unregistered property will have a property dossier reflecting all its data.
Registration is important because through it, property is officially recognized, at all times, by third parties, and can be disposed of as desired, meaning it can be sold, exchanged, donated, legally inherited across generations, reassessed, etc. Property registration changes its status from “frozen” (where no action can be taken) to “active” (which can be used within the limits specified by law).
In order to proceed with registration, the potential owner must be equipped with a title of ownership as follows:
- Contracts for the transfer of ownership of immovable property and deeds for their voluntary partitioning;
- Contracts by which property rights over immovable property, usufruct rights, use and habitation rights, emphyteutic leases, servitudes, and other real rights are created, recognized, modified, or extinguished;
- Acts by which property rights are renounced.
- Court decisions recognizing the status of an heir and acquiring inherited property;
- Acts by which a company or another legal entity is established and holds immovable property or enjoys other real rights over them;
- Court decisions or competent state authorities respectively confirming or recognizing ownership of immovable property, partitioning of immovable property, or declaring invalid legal acts for the transfer of ownership previously registered regularly, as well as judicial settlement acts for the seizure of immovable property or their auction sale.
* judicial verification of ownership status after 1 November 1994 is not registered.
This application can also be carried out electronically through the government portal e-Albania, with a service cost ranging from 5000 to 10000 lekë.
For more detailed information and assistance with the initial registration of property, please contact us at:
Email: info@arsfirm.al
Phone: +355 69 247 6387
Website: www.arsfirm.al
Address: “Kavaja” Street, Sun Tower Center, 69h Floor, Apt. No. 38, Tirana, Albania
