In January 2026, several significant legal amendments will enter into force, affecting private house and apartment owners, as well as representatives of other groups in society.

One of the most important changes, effective from 6 January 2026, is the introduction of a unified process in construction. Under this process, an application for construction submitted in the Construction Information System (BIS) will also serve as an application for subsequent registration of the building in the State Immovable Property Cadastre Information System, and afterwards — for its entry in the Land Register. The unified process ensures broad interoperability and data exchange between information systems and institutions. With the introduction of this process, a cadastral survey by the State Land Service (the construction cadastral survey file, previously known as the inventory file) will no longer be required, significantly reducing the administrative and financial burden and saving time. The process will be fully digitalised, with data transferred automatically and sequentially between systems.

On 1 January, amendments to the Building Regulations will enter into force. These amendments aim to simplify requirements for small-scale construction intentions. In most cases, no construction documentation will be required for the construction or placement of a small building (up to 25 m²).

Construction documentation requirements are also simplified in cases where documentation is still necessary. With a construction notification — without a decision from the building authority — it will be possible to construct new first-group residential buildings, auxiliary buildings, or agricultural non-residential buildings, and to renovate or reconstruct second-group single or two-apartment houses without changing the building volume or intended use (except for state-protected cultural monuments). With an explanatory note, it will be possible to construct or place first-group residential, auxiliary, or agricultural non-residential buildings within territories of state-protected cultural monuments, as well as to construct or place second-group single-family houses with an area not exceeding 200 m².

Restrictions on the use of timber in large industrial and public buildings are being revised — timber may now be used more extensively in buildings of higher fire resistance classes, provided that appropriate fire safety systems are ensured.

From 5 January, amendments to the Apartment Property Law will enter into force, strengthening the role of apartment owner communities. Apartment owner communities will have the right to receive loans from credit institutions in their own name for the renovation of residential buildings, meaning it will no longer be necessary to establish an association for this purpose. Requirements related to the registration of apartment owner communities with the State Revenue Service as taxpayers have also been eased. If the annual income from economic activity does not exceed twice the national minimum monthly wage, registration with the tax authority will not be required.

The amendments also establish that, from 1 January, when acquiring an apartment property, the new owner becomes responsible for outstanding utility debts from the past three years. This introduces the principle of “the debt follows the apartment”.

The amendments also provide that exterior windows separating individual apartments from shared areas will henceforth be considered part of the co-owned property of the residential building. An apartment owner has the right to renew or replace such windows or doors — which form part of the building’s external envelope — with the consent of the building manager. The costs of repair and maintenance of these windows must be covered by the apartment owner.