Property guides

How buying a flat works, what a seller needs to know, and the rights of tenants and landlords. Short, with the law paragraphs and no sales talk.

• How buying an apartment in Estonia worksIn Estonia a flat or house can only be bought before a notary, and you become the owner not when you sign or pay but when you are entered in the land register (kinnistusraamat).
• Reserving a flat and the pre-contractA reservation agreement (broneerimisleping) is only the seller's promise not to sell to anyone else for an agreed period; it does not oblige anyone to buy or sell.
• Buying a new-build flat from a developerA contract with a developer, including a pre-contract, is signed only before a notary — a reservation without a notary binds the developer to nothing.
• How to get a mortgage in EstoniaUnder Eesti Pank's rules a bank lends at most 85 % of the property value, or up to 90 % with a state EIS guarantee, so you need at least 10 % of your own (5 % for large families).
• Buying together and property of spousesA home bought during marriage can be the spouses' joint property even if only one of them is entered in the land register as owner, and as a rule it is sold by both.
• What you need to sell a flatA seller needs the building's energy certificate data — it must be in the listing — and a statement of payments and debts from the apartment association.
• Estate agent feesThe law does not set the agent's fee — it is written into your contract with the agent.
• Residential lease basicsIn a residential lease, any term that leaves the tenant worse off than the law does is void.
• Rental depositA deposit (tagatisraha) on a home rental can be no more than three months' rent, and the tenant may pay it in three parts.
• Rent increases and ending a leaseUnder an open-ended lease the landlord can raise the rent at most once a year and must give written notice at least 30 days ahead, with the calculation and reasons.
• Rental costs and landlord taxOn top of the rent, the tenant pays utilities and other additional costs only if this is agreed in writing; taxes on the home, such as land tax, are the landlord's.
• Apartment association (korteriühistu)An apartment association (korteriühistu, KÜ) comes into being by itself once a building is divided into apartment ownerships, and every flat owner is a member by law.
• Land tax on your homeLand tax is paid by whoever is recorded as the land's owner on 1 January; a flat owner pays for their share.
• Registering your addressAfter moving to a new permanent home you must register the address in the population register within 14 days.