REGULARIZATION OF UNAUTHORISED CONSTRUCTIONS
The legalization of properties with unauthorised constructions is a long-standing complex issue that concerns thousands of property owners. In Greece, most of the building stock was constructed during the 1960s and 1970s, often without adherence to the required permits or with numerous deviations. However, the number of more recent constructions with minor violations, such as the construction of uncovered barbeque areas or alterations in apartment divisions, remains significant.
An arbitrary construction is defined as any construction that was implemented without legal permits or underwent a change in use without approval from the competent authorities. The primary regulatory tool for handling illegal constructions is Law 4495/2017, titled “Control and Protection of the Built Environment and Other Provisions.” It covers arbitrary constructions erected between November 30, 1955, and July 28, 2011. Properties predating 1955 are considered legally existing.
According to current legislation, any contractual action, establishment of real rights, or inclusion in subsidized programs like the “Energy Saving” programs is prohibited for any arbitrary construction. Many times, current property owners face issues with their property’s regularization when they intend to transfer ownership since they are unaware of or overlook the existence of arbitrary constructions. You can contact our office promptly for a legality check of your property through an on-site inspection, as well as a cost estimate for regularization.
Process for integrating an arbitrary construction under Law 4495/17:
Once we gather all the necessary information regarding your property, such as its establishment and ownership documents, as well as any building permits related to your property, an inspection is carried out to identify any arbitrary constructions or uses. Subsequently, a categorization of the urban planning violations is made, and the fine amount is calculated.
You can choose one of the following methods for settling the unified special fine:
– Lump-sum payment with a 20% discount on the unified special fine.
– 30% advance payment of the unified special fine with a 10% discount.
– Up to 100 monthly installments.
Article 103 allows for a reduction in the unified special fine for specific population groups when the arbitrary construction concerns their primary and sole residence.
All the necessary supporting documents are prepared and submitted to the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) in their electronic platform, according to the specific case, for the regularization of your property (site plans, sections, building diagrams, technical reports, structural adequacy studies, etc.).
Upon the final submission of the declaration, the owner receives the regularization file for their property, which includes:
– Architectural plans depicting the existing state, as submitted in the TEE electronic platform.
– Certificate of final inclusion under Law 4495/17.
– Technical report regarding the property’s regularization.”
