More building permits, lower project values: what to check before buying off-plan

Albanian municipalities approved almost a third more permits for new buildings in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, yet the projected value of those projects fell. For the many families who buy a flat off-plan, paying the developer before the building is finished, these figures are a useful reminder: the permit is only the first step. Here is what the data shows and what to check before you pay.

Cover photo: Stepan / Unsplash

More permits, lower value

New-building permits in Q2 2026 (+30.7%)

460

Planned floor area, Q2 2026 (+10.3%)

307,127 m²

Projected value of projects, Q2 2026 (about 16 bn lek)

−13.2%

Residential permits in Q2 2026 (129 non-residential)

331

According to INSTAT data reported by Top Channel, 460 permits for new buildings were approved in the second quarter of 2026, 30.7% more than the 352 issued in the second quarter of 2025. The planned floor area reached 307,127 m², up 10.3%, while the projected value of the projects fell 13.2% to about 16 billion lek. Of the quarter's permits, 331 were for residential buildings and 129 for non-residential ones. Over the first half of the year, permits reached 782, up from 610 a year earlier (+28%), covering about 684,000 m² (about +11%) (Top Channel, 28 August 2026).

One important detail: these figures are preliminary and come from municipalities. They exclude permits approved by the National Territorial Council (KKT/KKTU), which covers large tourism, residential and infrastructure projects (Top Channel, 28 August 2026). So the big towers you see in Tirana or on the coast are often not part of this statistic.

What the Bank of Albania says about supply

In its Financial Stability Report for the first half of 2026, the Bank of Albania notes that building permits were above the 2025 quarterly average, the stock of unsold homes fell, and construction costs rose year on year because of wages and materials (Ekofin, 23 September 2026). For an off-plan buyer, rising costs are one more reason to check whether the contract protects you from price changes during construction.

Photo: Leeturtle / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A permit does not guarantee the building gets built

Not every approved project starts straight away. An opinion piece in Tirana Times describes approved Tirana towers where work has not yet begun, such as the Bofill Tower, which received its permit in 2023 (Tirana Times, opinion). Whatever the specific case, the lesson for buyers is clear: before you pay, check that construction has actually started and is progressing on schedule.

For large projects, KKTU decisions are published by the Territorial Development Agency (AZHT). In September 2026, for example, new documents were posted on its site on 18 September (Decision no. 28) and 22 September (Decision no. 6), both from the meeting of 30 March 2026 (AZHT).

Photo: BBB2021 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Checklist before buying off-plan

If you are buying from abroad, arrange for someone you trust in Albania to visit the site regularly, and read our guide for buyers abroad. For a more detailed step-by-step guide, see how to buy a flat under construction.

What buying costs beyond the price

The price of the flat is not the only cost. The calculator below helps you estimate the extra costs of a purchase.

New developments in Tirana

Sources

• Top Channel: More permits, less value; permits up 28% in the half-year, but project value down 13.2% in the quarter (in Albanian), 28 August 2026
• INSTAT: Building permits, Q1 2026 (official series, in Albanian)
• Ekofin: Home prices up 10%, credit keeps feeding the market (in Albanian), 23 September 2026
• AZHT: KKTU decisions 2026 (in Albanian), documents posted on 18 and 22 September 2026
• Tirana Times: The silent collapse of the tower euphoria, opinion, publication date unclear