State Property Agency draft law: Albania's cadastre and ATP set to merge
A draft law would merge ASHK and ATP into one State Property Agency, with a single national property map and a 45-day window for objections.
By Galip Sulaj5 min read
The government is preparing the biggest institutional change to property registration in years. Under a draft law reported by the Albanian media on 9 September 2026, the State Cadastre Agency (ASHK) and the Property Treatment Agency (ATP), which handles compensation for former owners, would merge into a single body: the State Property Agency (ASHP). If you have an unfinished registration, legalisation or compensation file, this change affects you directly.
Cover photo: Valter Zhara / Pexels
This is a draft law, not law in force. It must go through consultation and be approved by Parliament before it applies. At the time of writing we could not find the official text on the public-consultation portal, so the details below are based on reporting by Ekofin and Telegraf. Until the law is adopted, current procedures at ASHK and ATP continue as before.
What the draft provides
According to Ekofin, the ASHP would cover four areas: property registration, the cadastre, the inventory and management of state property, and compensation for former owners (Ekofin, 9 September 2026).
- Articles in the draft, in 8 chapters
- 74
- Window to object after preliminary maps are published
- 45 days
- Deadline for the new agency to start work after the law takes effect
- 6 months
- Members of the ASHP steering council
- 9
The draft comes with two further draft laws: one on immovable property and one on transitional property processes (Telegraf, 9 September 2026).
| Institution | ASHK and ATP merge into the State Property Agency (ASHP) |
|---|---|
| Governance | A 9-member steering council; the Prime Minister appoints the director-general, who has two deputies |
| Start of operations | Within 6 months of the law taking effect |
| Staff | 6-month provisional contracts, subject to meeting qualification criteria |
| Property certificate | "The unique and unrepeatable document" proving title, legal status and boundaries |
| Cadastral errors | Errors caused by the administration are corrected free of charge |
| National map | One map combining private and state property data |
| Objections | 45 days after preliminary maps and data are published |
| Suspected fraud | The agency may temporarily block cadastral actions |
One national map and a 45-day window
The element that will matter most to owners is the single national property map, which would combine private and state property data. According to Telegraf, once the preliminary maps and data are published, citizens would have 45 days to lodge an objection. The agency could also temporarily block cadastral actions where fraud is suspected (Telegraf, 9 September 2026).
In practice, owners will need to watch closely for the publication of the maps covering their area. If the boundaries or area of your property do not match the documents you hold, the time to react will be limited. For owners living abroad, that makes it worth arranging now for a relative or lawyer in Albania who can follow the process for you.
Photo: Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The property certificate and cadastral errors
The draft defines the property certificate as "the unique and unrepeatable document" proving title, legal status and the boundaries of a property. One point that matters to many families: cadastral errors caused by the administration would be corrected free of charge (Ekofin, 9 September 2026).
The transition period
The new agency must start work within six months of the law taking effect, and staff would receive 6-month provisional contracts, provided they meet the qualification criteria (Ekofin, 9 September 2026). Any merger of institutions means reorganising files, systems and staff, so it is reasonable to expect some procedures to move more slowly during this period.
The draft has also sparked debate. Analyst Zef Preçi has published a review of its strengths and weaknesses in Faktor (10 September 2026).
What you can do now
Up-to-date contact details are not a theoretical point: in Shkodër alone, ASHK announced on 23 September 2026 that it could not reach 165 applicants in its process for untitled homes built before 1991 (ASHK, 23 September 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Ekofin: Government plans a State Property Agency, Cadastre and Property Treatment Agency to merge (in Albanian), 9 September 2026
- Telegraf: Cadastre and ATP to merge into one agency, a new single property map, 45-day objection window (in Albanian), 9 September 2026
- Faktor: Strengths and weaknesses of the State Property Agency draft, analysis by Zef Preçi (in Albanian), 10 September 2026
- ASHK: Shkodër, 165 applicants unreachable in the untitled-homes process (in Albanian), 23 September 2026
Read more
- What is a home worth?A free estimate from similar listings and the official reference prices.
- Buying costs, with a calculatorThe notary tariff, the ASHK fees and who pays which tax, with official sources.
- Buying from abroad, step by stepPower of attorney and apostille, ASHK checks, the notary and paying by bank for those who live outside Albania.
Share the article
New articles by email
Guides on buying, renting and the property market in Albania, straight to your inbox.
One email when we publish a new article. You can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy
Comments
Log in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your view.
