Guide · indicative costs
Property buying (and renting) costs in Albania
When you buy a property in Albania, the buyer usually pays the notary (0.23–0.35% of the contract value, depending on the band) and the ASHK cadastre fees for registration and the ownership certificate (12,000 Lek, ≈ €130). The seller usually pays the tax on the capital gain from the sale. For an apartment of €100,000, the buyer's costs come to about €430, roughly 0.43% of the price.
Written by Galip Sulaj, founder of hyrja.al
The buyer's costs
These are the costs a buyer normally pays to complete a purchase at the notary and register it at ASHK (the State Cadastre Agency). They are paid when the final contract is signed at the notary, who then files the registration at ASHK. The fixed amounts are set in lekë by Council of Ministers decision; the euro figures are approximate conversions at an indicative exchange rate.
| Cost | Rate or amount | What it is based on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notary fee | 0.23–0.35% of the contract value | The whole contract value, at the rate of the band it falls in (see below). If the declared price is lower than the official reference price for the area, the notary uses the reference price. | Instruction 22/2020 · Law 110/2018 |
| Registration of the sale contract at ASHK | 5,000 Lek≈ €54 | A fixed tariff per sale contract, whatever the price. | CM Decision 389/2020 · CM Decision 462/2025 |
| Ownership certificate and filing at ASHK | 7,000 Lek≈ €76 | Fixed: the new ownership certificate in your name plus the notary's application to ASHK. | CM Decision 389/2020 · CM Decision 462/2025 · Instruction 22/2020 |
Not a buyer's cost: the tax on the capital gain from the sale is paid by the seller before ASHK registers the transfer. See the questions below.
The notary tariff by contract value
The higher the contract value, the lower the notary percentage. The percentage of the band the contract value falls in applies to the whole value, not only to the part above the previous band.
| Contract value | Notary tariff |
|---|---|
| up to 6,000,000 Lek (≈ €65,200) | 0.35% |
| 6,000,000 Lek (≈ €65,200) – 15,000,000 Lek (≈ €163,000) | 0.3% |
| 15,000,000 Lek (≈ €163,000) – 50,000,000 Lek (≈ €543,300) | 0.28% |
| 50,000,000 Lek (≈ €543,300) – 100,000,000 Lek (≈ €1,086,600) | 0.25% |
| over 100,000,000 Lek (≈ €1,086,600) | 0.23% |
Calculate your buying costs
Enter the price to see the official costs of the purchase, item by item. Add an agency commission or a lawyer's fee only if you have agreed one with them: the calculator assumes none.
Leave empty if you buy without an agency.
The amount in your lawyer's written quote, if you have one.
| Cost | Official costs only | With your extras |
|---|---|---|
| Notary (0.3% of the price) | €300 | €300 |
| Registration at ASHK | €54 | €54 |
| Ownership certificate and notary's filing | €76 | €76 |
| Money held by the notary | €0 | €0 |
| Agency commission | €0 | €0 |
| Your lawyer | €0 | €0 |
| Total costs | €430 | €430 |
| Share of the price | 0.43% | 0.43% |
Indicative: the notary uses the area's official reference price when it is higher than the declared price, and amounts set in lekë are converted at an indicative rate. Not included: translations, a power of attorney and apostille if you buy from abroad, bank and mortgage costs.
Sources: Instruction 22/2020 · CM Decision 462/2025 · Law 110/2018
Worked example: apartments of €100,000 and €200,000
This is the same calculation as the cost calculator on hyrja.al listing pages, using the tariffs above. Prices are in euros; the notary band is chosen on the value in lekë.
| Cost | €100,000 | €200,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Notary | €3000.3% of the price | €5600.28% of the price |
| Registration at ASHK | €54 | €54 |
| Certificate and filing | €76 | €76 |
| Buyer's costs | €430 | €690 |
| Share of the price | 0.43% | 0.35% |
| Total including the price | €100,430 | €200,690 |
Not included: a lawyer, translation, a bank valuation, mortgage costs and any agency commission, which is agreed privately with the agency.
Why do some sites say 4–7%?
You may read elsewhere that buying costs 4–7% of the price. Totals like these usually add costs that the law does not set: the agency's commission, which is negotiable and fixed in your contract with the agency; a lawyer, if you hire one; and, with a mortgage, the bank's fees, the property valuation and insurance.
The official costs are much lower. The buyer pays the notary (0.23–0.35% of the contract value) and the fixed ASHK fees: about €430 for an apartment of €100,000 (0.43% of the price). The tax on the sale is paid by the seller.
To see your own total, enter the price in the calculator above and add only the commission and the lawyer's fee you have actually agreed.
Go to the calculatorQuestions buyers ask
How much does buying a property cost in total?
The official costs are low: about €430 (0.43% of the price) for an apartment of €100,000, and about €690 (0.35%) for one of €200,000, made up of the notary and the fixed ASHK fees. Everything else is agreed privately and only applies if you use it: an agency commission set in your agreement with the agency, your lawyer, and translations and a power of attorney if you buy from abroad. The seller pays the 15% tax on the capital gain. By law all parties to the notarial act are liable to the notary for its fees, so write down who pays what.
Sources: Instruction 22/2020 · CM Decision 462/2025 · Law 29/2023, arts. 17, 24 · Law 110/2018 · Law 9/2022
How much does the notary cost when you buy an apartment?
Between 0.23 and 0.35% of the contract value: about €300 for an apartment of €100,000, and about €560 for one of €200,000. The percentage depends on the band the price falls in, and the notary calculates it on the official reference price for the area when the declared price is lower. Ask the notary for the exact amount before the day of signing.
Sources: Instruction 22/2020
Who pays the tax on the sale?
The seller. The tax on the capital gain from the sale is 15% of the gain: the difference between the sale price and the purchase price, where the sale price is never taken as lower than the official reference price. A seller who is a private individual pays it before ASHK registers the transfer, and ASHK does not register the sale until the payment is confirmed. The buyer pays the notary and ASHK fees shown above: under the Civil Code (article 708) the costs of a sale contract fall on the buyer unless the parties agree otherwise. If you agree otherwise, write it into both the preliminary and the final contract.
Sources: Law 29/2023, arts. 17, 24 · Instruction 34/2023
How much are the ASHK fees for transferring ownership?
12,000 Lek in all (≈ €130): 5,000 Lek (≈ €54) to register the sale contract and 7,000 Lek (≈ €76) for the new ownership certificate and the notary's filing. They are fixed amounts, the same for a studio as for a villa. ASHK is the State Cadastre Agency (Agjencia Shtetërore e Kadastrës), which keeps the property register.
Sources: CM Decision 389/2020 · CM Decision 462/2025 · Law 111/2018
How much is the annual property tax on an apartment?
The annual building tax on homes is 0.05% of the building's value, calculated with the Council of Ministers' methodology (usually a few thousand lekë a year for an apartment). It is not paid when you buy, so it is not in the totals above. Ask the seller for proof that it has been paid up to date.
Sources: Law 9632/2006, art. 22/2 · Tirana Times
What is not included in these figures?
Anything that depends on your situation or is agreed privately: a lawyer, sworn translation and an interpreter at the notary if you do not speak Albanian, a power of attorney if you buy from abroad, a bank valuation and mortgage costs, and any agency commission. Ask for these in writing before you commit.
Find a lawyer or a notary
Browse property lawyers and notaries in the hyrja.al services directory and contact them directly. Choose your own lawyer, not one suggested by the seller.
The costs of renting
How much do you pay when you move into a rented flat?
Usually one month's rent as a deposit plus the first month's rent in advance, so for a rent of €500 a month, about €1,000 on the day you move in. Every month you then pay the rent, the building (administrator) fee and the utilities. These are common practices, not rules: agree the deposit, the fees and who pays the bills in the written contract.
| Cost | Usual amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | one month's rent | Refunded at the end if there is no damage and no unpaid bills. |
| First month's rent | 1 × the monthly rent | Paid in advance when you sign. |
| Building fee | about 1,000 Lek (≈ €11) a month | Typical in newer buildings; ask the landlord whether it is included in the rent. |
| Utilities and internet | 6,600 Lek – 11,600 Lek a month | Depends on the size of the flat (see the table below). |
Example: a 1+1 flat rented at €500 a month costs about €599 a month including the building fee and utilities.
Monthly utilities by size of flat
Electricity, water, waste and heating or cooling, plus internet: an estimate based on Numbeo's cost-of-living data for Tirana, split by flat size by hyrja.al. Heating in winter or air conditioning in summer can raise it considerably.
| Size | Utilities | With internet |
|---|---|---|
| studio | 5,000 Lek≈ €54 | 6,600 Lek≈ €72 |
| 1+1 | 6,500 Lek≈ €71 | 8,100 Lek≈ €88 |
| 2+1 | 8,000 Lek≈ €87 | 9,600 Lek≈ €104 |
| 3+1 or larger | 10,000 Lek≈ €109 | 11,600 Lek≈ €126 |
Internet: about 1,600 Lek (≈ €17) a month, whatever the size.
Secondary sources: Expatax · Shqiptarja.com · Numbeo
Sources
The notary tariff, the ASHK fees and the taxes come from the laws and official tariffs published in the Official Gazette (qbz.gov.al). The renting figures are estimates based on the secondary sources listed separately. Euro conversions are indicative.
Laws and official tariffs
- Joint Instruction No. 22 of 20.10.2020 (Ministries of Justice and Finance): notary fees
- Law No. 110/2018 “On notaries”
- Council of Ministers Decision No. 389 of 13.5.2020: list and tariffs of cadastral services
- Council of Ministers Decision No. 462 of 31.7.2025: amendments to the cadastral tariffs
- Law No. 111/2018 “On the cadastre”
- Civil Code (Law No. 7850/1994), articles 72, 83 and 193: power of attorney, notarial deed and registration
- Law No. 29/2023 “On income tax”, articles 17 and 24
- Instruction No. 34 of 29.12.2023 on the tax on income from the transfer of real estate
- Law No. 9632/2006 “On the local tax system”, article 22/2
Other sources (secondary)
Next steps
- What is my property worth? Free valuation
- How to buy property in Albania from abroad
- Home loans: monthly payment and bank conditions
- Property revaluation 2026: the 5% tax and the steps
- Buying off-plan: the contract with the developer
- Selling? Get offers from local agents
- Properties for sale
- Properties for rent in Albania
- What hyrja.al checks on listings
- How we write our guides
- All guides
Indicative figures: confirm them with the notary. Tariffs change, and the notary may calculate the fee on the area's official reference price. Who pays what can be negotiated and should be written into the contract. Updated: 2 October 2026