Croatia's new Residential Lease Act 2027: what changes for landlords

The Government is preparing a new Zakon o najmu stanova (Residential Lease Act), the first new lease law in 30 years. It is proposed to take effect on 1 January 2027. For landlords it brings three big changes: every new agreement goes through a notary, rent may be raised no more than once a year, and the deadlines for moving out are longer.

This is a draft, not the law. The Government presented the draft on 31 July 2026 and put it to public consultation. As of this guide's review the law has not been passed by the Sabor (Parliament) or published in Narodne novine (the Official Gazette), so the rules may still change. Until it takes effect, the current law applies — see the guide to the lease agreement. We will update this guide once the law is passed.

At a glance: now and under the draft

	Now	Under the draft
Form of agreement	in writing; notarial certification optional	notarial deed or notarial certification, otherwise the agreement is not valid
Rent increases	indefinite term: after one year, up to 20 % above the local average	at most once a year, 30 days' notice, capped at the rise in housing prices per the DZS (Croatian Bureau of Statistics)
Deposit	not regulated	one month's rent, unless the agreement says otherwise
Tenant's notice	3 months (indefinite term)	60 days, no reason needed
Moving out when the tenant is not at fault	only on statutory grounds, 3 months	at least 6 months, 1 year after 5 years of tenancy, +6 months if a child lives in the flat
Inspecting the flat	not regulated	up to twice a year, at least 3 days' notice
Handover record	description of condition	description of condition, meter readings and photos
Unpaid rent	lawsuit	enforcement without a lawsuit + possible payout from the state

Agreements go through a notary

The biggest change: every new residential lease agreement will have to be a notarial deed or certified (solemnised) by a notary. An agreement signed after the law takes effect without this form would not be valid.

The agreement must contain direct enforcement clauses: for unpaid rent, bills and damage up to 5 months' rent, and for handing the flat back. If the tenant does not pay or does not move out, the landlord goes straight to enforcement, without a lawsuit that takes years. According to ministry officials, this would remove the need for a lawsuit in more than 90 % of cases.

The notary sends a copy to the Tax Administration (Porezna uprava) within 30 days.

The cost is borne by the landlord by default, but the agreement may say otherwise. Estimates are €50 to €150 per agreement, depending on the rent and the term. For €600 rent on an indefinite term it is about €110.

You can have an agreement certified today too, under the current law. If you are signing a new agreement this autumn, it is a good moment — you get the same protection from enforcement right away.

Rent increases

Rent for a new agreement stays free — the draft does not cap the starting rent. What is limited is raising it during the tenancy:

• at most once every 12 months,
• with written notice to the tenant at least 30 days in advance,
• by no more than the percentage rise in residential property prices in the previous year, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

A clause in the agreement allowing more frequent or larger increases would be void. If the landlord still asks for more, the tenant may terminate with at least 30 days' notice.

That makes the starting rent more important than before: if you set it too low, you can only raise it slowly later.

Notice and moving out

The tenant may terminate at any time, without a reason, with 60 days' notice, unless the agreement says otherwise.

The landlord, when the tenant breaches the agreement (e.g. does not pay):

1. sends a written warning and allows at least 15 days to put it right,
2. if it is not put right, terminates the agreement — no later than 90 days after learning of the breach,
3. the deadline to move out is at least 30 days.

The landlord, when the tenant is not at fault (e.g. the landlord needs the flat or is selling it):

• at least 6 months until moving out,
• 1 year if the tenancy has lasted more than 5 years,
• another 6 months if a minor child lives in the flat and has been registered there for at least 6 months before notice.

The basic deadlines may be shortened by agreement, but not below 3 months. The extra 6 months for a child cannot be shortened. For unjustified notice the tenant may claim compensation of at least 5 months' rent.

A fixed-term agreement still ends when the term runs out. A tenant who wants to extend must ask at least 60 days before it ends, and the landlord answers within 30 days.

Deposit, bills and inspections

• Deposit: one month's rent, unless the agreement says otherwise. The draft sets no deadline for returning it — put one in the agreement. More in the guide to the deposit.
• Bills: the tenant pays them from moving in, unless agreed otherwise. The building reserve fund is still owed by the owner. See the guide to bills and the reserve fund.
• Minor repairs are the tenant's; maintenance and bigger faults are the landlord's. If the landlord does not fix a defect that makes the flat unliveable, the tenant may ask for a proportionally lower rent.
• Inspections: up to twice a year, with at least 3 days' notice (without notice only if damage to other flats or the building is threatened).
• Subletting and alterations only with the landlord's written consent.
• Handover: the record must include a description of the condition, all meter readings and photos of every room. See the handover record checklist.

State cover for unpaid rent

Something entirely new: the Agencija za osiguranje radničkih tražbina (the state agency that today guarantees workers' unpaid wages) could pay a landlord who is a private individual the unpaid rent and bills, and then recover the debt from the tenant itself.

Conditions in the draft:

• the agreement is certified by a notary and submitted to the Agency,
• the landlord pays an annual membership fee of at most 2 % of the annual rent (the ministry mentions €40 to €150 a year),
• the tenant signs a blank promissory note (bjanko zadužnica) at certification,
• the landlord proves non-payment and that the tenant has moved out or that eviction proceedings have started.

Up to €10,000 per tenancy. The Agency will set the exact rules and the fee.

What about existing agreements

Under the draft, existing agreements stay in force and the new law applies to them as well. The draft does not list which provisions apply straight away, so this is the part most likely to be refined. The notary requirement applies to agreements signed after the law takes effect.

Proceedings already started (e.g. an eviction lawsuit) finish under the old rules.

What to do now

1. Is your agreement in writing and registered with the Tax Administration? If not, sort it out now — that holds under both the old and the new law. See the guide to rental income tax.
2. New agreement in the next few months? Consider notarial certification now: the protection from enforcement applies right away.
3. Set the rent with care. Later increases will be limited.
4. Make a proper handover record with meter readings and photos of every room — mandatory under the new law, and already decisive for the deposit today.
5. Keep a record of payments and costs. For enforcement and for a payout from the Agency you will need proof of what was and was not paid.
6. Watch for the final text. We will update this guide as soon as the law is passed.

Sources

• Government of Croatia: The new Residential Lease Act better protects tenants and landlords (31 July 2026, in Croatian)
• Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets: The new Residential Lease Act (in Croatian)
• Alineja: The new Residential Lease Act changes the rules (in Croatian)
• Index.hr: The new lease law introduces a mandatory notary (in Croatian)
• Current Residential Lease Act (NN 91/96 … 36/24, in Croatian)