Housing

The capital, Ljubljana, is the largest city, as well as the political, administrative, economic, educational and cultural centre of Slovenia. Photo: Darinka Mladenovič

Finding accomodation

In finding accommodation you can be assisted by private agencies dealing in purchase, sale or lease of real estate, or you can look up advertisements in printed media and the internet. Notices about the purchase, sale and letting of property are published in daily and weekly newspapers (Delo , Dnevnik , Večer ) or magazines (Salomonov oglasnik ), but all are only in Slovene language. If you would like to find interesting real estate for you via Internet, then it is the best way to do this by using one web classified ads portals. The most popular and with the highest number of ads is Nepremicnine.net . You can also browse web pages of different real estate agencies  (by regions) but their offer is limited.

Prices

The price of property depends on the location, size, age and fittings of the property concerned and changes constantly in accordance with supply and demand. Property prices are highest in the capital Ljubljana and at the coast.

Average flat rents in Ljubljana (December 2009) are: for a studio flat 393€, one-room flat 472€, two-room flat 626€ and three-room flat 938€. Rent does not normally include running costs (electricity, gas, water, heating, telephone and waste collection).

Average advertised prices of apartments for sale in Ljubljana €/m2 (December 2009) are: for a studio flat 3.132 €/m2, one-room flat 2.874 €/m2, two-room flat 2.596 €/m2 and three-room flat 2.527 €/m2.

The average price in more remote locations is around 1.400€ for a square meter.

Renting

You will need only a valid identity document in order to rent a property and sign an agreement. Registration of the agreement and tax payments are performed by the landlord. If you decide to rent a flat, an agreement with its owner - which needs to be authenticated by a notary - is usually concluded.

Buying

EU / EEA citizens

There are no restrictions on citizens of the EU and EEA with respect to the purchase and commercial letting of property, and therefore you may purchase or rent property regardless of the EU / EEA country where you come from. Slovenian citizenship is only a condition for renting non-profit accommodation and there are special procedures pertaining to the acquisition of agricultural land applicable to all foreign nationals.

Third Countries

Foreigners have been able to buy property since February 2003, on a reciprocal basis. Reciprocity is a principle verified by the Ministry of Justice on the basis of the Law on Reciprocity, and any attempt by a non-EU citizen to buy property requires a new application for the establishment of reciprocity to the Ministry of Justice.

Purchase Procedure

Before purchasing property in Slovenia, the buyer should obtain a tax number and EMSO number (comparable to a social security number) from the local authority where the property is located. This takes about three days.

Even if you have decided on a particularly property, hire a licensed and registered real estate agent. Your agent will then contact the seller and present your offer. If accepted, the realtor will arrange for a contract to be procured and translated. Usually a 10% deposit is paid upon signing.

A title search is then conducted. The Land Registry in Slovenia  employs a modernized system and performing due diligence can be a breeze, and may be accomplished in just two working days. Whether you decide to do this personally or have your agent do it for you, make sure that all the documents get translated to avoid any pitfalls.

For the final process, the agent must prepare a new copy of the land registry entry, community confirmation that no communal rights are being claimed against the property, and an official evaluation for proper payment of taxes. When all this is in order, the buyer just has to settle the remaining balance with the seller.