At a glance
- Ask what was authorised, not just what exists: permits, completion and use documents.
- Extensions, terraces, converted garages and outbuildings are the most common gaps.
- A building built without a permit may have been, or may still need to be, legalised.
- An agent cannot certify legality from photos or an advert. A qualified professional can.
Documents that show legal status
- Building permit (građevinska dozvola) or an equivalent document, with confirmation that it is final.
- Use permit (uporabna dozvola), which confirms that the building was completed according to the permit and may be used.
- Legalisation decision for a building that was built without a permit and later regularised.
- Evidence for older buildings. Special rules can treat some older buildings as legally existing, but the proof should be checked, not assumed.
- Energy certificate, normally required when a building is sold or let.
- Floor plans and as-built drawings to compare with the permit and the advertised area.
Where the gaps usually are
The main house may be documented while the extension, terrace, pool, garage conversion or garden building is not. The documented size may differ from what is advertised. The use shown in the documents may not be the use you intend. These are the points to put to the seller, in writing.
Land and spatial planning
For building land, whether and what you can build depends on the spatial plan, the plot's position and local conditions, and special rules apply in protected and coastal areas. This must be verified in official documents, not taken from a listing.
What an agent can and cannot do
Your agent can ask for the right documents, read them, spot gaps and inconsistencies, and put the questions to the seller. Your agent cannot certify that a building is legal or safe. Where the documents are unclear, the next step is an architect, surveyor or lawyer, and Mladen coordinates that so you are not left to find one yourself. Their fees are separate.
Visual condition is not a technical survey. If you have concerns about structure, damp, roofs or installations, commission a qualified professional before you commit.