Illia Semenchuk
July 10, 2026
An era that lasted 34 years is officially coming to an end. On 13 January 2026, the Verkhovna Rada adopted, and in February the President signed, Law No. 4751-IX ‘On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy’ (draft law No. 12377). This document simultaneously repeals two pillars of the Soviet and post-Soviet housing system: the 1983 Housing Code and the 1992 Law “On the Privatisation of the State Housing Stock” — the very same law under which millions of Ukrainians received their flats free of charge in the 1990s.
For those who still live in state or council housing under a housing allocation order or a tenancy agreement, this means one simple thing: the window of opportunity for free privatisation is closing. And this time – for good.
The figures that explain why the reform is inevitable
To understand the scale of the change, it is worth looking at what the mass privatisation of the 1990s did to Ukraine’s housing stock.
According to estimates by the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, around 86 per cent of Ukrainians own their own homes — one of the highest rates in Europe. By way of comparison: in Germany, around half are homeowners, whilst in Switzerland the figure is just 42.5 per cent. The flip side of these statistics is that there is virtually no state or municipal housing stock left in Ukraine. There is effectively no social housing stock — this is a direct consequence of the state having handed out flats as private property for three decades.
Meanwhile, the demand for social housing has skyrocketed. According to the International Organisation for Migration, 60 per cent of internally displaced persons spend more than half of their household income on rent. The state physically has nothing with which to provide for IDPs, young families and vulnerable groups — everything that could be privatised has already been privatised or will be privatised in the near future.
There is also a financial dimension: the adoption of housing reform is one of the conditions of the Ukraine Facility programme, under which the EU is allocating 50 billion euros to Ukraine. €300 million is directly linked to the housing sector. In other words, the state will not back down from the reform – it has made a commitment to the donors.
What exactly does Law No. 4751-IX change
First and foremost — reassurance. If you have already privatised your flat, nothing will change for you. Your right of ownership remains intact; no re-registration is required. The chair of the relevant parliamentary committee, Olena Shulyak, emphasised: “housing privatisation is a one-off process.”
For the rest, the law introduces a new structure for the housing stock — three separate funds:
- the private stock — everything already owned by citizens;
- the housing stock of local authorities (municipal);
- the state housing stock.
Key change: housing from the state and municipal housing funds will be provided exclusively on a rental basis — either as social or service accommodation — without the right to privatisation. Rent for social housing will depend on family income, taking into account benefits and subsidies; part of the cost will be covered by the budget. This is the European model: the state does not give away flats, but guarantees affordable housing for those who need it.
The change will have the most significant impact on two categories:
Occupants of service accommodation. According to Olena Shulyak, staff flats are currently being actively allocated and privatised — in effect, this is the last mass ‘loophole’ to free ownership. Once the regulation comes into force, staff accommodation will become purely rental accommodation, for the duration of employment.
Residents of halls of residence. Thousands of people across Ukraine live in former departmental halls of residence, which are still legally listed on companies’ balance sheets and often fall outside the scope of privatisation laws. If such buildings are transferred to the state or a local authority, residents without formalised ownership rights will find themselves in the position of tenants — with all the risks that this entails.
When exactly does free privatisation end?
This is the most important detail of the entire reform, one that is often overlooked in the news. The deadline is not tied to a specific calendar date. The provision abolishing free privatisation will come into force one year after the end of martial law.
What this means in practice:
- No one — neither lawyers nor officials — can specify the exact day when the exemption will end.
- Legal experts in the field tentatively suggest early to mid-2027, but this is a forecast, not a guarantee.
- The countdown could begin any day. The decision to end martial law is a political one, and it will not take into account whether you have had time to gather the necessary documents.
It is precisely this uncertainty that makes 2026 the best time to act: the procedure is still free of charge, the Administrative Service Centres are not yet overwhelmed by a rush of demand, and documents can be processed at a leisurely pace.
Privatisation rules in 2026: regulations, costs and deadlines
Whilst the transition period is ongoing, privatisation is governed by the rules of the 1992 Act.
Free allocation of floor space: 21 m² of total floor space per tenant and per family member, plus an additional 10 m² per family. A family of three can register up to 73 m² free of charge — this covers the vast majority of typical flats.
Excess square metres: anything above the allowance must be purchased, but at a nominal rate — around 18 kopecks per square metre. Lawyers describe this fee as more of a legal formality than a real price.
Actual costs: the flat itself is free, but the supporting documents are not. These include the technical passport, archive certificates, notarial services and state registration of ownership. In straightforward cases, the full process costs 3,000–5,000 UAH.
Duration of the procedure: 1 to 3 months, depending on the region, the completeness of the documents and the workload of the local authorities.
Limit per person: the right to free privatisation is granted once in a lifetime. Important exception: if you were included in the privatisation scheme as a child (under the age of 18), your right to free privatisation as an adult remains in full force. For the generation whose parents privatised their flats in the 1990s, this could be a crucial detail.
Step-by-step guide: what to do right now
- Check the status of your property. Contact your housing maintenance organisation, owners’ association or the entity responsible for the property: check whether there are any outstanding debts or enforcement orders, and whether the building is on the list of properties not eligible for privatisation.
- Order a technical certificate. Your application will not be accepted without it. An engineer will visit the property, measure the floor area and record the layout.
- Gather the required documents: passports and tax identification numbers of all registered residents (birth certificates for children under 14), the tenancy agreement or lease, and a certificate confirming that the right to privatisation has not been exercised.
- Submit an application to the Administrative Services Centre (CNAU) or the privatisation authority at your place of registration — in person, through a representative with a power of attorney, or partially online via the ‘Diy’ platform.
- Receive the decision and register your title in the State Register of Real Rights to Immovable Property.
The cost of delay: why ‘later’ will be more expensive
Even if you make the deadline, procrastination comes at a measurable cost.
The closer the end of the grace period gets, the more people will rush to order technical passports, archive certificates and legal support all at once. Demand for the services of BTI engineers and archivists will rise — along with prices and processing times. A procedure that currently takes 1–3 months and costs from 3,000 UAH risks becoming much longer and several times more expensive as the deadline approaches.
A separate risk is posed by complex cases. If you have lost your application form, there are discrepancies in the list of registered occupants, or one of the residents refuses to participate in the privatisation (in which case the matter is resolved through the courts) — each of these situations adds months to the process. Legal proceedings initiated at the very last minute may simply not be concluded in time before the application window closes.
Frequently asked questions
Will an apartment that has already been privatised be taken away? No. The law does not have retroactive effect; ownership rights are inviolable. There is no need to re-register anything.
How many times can you privatise a flat free of charge? Once in a lifetime. The exception is if you took part in privatisation as a child: this right does not lapse, and as an adult you can privatise your home again free of charge.
Can you privatise a flat if you have utility bills in arrears? Debts complicate matters, but do not formally block the procedure — the main thing is that the property has not been seized. However, it is better to settle any arrears before submitting your documents.
What will happen to those who do not manage to do so in time? The property will remain in state or municipal ownership, and the residents will retain their status as tenants without ownership rights. It will only be possible to acquire ownership of a flat on a fee-paying basis or through new mechanisms such as a lease with an option to buy.
Does this apply to rooms in halls of residence? Yes — and this is one of the highest-risk categories. If a hall of residence legally permits privatisation, there is no point in delaying: following the reform, such buildings will be transferred to local authority housing stocks as rental accommodation.
Conclusion
Free privatisation in Ukraine has endured three decades, several economic crises and a full-scale war — but Law No. 4751-IX puts an end to this chapter. The deadline will come one year after the end of martial law, and it is precisely this unpredictability that poses the main risk: the countdown could begin at any moment.
If you live in a state-owned or council flat, staff accommodation or a hall of residence that is eligible for privatisation, 2026 offers you something that 2027 will not: time, peace of mind and low processing fees. Start with the simplest step — checking your documents. It costs just one visit to the housing and utilities office, and could save you your flat.
Sources: Law of Ukraine No. 4751-IX ‘On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy’ (draft law No. 12377, adopted on 13 January 2026); Law of Ukraine “On the Privatisation of the State Housing Stock” No. 2482-XII; Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine; statements by Olena Shulyak, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee; data from the International Organisation for Migration; the Ukraine Facility programme (EU).