What is unauthorised construction in Georgia?
Unauthorised construction means building without the permit the law requires, or building beyond what the permit allows: extra floors, a larger footprint, a different purpose. In Tbilisi and Batumi it most often takes the form of floors added above the permitted height, or of flats and penthouses that appear in a developer's sales plan but not in the approved drawings. For the developer, the consequences are fines, suspension and in serious cases demolition; for a buyer, the risk is owning, or paying for, a flat whose legal status is uncertain.
This explainer sets out the fines, the routes by which such construction can be legalised, and what a buyer should do before paying for a flat on a questionable floor.
What are the fines?
The Spatial Planning Code sets fines that depend on where the building stands, on whose land and on its class. The figures below are the main ones; the full schedule has more cases.
| Breach | Fine |
|---|---|
| Building without a permit, general rule | GEL 6,000 in a self-governing city, GEL 4,000 in a town, GEL 1,000 in a village |
| Class III or IV without a permit | GEL 25,000 on state or municipal land, GEL 20,000 on private land |
| Tbilisi and special areas, private land | GEL 8,000; GEL 20,000 for Class III or IV |
| Tbilisi cultural heritage zones, private land | Up to GEL 200,000 for Class III or IV |
| Breaching the permit's terms in a city | GEL 800 for Class I or II, GEL 10,000 for III, GEL 15,000 for IV |
| Ignoring a suspension order in Tbilisi | GEL 50,000 |
A fine is due within 30 calendar days. If the breach is not removed, the fine is repeated every three months at three times the previous amount, up to three times, and paying it does not end the duty to put things right. The supervising body can suspend works and order full or partial demolition, and an appeal does not suspend the part of an order that stops or dismantles works. In 2025 the Tbilisi Municipal Inspection halted 118 illegal projects by late May, according to the city's mayor.
Can unauthorised construction be legalised?
Sometimes. The law has several separate routes, each with its own conditions and dates.
- A permit after the fact. Construction that is unauthorised but otherwise lawful can obtain a permit on application, with the receipt for the fine, an expert opinion on technical compliance and measurement drawings.
- Buildings from before 2007. Buildings put up without a permit before 1 January 2007 may be legalised on terms set by the Government.
- The Tbilisi scheme. A special article allows commissioning of buildings in Tbilisi completed by 18 August 2020 in breach of their permits, with an expert opinion on stability and seismic resistance. It releases the fines but does not waive the payment for an increase in K-2, does not cover breaches of the boundary zone and excludes Class V. Applications had to be made within two years of the article entering into force.
- The Batumi scheme. A similar article covers Batumi buildings completed by 26 September 2022, the date of the aerial photography used as evidence.
- Private houses. Individual houses on private land built without permission before 1 December 2023 are deemed lawful, outside Tbilisi and certain listed areas.
The fee for a fast-track act recognising such construction is set by each municipality, up to GEL 40,000, after a 2025 change replaced a flat GEL 4,500 fee.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm whether the Tbilisi and Batumi application windows are still open, the fee per m² under the pre-2007 rules, and how a legalised floor is shown on the registry extract.
What it means for a buyer
A flat on an unpermitted floor carries several distinct risks. The building may not be accepted into operation, and without the commissioning act it cannot receive permanent electricity or gas. The floor may be subject to a demolition order. Registration of your ownership may be refused or delayed until the construction is legalised. And even where legalisation is possible, someone has to pay the fee and, in Tbilisi, any K-2 charge; your contract should say who.
Developers sometimes promise that an extra floor "will be legalised". Treat that as a promise by the developer, not a fact about the law, and ask how, by which route, by when and at whose cost. Ask also what happens to your money if legalisation fails.
When things go wrong: a Batumi example
In January 2026 the state confiscated several Batumi apartment buildings linked to a Turkish businessperson, following a plea agreement in a money-laundering case; local media reported that the buildings had been built illegally in 2021, and the buildings and their land were registered as state property. Cases like this are rare, but they show that the legal status of a building can matter more than its finish or its view.
How to check before you pay
Get the permit and drawings
The permit number, the approved floor count and the drawings showing your unit.
Count the floors
On site, and compare them with the permit.
Locate your flat in the drawings
If it is not there, ask which legal route applies to it.
Check the project's status
Commissioned or suspended, on the City Hall map in Tbilisi.
Put legalisation in the contract
Who applies, who pays, the deadline and your right to withdraw with a refund.
Our guide to checking a construction permit explains where to find the permit and what to compare.
Buying a legalised flat on the resale market
A floor that has been legalised and accepted into operation is, for a buyer, much like any other: the extract shows the unit, and the building has its commissioning act. Ask the seller for the legalisation documents and the commissioning act, and check that the extract matches them. Where a seller says a floor is "in the process" of legalisation, treat the flat as unauthorised until the documents exist.
Building without a permit, or beyond it
The law treats two situations differently. Building with no permit at all is the more serious breach, with fines from GEL 1,000 in a village to GEL 25,000 for a large building on state land, and higher in protected areas. Breaching the terms of a valid permit, for example by adding floors or changing the design, is fined by class and place: in towns and villages GEL 200 for Class I or II buildings, in cities GEL 800, and GEL 10,000 or GEL 15,000 for Class III or IV everywhere; in Tbilisi's cultural heritage zones it rises to GEL 30,000 and GEL 45,000. For a buyer, the second situation is the more common one: the building has a permit, but your floor may not be covered by it.
Who enforces the rules?
Supervision of construction belongs to the municipality; in Tbilisi it is carried out by the Municipal Inspection of City Hall. The inspection can stop works, fine the builder and order the removal of unauthorised parts, and in 2025 the city's mayor said that ignoring an order to stop costs GEL 50,000 for a first offence and that repeated non-compliance brings criminal liability. Since November 2025 the city's interactive map has shown, among other things, construction sites where work has been suspended, which lets a buyer see enforcement action on a project before paying.
Questions to ask a developer about extra floors
- How many floors does the permit allow, and how many will the building have?
- On which page of the approved drawings is my flat?
- Has any part of the building been fined or suspended, and why?
- If a floor is being legalised, by which route, by when and at whose cost?
- Has the K-2 coefficient been increased, and has the fee been paid?
- What happens to my payments if the building is not accepted into operation?
Ask for the answers in writing. A developer whose building is fully permitted can answer all six quickly.
What the contract should say
If you decide to buy a flat whose legal status depends on legalisation, the contract should make the risk the developer's. It should name the route and the deadline, put the fees and charges on the developer, make registration of your ownership a condition of the final payment, and give you the right to withdraw and recover everything paid, with a penalty, if legalisation fails. Our guide to the 12 clauses of a developer contract covers the wording.
Risks and exceptions
- No commissioning. No permanent electricity or gas.
- Demolition orders. Unauthorised floors can be ordered down.
- Registration problems. The unit may not be registrable until legalised.
- Hidden costs. Legalisation fees and K-2 charges can fall on owners if the contract is silent.
- Closed windows. Special legalisation schemes have cut-off dates.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as unauthorised construction?
Building without a required permit or beyond its terms, such as extra floors.
Who pays the fine?
The person who carried out the construction, usually the developer; the duty to fix the breach remains after payment.
Can an extra floor be legalised?
In some cases, through a permit after the fact or a special scheme with its own dates and conditions.
Can I register a flat on an unpermitted floor?
That is uncertain until the construction is legalised; a lawyer should check before you pay.
Does legalisation cost money?
Yes; municipalities set fast-track fees up to GEL 40,000, and K-2 charges may apply in Tbilisi.
Will the building get electricity and gas?
Only after the commissioning act.
Are old houses without permits a problem?
Houses built before 1 January 2007 may be legalised, and private houses built before 1 December 2023 outside Tbilisi are deemed lawful.
What should my contract say?
Who handles and pays for legalisation, by when, and your right to a refund if it fails.
Sources
- Spatial Planning, Architectural and Construction Activities Code of Georgia (Articles 112, 126-136, 141.1, 141.3, 141.7, 141.8), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Local Fees (Articles 6.1, 6.3), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Parliament discusses the construction amnesty bill, Parliament of Georgia, 10 June 2021 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Georgia moves to increase fees for fast-track recognition of construction violations, Georgia Today, 24 November 2025 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Tbilisi Mayor urges citizens to refrain from illegal construction, First Channel, 21 May 2025 (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Georgia confiscates apartment buildings related to a Turkish businessperson, OC Media, January 2026 (accessed 18 October 2026)
Change log
- - Explainer published from the Spatial Planning Code (fines, Arts. 141.1-141.8), the Law on Local Fees, Parliament and press sources.