How much does it cost to own an apartment in Georgia each year?
Less than in most of Europe, because the largest cost in many countries, property tax, is often zero. An individual pays no property tax on a flat if the family's income last year was GEL 100,000 or less. What remains is the building fee, usually GEL 20 to 40 a month in an ordinary block and more in managed complexes, utilities at regulated tariffs, a small municipal waste fee, optional insurance from about GEL 12 a month, and, if you let the flat, 5% tax on residential rent plus any management fee. In our example, a 60 m² flat in Tbilisi kept for the owner's own visits costs about GEL 1,400 a year, roughly USD 540.
This page lists every recurring cost with its 2026 amount and source, explains which ones an empty flat still pays, and works through two example budgets. One-off costs of buying are covered by our buying cost calculator, and moving the utility accounts into your name by our guide to utilities for a new owner.
The full list of yearly costs
| Cost | Typical amount | Paid when the flat is empty? |
|---|---|---|
| Property tax | Zero when last year's family income was up to GEL 100,000; above that, 0.8% of market value in Tbilisi and Batumi | Yes, if due |
| Land tax | None for the land under a block of flats owned by residents | - |
| Building or association fee | GEL 20 to 40 a month in ordinary blocks; USD 0.4 to 1.5 per m² a month in serviced complexes | Yes |
| Electricity | About 20 to 29 tetri per kWh, rising with consumption | Only what is used |
| Water and sewage | GEL 0.50 per m³ in Tbilisi, about GEL 0.52 in Batumi, when metered | Only what is used if metered |
| Gas | About GEL 0.54 to 0.57 per m³ | Only what is used |
| Municipal waste fee | GEL 2.50 per registered person a month in Tbilisi, GEL 1.30 in Batumi | See below |
| Home insurance | From about GEL 12 to 35 a month | Yes, if taken |
| Home internet | From about GEL 33 to 40 a month for fibre | Optional |
| Bank account | GEL 1 to 15 a month for non-residents | Yes |
| Tax on residential rent | 5% of the rent | No |
| Management of a let flat | 15% to 30% of the rent, depending on the service | No |
All of these are paid in lari except some service charges in managed complexes, which are often quoted in dollars. Most are low in absolute terms; the two that can become large are property tax, once family income passes GEL 100,000, and management, if the flat is let by the night.
Property tax: usually nothing, sometimes 0.8%
Since 30 September 2026 the Tax Code exempts an individual's flats and houses when the family earned GEL 100,000 or less in the previous year. Above that line, the rate is 0.8% to 1% of market value, and Tbilisi and Batumi both charge 0.8%, so a flat worth GEL 400,000 would cost GEL 3,200 a year. Rent counts towards family income, but property received from family members by gift or inheritance does not. Companies are taxed differently, on book value. Our page on property tax for individuals explains the test and the dates.
Building fees
Every block with more than two privately owned flats is legally a homeowners' association, and each owner shares the common costs in proportion to their share, whether or not they use the flat. A market review in November 2025 put basic fees at GEL 20 to 40 a month, covering cleaning of the stairs, lighting and small repairs, and USD 0.4 to 1.5 per m² a month in complexes with a concierge and 24-hour security. Developer listings in Batumi show examples such as USD 0.5 per m² a month for common areas, or USD 0.7 per m² capped at USD 35 a month. Ask for the fee in writing before you buy, and check whether lifts, security and parking are included; we found no separate published tariffs for them.
Utilities at regulated tariffs
| Utility | Tbilisi | Batumi |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity, up to 101 kWh a month | 20.041 tetri per kWh | 19.731 tetri per kWh |
| Electricity, 101 to 301 kWh | 24.053 tetri | 23.707 tetri |
| Electricity, above 301 kWh | 28.537 tetri | 28.227 tetri |
| Water and sewage, metered | GEL 0.50 per m³ | About GEL 0.52 per m³ |
| Water and sewage, unmetered | GEL 4.517 per person a month | About GEL 2.63 per person a month |
| Natural gas | About GEL 0.54 per m³ | About GEL 0.57 per m³ |
The regulator, GNERC, sets these tariffs for several years at a time. Household water tariffs in Tbilisi and Batumi are fixed for 2024 to 2026 and were not raised, gas tariffs are set for 2026 and 2027 unchanged from earlier years, and electricity rose from 1 April 2026. Winter heating with gas is the biggest variable: a flat heated by a gas boiler can see bills several times higher in winter than in summer. New flats are normally metered, so an empty flat pays only for what it uses.
The waste fee and empty flats
Municipalities charge a cleaning fee for household waste, capped by law at GEL 3 per person a month and counting at most 4 people per family. Tbilisi charges GEL 2.50 per registered resident a month, collected by the city's cleaning company. A flat where nobody is registered is charged as one resident, GEL 2.50 a month, if someone is living there, which the city treats as confirmed when the flat uses at least 20 kWh of electricity in a month. An empty flat below that level is therefore not charged. Batumi charges GEL 1.30 per person a month, with the receipt sent to the owner, and in 2026 adopted the same principle of charging a flat with no registered resident as one person when it is occupied.
Insurance
No law requires an owner to insure a flat, although banks usually require insurance on a mortgaged one. Published prices in October 2026 included TBC Insurance from GEL 12 a month, GPI from GEL 25 a month for cover of up to GEL 10,000 or GEL 35 for up to GEL 20,000, and Irao from GEL 30 a month. Typical policies cover water damage from a neighbour, fire, failures of plumbing and wiring, theft and natural events, and some add liability towards neighbours. For an owner who lets the flat or leaves it empty for months, water damage to the flat below is the most common risk to insure.
Extra costs when you let the flat
- Tax. 5% of residential rent, without deductions, for an individual on the landlord register; other rent is taxed at 20%.
- Management. Published price lists range from 15% of rent for long-term management to 20% to 30% for daily letting, sometimes with a cleaning charge of about GEL 50 per check-in.
- Platform fees. Booking platforms take a commission, about 15.5% of the booking for most Airbnb hosts under the host-only fee.
- Who pays utilities. Long-term tenants usually pay utilities themselves; with daily lets the owner pays them.
- Registration. We found no registration requirement or tourist tax for letting a flat by the night.
Two example budgets
| Item | Kept for own visits | Let long term |
|---|---|---|
| Property tax | 0 | 0 |
| Building fee, GEL 30 a month | GEL 360 | GEL 360 |
| Electricity and water | GEL 258 | Paid by tenant |
| Waste fee | GEL 30 | Paid by tenant |
| Insurance, GEL 12 a month | GEL 144 | GEL 144 |
| Internet, GEL 40 a month | GEL 480 | Paid by tenant |
| Bank account, GEL 10 a month | GEL 120 | GEL 120 |
| Tax at 5% on GEL 18,707 of rent | - | GEL 935 |
| Management at 15% | - | GEL 2,806 |
| Total | GEL 1,392 | GEL 4,365 |
For the let flat, the costs take about 23% of the rent, most of it the management fee; an owner who manages the tenant directly would keep about GEL 2,800 more. The budget leaves out repairs, which depend on the age of the flat, and any property tax if the family's income exceeds GEL 100,000.
What we could not find
We found no published Georgian benchmark for annual maintenance and repairs, so we do not give a percentage rule. Separate tariffs for lifts, intercoms and security are not published; they sit inside building fees. Annual fees for parking spaces in new complexes were not published either, although one developer listing in Saburtalo prices an underground space from USD 12,500. Accountants publish monthly bookkeeping packages from about GEL 180 to 250 a month for businesses, and one firm quotes GEL 180 for a standalone annual return, but we found no price aimed at a private landlord.
To be added by the team: our accountant to confirm the conditions for the 5% rate on rent and to suggest a typical fee for a private landlord's returns.
Budgeting for ownership, step by step
Ask the building
Get the monthly fee and what it includes in writing.
Check the family-income test
Estimate whether property tax will apply.
Put the utilities in your name
So bills reach you and old debts do not.
Insure against water damage
Especially if the flat will be empty or let.
Add the letting costs
Tax, management and platform fees, before you compare yields.
Risks and exceptions
- Crossing the income line. Property tax starts at 0.8% of value above GEL 100,000 of family income.
- Association debts. Unpaid building fees above GEL 500 can be registered against the flat.
- Winter bills. Gas heating can multiply utility costs.
- Water damage. An empty flat can flood the neighbours without anyone noticing.
- Tariff changes. Water tariffs are due for review for 2027.
Frequently asked questions
How much are the yearly costs of a flat in Tbilisi?
About GEL 1,400 for a 60 m² flat used only for visits in our example, before any property tax.
Do I pay property tax on my flat?
Not if your family's income last year was GEL 100,000 or less; otherwise 0.8% of value in Tbilisi and Batumi.
How much is the building fee?
Usually GEL 20 to 40 a month, more in complexes with security and a concierge.
What does electricity cost?
About 20 to 29 tetri per kWh in 2026, depending on monthly use.
Is the waste fee charged on an empty flat?
In Tbilisi, not if nobody is registered and it uses under 20 kWh a month.
Is home insurance compulsory?
No, unless a bank requires it for a mortgage; prices start at about GEL 12 a month.
What does letting add to the costs?
5% tax on rent, 15% to 30% for management and platform fees for daily lets.
Is there a tourist tax on short lets?
We found none in Tbilisi or Batumi.
Sources
- Tax Code of Georgia, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Water supply tariffs, Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Natural gas distribution tariffs, Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Electricity tariffs from 1 April 2026, Georgia Today (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Household water tariffs unchanged, First Channel, 28 December 2023 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Local Fees, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Cleaning fee questions and answers, Tbilservice Group (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Batumi City Council resolution No 3 on the cleaning fee, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Changes to the cleaning fee in Batumi, Batumelebi, 23 January 2026 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Homeowners' Associations, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Building maintenance fees in Tbilisi, Housebook, 28 November 2025 (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Home insurance, TBC Insurance (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Comfort home insurance, GPI Holding (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Home insurance, Irao (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Home internet packages, Magticom (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Management conditions, Batumi Apartment Management (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Property management, Wehost (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Batumi listing with service charge terms, Realting (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Accounting services cost in Georgia, TbilisiExperts, July 2026 (accessed 19 October 2026)
Change log
- - Data page published from the Tax Code, GNERC tariffs, Tbilisi and Batumi local fee rules and published insurer, provider and agency prices.