Legalization of Unauthorized Buildings
Inclusion of unauthorized-building categories 1–4 remains open until 31 March 2028. ν. 4495/2017 has been codified in ν. 5306/2026. Category 5 is closed to general inclusion.
Without completed inclusion and Electronic Building Identity where required, a property transfer cannot close.
The office of Nikolaos Tzortzatos undertakes legalization of unauthorized buildings throughout Greece: site inspection, recording of deviations, classification, the inclusion file in the TEE system and, where a transfer requires it, Electronic Building Identity. The seat is in Neo Psychiko; the work is for properties throughout the country. This procedure does not issue a new building permit; inclusion is a separate act from a building permit.
Settlement or legalization?
In everyday use, taktopoiisi and legalization of unauthorized buildings describe the same act: declaration and inclusion of an unauthorized construction or change of use in the TEE electronic system, under ν. 4495/2017. It is not the issue of a building permit and it does not license unauthorized work after 28 July 2011 in the way a new permit would.
The public term used by the office is legalization of unauthorized buildings. Taktopoiisi appears here only so the two words are not confused when someone searches with the older term. The act filed is inclusion.
Categories of unauthorized buildings
Under ν. 4495/2017 (codified in ν. 5306/2026), unauthorized constructions and changes of use completed before 28 July 2011 may be declared, provided they are not barred from inclusion. They fall into five categories. The category is set by the date of construction, whether a permit exists, and the size of the deviation — not by the owner’s preference. Classification follows the site inspection and comparison with the permit, the drawings and the planning rules.
| Category | What it covers | What applies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Constructions or changes of use before 9 June 1975, in buildings whose prevailing use is housing | Inclusion with a state fee; no unified special fine; permanent exemption from demolition |
| 2 | Constructions before 1 January 1983 | Inclusion until 31 March 2028, with the documents and fine the Code requires |
| 3 | Minor breaches of limited environmental impact (indicatively: small shifts of openings, pergolas within limits, small outline deviations) | Inclusion; as a rule a state fee without a unified special fine |
| 4 | Medium exceedances of coverage, floor area or height — indicatively up to about 40% coverage/floor area, subject to the Code’s limits and exceptions | Inclusion until 31 March 2028 |
| 5 | Major exceedances or a building without a permit, beyond the limits of categories 1–4 | Closed to general inclusion since 2020 |
The 40% figure is indicative; the Code sets separate percentages for coverage, floor area and height, and counts other inclusions on the same property. Construction after 28 July 2011 does not enter these categories. What cannot be included is examined separately: it either stays outside a transfer, or, where the planning rules allow, proceeds by permit and not by inclusion.
State fee and cost
Inclusion requires a state fee, scaled by the area declared:
- up to 100 m² — 250 €
- 100–500 m² — 500 €
- 500–2,000 m² — 1,000 €
- 2,000–5,000 m² — 4,000 €
- over 5,000 m² — 10,000 €
The state fee is offset against the unified special fine where a fine is due. It is not refunded. In categories without a fine (indicatively 1 and, as a rule, 3) only the state fee remains.
Example: a house with a declared unauthorized area of 120 m² falls in the 100–500 m² band; the state fee is 500 €. The special fine, if due, is calculated separately by the engineer (coefficients, zone value, type of breach) and cannot be prepaid from a web page.
The office does not publish professional fees. After the site inspection it is established what can be included, in which category, and which public amounts follow from the Code.
The procedure
Legalization of unauthorized buildings is filed electronically in the TEE system. The steps are fixed; the time needed depends on the drawings and titles to hand.
- Site inspection and collection of titles, building permit and drawings; record of deviations from the permit and the planning rules.
- Classification of the unauthorized work (categories 1–5) and a check on whether inclusion is allowed.
- Submission of the declaration and file in the TEE electronic system.
- Payment of the state fee and, where due, the unified special fine.
- Preparation of Electronic Building Identity where a transfer requires it, together with the inclusion file.
- Completion of inclusion; certificate for a notary, a bank, or so that a renovation can proceed without a pending unauthorized-building file.
If the property also needs a new permit or supervision of works, that is a separate instruction: design and supervision, not an extension of the inclusion.
Documents
The full list follows the site inspection. Typically required:
- title deeds
- building permit and drawings, where they exist; otherwise a certificate from the Building Authority if the file has been lost
- the owner’s identity document
- E9 and KAEK, where they exist
- photographs of the unauthorized constructions or uses
- engineer’s declaration / technical report
Proof of construction date (categories 1 and 2) needs public documents or aerial photographs of the relevant period. Where horizontal or vertical ownership has been constituted, inclusion is filed per divided property. Further items — structural adequacy, M&E report, topographic survey — are requested only when the Code requires them for that case.
Throughout Greece
The seat is at 5 Lalechou Street, 3rd floor, Neo Psychiko 15451; legalization of unauthorized buildings is carried out throughout Greece.
Since 1976 the office has about 343 projects. Inclusion follows the same Code whether the property is in Athens or elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle legalization throughout Greece? Yes. Based in Neo Psychiko (5 Lalechou Street); we handle legalization of unauthorized buildings throughout Greece.
What is the deadline? Categories 1–4 may be submitted until 31 March 2028 (Law 4495/2017 → Law 5306/2026).
Is the Building Identity required for a transfer? Yes, where required. We prepare it together with the legalization file.
Who is the architect? Nikolaos Tzortzatos — Architect, Neo Psychiko. Tel. +30 210 6716237.
For a first conversation, with no obligation: Nikolaos Tzortzatos — Architect · 5 Lalechou Street, 3rd floor, Neo Psychiko 15451 · +30 210 6716237.