Key facts
- Key question
- What can legally be built?
- Inside the development zone
- Building possible within local plan policies
- Outside (ODZ)
- Very restricted; take specialist advice
- Must check
- Zoning, permits, title, access, servitudes
In Malta the value of land comes from what can legally be built on it. Two plots side by side can be worth very different amounts because of planning policy.
Inside or outside the development zone
- Inside the development zone, building is possible within the limits of the local plan — height, density, alignment and use.
- Outside the development zone (ODZ) — fields and countryside — policies are very restrictive. Approvals are limited and often contested.
Checks before you buy
- Zoning and policies — your architect confirms the zoning and what could be approved.
- Existing permits — their conditions and expiry. See planning permits.
- Title — ownership, any ground rent, and whether all owners are selling.
- Access and servitudes — legal access from a public road; rights of way across the land.
- Services — water, electricity and drainage connections.
Protect yourself
Make the promise of sale conditional on a permit being granted, where possible, and take advice from an architect and a lawyer before committing.
