Topic
Checking zoning and protected areas
What you can do with a property has to match its zoning. That is not recorded in the land register, but with the planning authority, and it can change without any input from you.
The question before all others
Not how the land is used today, but how it may be used. A built-up plot is not necessarily zoned for building, and an existing use is not automatically a permitted one.
Protected areas and what they forbid
Heritage and townscape protection, water protection, flood zones. Each one limits what you may change, and several can apply at once.
Heritage and townscape protection
Already covers something as small as replacing windows or repainting the façade. The extra cost of a heritage-compliant renovation is substantial and is almost never factored in.
Flood and water protection
Affects not only building work but also insurability. A property in a designated zone can be uninsurable against certain kinds of damage.
Rights of first refusal held by public authorities
In several countries, a municipality can step into an already-signed sale contract. The contract still stands, but the buyer becomes someone else. Whether that is possible here belongs on the table before you sign.
The legal position in Germany
What is allowed on this land
Whether and how something may be built follows from the municipality's binding land-use plan, the Bebauungsplan (section 30 of the Building Code, BauGB); where none exists, from fitting in with the surrounding area (section 34) or the strict rules for land outside a built-up area (section 35). The preparatory land-use plan (Flächennutzungsplan) sits at the level above it.
Protected areas and their effect
Restrictions can follow from designated flood zones, nature and landscape protection, a listed ensemble of buildings, or registered building encumbrances (Baulasten).
Rights of first refusal
Under section 24 of the Building Code, the municipality has a general right of first refusal in certain locations, for instance in redevelopment areas or on land designated as residential in the preparatory land-use plan, which it may exercise in the public interest; a special right of first refusal under section 25 comes on top of that. It must decide within three months of being notified of the sale contract (section 28(2)). The sale can therefore end up going to the municipality instead.
Basis: Building Code (Baugesetzbuch, BauGB), sections 30, 34 and 35 on the permissibility of building, section 24 on the municipality's right of first refusal, and section 28(2) on the three-month deadline.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
The legal position in Austria
What is allowed on this land
Spatial planning is a matter for the nine federal states (Länder), each with its own spatial planning act. The municipality's Flächenwidmungsplan designates Bauland (building land), Grünland (greenfield land), and traffic areas; only land suitable for building may be zoned Bauland, everything else remains Grünland. A Bebauungsplan adds density and height. Several states now attach an expiry date to new Bauland designations: Vorarlberg gives seven years to build, after which the earlier zoning returns automatically (section 12 VBRPG); Lower Austria gives five years, with a one-year window in which the municipality may re-zone without compensation (section 16a NÖ ROG); Burgenland five to ten years (section 11a RPlG); Carinthia up to seven years (section 17 ROG 2014); Vienna has allowed time-limited designations since 2014 (section 4(4) of the Vienna Building Code). A buyer of newly designated building land should check whether the designation expires.
Protected areas and their effect
The Grünland designation itself, the hazard-zone plan (Gefahrenzonenplan) for floods, avalanches, and landslides, and nature and landscape protection areas all restrict what may be built.
Rights of first refusal
There is no nationwide general municipal right of first refusal comparable to Germany's section 24 BauGB; municipalities steer development through the zoning itself, and several states tie re-zoning to building deadlines and obligations through contractual spatial planning (Vertragsraumordnung). What a buyer can still meet is layered and regional. Reserve zones (Vorbehaltsflächen) for public purposes give the municipality or the entitled public bodies a window to acquire the land, five years in Lower Austria (section 22 NÖ ROG 2014), before expropriation follows; in Salzburg, owners of land reserved for subsidised housing can after three years demand that the municipality buy or release it. On top of that sits a dormant federal instrument, the Bodenbeschaffungsgesetz: where a state government declares a housing emergency by ordinance, a municipality can be granted a right of first refusal over unbuilt building land above 2,000 square metres. The law has never been applied in almost fifty years; Innsbruck's city council voted for it in 2022, and the state of Tyrol declined to declare the emergency in 2024. A buyer should therefore check any contractual or land-registered right of first refusal and whether the plot sits inside a Vorbehaltsfläche.
Basis: The spatial planning act of the respective Land: section 16a and section 22 NÖ ROG 2014 (time-limited designations and reserve zones), section 12 VBRPG in Vorarlberg, section 11a RPlG in Burgenland, section 17 ROG 2014 in Carinthia, section 4(4) of the Vienna Building Code; the dormant federal Bodenbeschaffungsgesetz for a declared housing emergency.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
The legal position in Switzerland
What is allowed on this land
The municipal Nutzungsplan (Zonenplan, land-use and zoning plan) specifies at the level of the individual plot whether land is located in a Bauzone (building zone) or a Nichtbaugebiet (non-building area), notably the Landwirtschaftszone (agricultural zone). At federal level, the Raumplanungsgesetz maintains a strict separation between Bauzonen and Nichtbauzonen.
Protected areas and their effect
Landwirtschaftszonen (agricultural zones) and Schutzzonen (protection zones), the Gewässerraum (watercourse corridor) and heritage instruments including Ortsbildschutz (townscape protection) and Denkmalschutz (monument protection), for instance under ISOS, restrict development. The second revision of the Raumplanungsgesetz in 2026 additionally stabilizes construction outside the Bauzone (building zone).
Rights of first refusal
No general municipal Vorkaufsrecht (right of pre-emption) exists nationwide. Individual cantons and municipalities maintain Vorkaufsrechte for specific purposes such as residential construction. The buyer should verify the applicable cantonal regulation.
Basis: The Raumplanungsgesetz des Bundes (Gesetz RPG, SR 700) provides the federal statutory framework. The municipal Nutzungsplan governs the classification of land as Bauzone (building zone) or Nichtbaugebiet (non-building area).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
The legal position in 30 further countries
This theme also has a legal basis on record for these countries, each with its statute and verification date. Expand your country.
Belgium
What is allowed on this land
The designation of a property is determined by the ruimtelijk uitvoeringsplan (RUP, spatial implementation plan), which replaces the former gewestplannen (regional plans) and BPA (special development plans), and governs the bestemming (permitted use), administration, and development. The legal basis is the Vlaamse Codex Ruimtelijke Ordening. Wallonia and Brussels have their own separate codes.
Protected areas and their effect
Agricultural and nature conservation designations, flood zones, and monument protection restrict the use of the property.
Rights of first refusal
To implement an RUP, authorities may exercise a recht van voorkoop (statutory pre-emption right), but only in areas designated as pre-emption zones in the definitively adopted RUP. The purchaser should verify whether the property lies in such a zone.
Basis: For Flanders the Vlaamse Codex Ruimtelijke Ordening (VCRO), with the recht van voorkoop (statutory pre-emption right) for implementing an RUP. Spatial planning in Belgium is a regional competence: Wallonia applies the Code du Développement territorial (CoDT) instead, and the Brussels-Capital Region the Brussels town planning code (CoBAT), each with its own plans and its own pre-emption rules. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Bulgaria
What is allowed on this land
The obsht ustroystven plan (general development plan) and the podroben ustroystven plan (PUP, detailed development plan) determine what may be built; turning a plot into building land requires a PUP in force. The governing statute is the Zakon za ustroystvo na teritoriyata (ZUT, Territory Development Act, in force since 2001).
Protected areas and their effect
The use fixed in the plan, nature conservation designations, and hazard zones restrict what may be built.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general pre-emption right on ordinary building land, but there is a plan-based right of first offer: where the PUP designates a plot for the construction of a facility that is to become public state or public municipal property, the state or the municipality must be offered the plot for purchase before it is sold to any third party (Article 199 of the Territory Development Act). The owner may sell only after obtaining the written refusal of the public body and presenting it to the notary, and the statute points to the procedure of Article 33 of the Ownership Act. The law sets neither a response deadline nor a sanction for silence, so local practice advises running the procedure whenever in doubt, because a sale without it risks being challenged and declared null and void. Separately, a co-owner keeps a pre-emption right under Article 33 of the Ownership Act.
Basis: Zakon za ustroystvo na teritoriyata (ZUT, Territory Development Act), Article 199 for the right of first offer of the state and the municipality; Zakon za sobstvenostta (Ownership Act), Article 33 for the pre-emption of co-owners and the procedure. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Denmark
What is allowed on this land
The whole country is divided into byzone (urban zone), sommerhusområder (summer-house areas), and landzone (rural zone). The kommuneplan sets the framework, and the lokalplan governs building in detail. Building in the landzone requires a landzonetilladelse (rural-zone permit), and practice is restrictive.
Protected areas and their effect
The landzone itself, coastal protection (strandbeskyttelse), and nature conservation all limit what may be built.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general statutory right of first refusal for the municipality or the state, unlike Germany's section 24 BauGB: a government bill for one, aimed at urban development land, was rejected in a referendum on 25 June 1963 by 56.4 percent, and nothing similar has been proposed since. The municipality instead steers development through the lokalplan and can expropriate (ekspropriation) under the Planning Act where needed. Two narrow rights of first refusal for the STATE exist instead: the Minister for Agriculture can register a right of first refusal against agricultural properties and land under the Jordfordelingsloven (Land Consolidation Act), with exceptions for acquisition by a public body, close family, or inheritance; and the Minister for the Environment can register one against land in the rural zone or summer-house areas that is especially suited to nature conservation, under the Naturbeskyttelsesloven (Nature Protection Act), with an eight-week window to exercise it after notice of a sale. Some municipalities also use the term forkøbsret for a private contract clause when selling their own building land, which is a contractual right as seller, not a statutory right against third-party sales.
Basis: Planloven (Planning Act) for the kommuneplan, lokalplan, and rural-zone permit; Jordfordelingsloven (consolidated act LBK No. 1051 of 10 July 2023), section 12, for the state's right of first refusal on agricultural land; Naturbeskyttelsesloven (consolidated act LBK No. 927 of 2024), sections 57 to 59, for the state's right of first refusal on land suited to nature conservation.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Estonia
What is allowed on this land
The üldplaneering (general plan) of the municipality sets the development direction, and the detailplaneering (detailed plan) sets the specific building and use conditions. The legal basis is the Planeerimisseadus.
Protected areas and their effect
Designated use under the planning system, nature conservation, and coastal and shore protection restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
No general municipal right of preemption exists for building land. The ostueesõigus (right of first refusal) applies only in special cases: for buildings used for at least one year as educational, health, or cultural facilities, and for a cultural monument (in that case, first the State, then the municipality).
Basis: Planeerimisseadus; municipal ostueesõigus (right of first refusal) only in special cases (publicly used buildings, cultural monument).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Finland
What is allowed on this land
The yleiskaava (general plan) sets out the broad lines of land use, while the asemakaava (detailed plan) regulates building in detail; where an asemakaava is required, there is no direct building permit without one. The basis is the Land Use and Building Act (Maankäyttö- ja rakennuslaki).
Protected areas and their effect
The use fixed in the kaava, shoreline protection, and nature conservation all limit what may be built.
Rights of first refusal
The municipality has an etuosto-oikeus (right of first refusal) on plots of at least 5,000 square metres, or as little as 3,000 square metres in the capital-region municipalities (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen), in order to acquire land for settlement, recreation, or nature conservation; it must decide within three months of the sale being confirmed. Sales to a spouse, an heir, or the state, and forced auctions, are excluded, and the municipality may not exercise the right where doing so would be clearly unreasonable given the relationship between buyer and seller or the terms of the sale. A buyer of a large plot should reckon with this.
Basis: Land Use and Building Act (Maankäyttö- ja rakennuslaki, 132/1999); the municipality's etuosto-oikeus on plots above the size threshold, including the lower 3,000-square-metre threshold in the capital region and the exemptions for family and state transfers and forced auctions, under the Act on the Right of First Refusal (Etuostolaki).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
France
What is allowed on this land
The Plan Local d'Urbanisme (PLU) divides the municipal territory into zones: U (built-up), AU (to be urbanised), A (agricultural), and N (natural). Construction is permitted primarily in zones U and AU.
Protected areas and their effect
Zones A and N, servitudes (property burdens under French law), risk areas such as the flood plan PPRN, and monuments historiques (protected historic monuments) restrict use.
Rights of first refusal
In zones U and AU, the municipality may exercise a droit de preemption urbain (DPU): upon sale, it may step into the purchaser's position under the agreed conditions. The purchase may thereby be diverted to the municipality.
Basis: Code de l'urbanisme; the PLU governs the zonage (zoning), and the droit de preemption urbain applies in zones U and AU.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Greece
What is allowed on this land
Whether a plot may be built on depends on whether it lies inside (εντός σχεδίου) or outside (εκτός σχεδίου) the town plan; the local urban plan (τοπικό πολεοδομικό σχέδιο) and the wider spatial planning framework settle that. The basis is Law 4759/2020, which modernised spatial and urban planning law.
Protected areas and their effect
The coastal strip (αιγιαλός) and archaeological zones are public property and not freely buildable; forest and nature protection add further limits.
Rights of first refusal
The state and the competent municipality hold a right of first refusal under Article 225 of the Code of Basic Urban Planning Legislation (Κώδικας Βασικής Πολεοδομικής Νομοθεσίας, tracing back to Law 1337/1983 and Law 947/1979), exercisable on the same terms offered to a third party, with a 30-day window and then 10 days until the sale is notarised. Unlike Germany's section 24 BauGB, it applies only within specifically designated planning zones, not nationwide, and it explicitly extends to the sale of private forests and forest-like land as well. A right of first refusal for antiquities is often assumed but does not apply here: under Law 3028/2002, Article 28, it covers only movable monuments, not land. For immovable monuments and land in archaeological zones, the state instead relies on expropriation against compensation.
Basis: Law 4759/2020 (Government Gazette A 245/2020) modernising spatial and urban planning law, supplementing Law 4447/2016; Article 225 of the Code of Basic Urban Planning Legislation (tracing back to Law 1337/1983 and Law 947/1979) for the right of first refusal in planning zones and over private forests; Law 3028/2002, Articles 7, 18, and 28, on antiquities and archaeological zones.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Ireland
What is allowed on this land
No rigid zoning map as on the continent. Each local authority adopts a development plan, its term extended from six to ten years since a reform under the Planning and Development Act 2024, dividing its area into zoning objectives such as residential, mixed use, agricultural, or open space. Those objectives are the yardstick against which a planning application is judged, but not an automatic entitlement: the authority decides on its merits, and a proposal can be refused even where the zoning fits. Residential land also faces the Residential Zoned Land Tax, an annual charge of 3 percent of market value on land zoned, serviced, and suitable for housing but left undeveloped, first payable from 1 February 2025. Owners can apply each year, between 1 February and 1 April, to have land rezoned out of the tax map, with a declaration deadline of 23 May for the 2026 round; land carrying a phased-development objective is permanently exempt.
Protected areas and their effect
Natura 2000 sites as Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas, plus Natural Heritage Areas under the Wildlife Act. A site in or next to one of these routinely needs an Appropriate Assessment, which lengthens the process and can sink a project outright. Separately, the planning guidelines' flood zones: in Flood Zone A or B, residential development is only permitted after passing a Justification Test.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general statutory right of first refusal for the state on the sale of land. Two other obligations matter instead: the requirement to provide social and affordable housing under Part V, which since a 2021 amendment to the Affordable Housing Act sets a 20 percent quota of housing units for land acquired from 1 August 2021 onward, at least half of it social housing and the rest affordable purchase or Cost Rental (an earlier 10 percent transitional rate for land bought before that date only ran out on 31 July 2026); and Compulsory Purchase, meaning expropriation against compensation for public projects such as roads.
Basis: Planning and Development Act 2024, Part 3, for the development plan and zoning objectives, which has replaced the Planning and Development Act 2000 on this point since late 2025, though that Act's repeal was not yet fully in force as of May 2026; Part V remains anchored in the Planning and Development Act 2000; Wildlife Act 1976 as amended for protected areas; Finance Act 2021 and Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 for the Residential Zoned Land Tax; Affordable Housing Act 2021 for the Part V quota.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Iceland
What is allowed on this land
Three levels under the Planning Act (Skipulagslög nr. 123/2010): the regional plan (svæðisskipulag, covering several municipalities with a horizon of at least twelve years, Art. 21) stays coarse, the municipal master plan (aðalskipulag, one municipality, Art. 28) fixes the main use of each zone (housing, industry, agriculture), and only the detailed local plan (deiliskipulag, a sub-area, Art. 37) decides at plot level on building lines, density and permitted height and form. Where no deiliskipulag exists for a plot yet, the municipality may have to adopt one before a building permit can be issued.
Protected areas and their effect
Six categories under the Nature Conservation Act (lög um náttúruvernd nr. 60/2013): national parks (þjóðgarðar), nature reserves (friðlönd), country parks (fólkvangar), natural monuments (náttúruvætti), species and habitat protection, and other areas; some extend into the sea. More important for a purchase than these categories is 61. gr.: certain ecosystems and geological formations are protected BY OPERATION OF LAW, quite regardless of whether the area was ever formally designated. Covered are wetlands such as bogs and marshes from 10,000 m², lakes and ponds from 1,000 m², and post-glacial lava fields (eldhraun), volcanic craters, pseudo-craters and lava caves. Interference is permitted only where there is a compelling need, and even then only if it is shown that no other option exists. A plot can therefore be effectively unbuildable without lying in any designated protected area: the map shows nothing, the statute still bites. The competent authority is the Environment Agency (Umhverfisstofnun); the area data is held by Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands. Natural hazards are a separate matter: volcanic and seismic monitoring sits with the Icelandic Meteorological Office (Veðurstofa Íslands), which is not a statutory protection-zone category in the sense of this field.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general municipal pre-emption right on ordinary building land. A municipality can, however, secure one by council resolution under Act nr. 22/1932 on the pre-emption right of towns over harbour structures and other property: the resolution runs five years at a time, needs ministerial confirmation and must be published and registered, and once in force the owner must offer the property to the municipality on the same terms a third party genuinely offers, with two weeks (14 days) for the decision. The State Treasury holds its own pre-emption right when land it once sold is resold for the first time (Jarðalög nr. 81/2004, Art. 41), lapsing ten years after the original sale, and since 2022 co-owners hold a statutory pre-emption right to shares in co-owned land (Art. 7 d). Exercise generally requires a written offer with the full price and terms and a 15-day answer window (Act on the Purchase of Real Estate nr. 40/2002, Art. 9), and a purchase contract cannot be registered without the registered right-holder's written waiver. A buyer of an ordinary residential plot should therefore read the land-register extract for registered pre-emption rights; many municipalities in any case lease out their building land on long leases (lóðarleigusamningur) instead of selling it.
Basis: Skipulagslög nr. 123/2010, Arts. 21, 28 and 37; Act nr. 22/1932 for the municipal pre-emption by resolution; Jarðalög nr. 81/2004, Art. 41, for the State Treasury pre-emption on first resale and Art. 7 d for co-owners; Act nr. 40/2002, Art. 9, for the exercise procedure. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Italy
What is allowed on this land
The municipal Piano regolatore generale (PRG), the general development plan, divides the territory into zone omogenee (homogeneous zones): historic centre A, completion B, extension C, business D, and agriculture E. Whether a plot is developable is determined by the PRG and is certified in the certificato di destinazione urbanistica (certificate of land-use classification).
Protected areas and their effect
Development is restricted by vincoli urbanistici (urban planning constraints), designation as a zona agricola (agricultural zone), the vincolo paesaggistico (landscape protection restriction), and the vincolo idrogeologico (flooding, landslides).
Rights of first refusal
Agricultural land is subject to the prelazione agraria (agricultural right of pre-emption) in favour of the tenant or neighbouring farmers. Cultural assets are subject to a state right of pre-emption. A general municipal right of pre-emption as in France does not exist.
Basis: Piano regolatore generale (PRG); the certificato di destinazione urbanistica (certificate of land-use classification) under Art. 30 DPR 380/2001, the prelazione agraria (agricultural right of pre-emption) under Art. 8 of Legge 590/1965.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Croatia
What is allowed on this land
The municipal or city prostorni plan (spatial plan) defines the građevinsko područje (building zone) and demarcates it from agricultural and forest areas. Development is generally permissible only within the building zone.
Protected areas and their effect
Areas outside the building zone, including agricultural and forest land, as well as nature conservation and flood zones, restrict use.
Rights of first refusal
The pravo prvokupa (right of first refusal) is a property law instrument of spatial planning. The local self-government unit may exercise this right to purchase in statutorily prescribed cases. The buyer should obtain confirmation from the municipality.
Basis: Zakon o prostornom uređenju, NN 153/2013; the pravo prvokupa (right of first refusal) as a property law instrument of spatial planning. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Latvia
What is allowed on this land
The municipality's teritorijas plānojums (local spatial plan) determines the permitted use and development potential of the plot. The legal basis is the Teritorijas attīstības plānošanas likums (Law on Spatial Development Planning).
Protected areas and their effect
The use designation, nature conservation areas, and hazard zones established in the plan restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
A general municipal right of preemption has not existed since 1 January 2023; the new Pašvaldību likums (Law on Local Governments) abolished it. The municipality may exercise preemption only if it is a co-owner, or if it is the landowner in the event of a separate sale of the building.
Basis: Teritorijas attīstības plānošanas likums (Law on Spatial Development Planning); the former municipal right of preemption was abolished as of 1 January 2023.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Liechtenstein
What is allowed on this land
Each municipality zones its territory by building ordinance under the Building Act (Baugesetz): residential zones, agricultural zones and further categories, and for a defined area it may adopt an Überbauungsplan, a Gestaltungsplan or special building rules (Arts. 21 and 24 BauG). Documented on the example of the Planken building ordinance of 2020, which cites those BauG articles verbatim. The plans can also tighten the boundary setbacks beyond Art. 47 BauG.
Protected areas and their effect
Four protection categories are documented, again on the example of the Planken building ordinance, which shows them as overlay designations: protected cultural property under the Cultural Property Act (Art. 48), archaeological perimeters, nature reserves under the Nature Conservation Act (Art. 19) and forest reserves under the Forest Act (Art. 12). The underlying statutes are national laws and apply countrywide.
Rights of first refusal
There is no pre-emption right of the public hand on the sale of land. The Liechtenstein National Administration itself, on its page on pre-emption, purchase and repurchase rights, lists only the private-law forms: a statutory right exists only for the co-owner (Art. 66 para. 1 of the Law of Property, SR) and within a building-right relationship (Art. 66 para. 2 SR), alongside the contractual right (Art. 66a SR), all governed by Arts. 62 to 66b SR and §§ 1067 to 1079 ABGB. Privately granted pre-emption rights become binding on everyone once recorded as a priority notice in the Land Register, so they are visible in the register extract. The public hand can only expropriate, which is a different procedure against compensation. Separately, foreign buyers need an authorisation under the Grundverkehrsgesetz (LR 214.11); that is an admission requirement, not a pre-emption right, since it decides whether the buyer may acquire, not whether the public hand steps into the buyer's place.
Basis: Law of Property (Sachenrecht, SR) Arts. 62 to 66b and ABGB §§ 1067 to 1079 for the purely private-law pre-emption; Building Act (Baugesetz) Arts. 16, 21, 24 and 47 for zones and plans, Arts. 16, 21 and 24 as cited by the Planken building ordinance of 2020; Cultural Property Act Art. 48, Nature Conservation Act Art. 19 and Forest Act Art. 12 for the protection categories. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Lithuania
What is allowed on this land
The savivaldybės bendrasis planas (municipal general plan) and the detalusis planas (detailed plan) establish the permitted use. The legal basis is the Teritorijų planavimo įstatymas (Law on Territorial Planning).
Protected areas and their effect
The use designated in the plan, nature conservation, and hazard zones restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
No general municipal right of preemption exists for building land. The municipality may only exercise a right of preemption as a co-owner. For agricultural land, priority rights apply to users, neighbors, and local residents under the Žemės ūkio paskirties žemės įsigijimo įstatymas (Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land).
Basis: Teritorijų planavimo įstatymas (Law on Territorial Planning, Nr. I-1120). For agricultural land, priority rights apply under the Žemės ūkio paskirties žemės įsigijimo įstatymas (Law on the Acquisition of Agricultural Land).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Luxembourg
What is allowed on this land
The plan d'aménagement général (PAG, general development plan) of each municipality divides the territory into zones, namely residential, mixed, green, agricultural, and forest zones, and determines, together with the plan d'aménagement particulier (PAP, specific development plan) and the Mass der Bebauung (plot ratio), what may be built. The plans can be accessed via the Geoportail.
Protected areas and their effect
Green zones (zone verte), agricultural and forest zones, and nature conservation restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
Pursuant to Art. 25 of the Loi du 17 avril 2018 concernant l'aménagement du territoire, the State, Gemeindesyndikate (municipal syndicates), and the affected municipalities may exercise a droit de préemption (right of preemption) over plots designated for this purpose in the plans. The buyer should verify whether the property is located in such a zone.
Basis: Loi modifiée du 19 juillet 2004 concernant l'aménagement communal et le développement urbain; the droit de préemption (right of preemption) under Art. 25 of the Loi du 17 avril 2018 concernant l'aménagement du territoire.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Malta
What is allowed on this land
What matters is whether a plot lies inside the development zone or outside it (ODZ, outside development zone); outside, building is largely ruled out. The Local Plans draw that boundary, and the governing statute is the Development Planning Act (Cap. 552).
Protected areas and their effect
The ODZ, coastal and nature protection, and the scheduling of heritage buildings restrict what may be built.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general municipal pre-emption right on ordinary building land; when the public hand needs land it acquires it under the Government Lands Act, which is expropriation, not pre-emption. For cultural property, though, the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage holds a right of preference under Article 40 of the Cultural Heritage Act (Cap. 445): on a sale, exchange, emphyteutical grant or lease of an object of cultural property the Superintendent may, with the Minister's approval, step into the buyer's place on equal conditions, and must do so within two months of learning of the transaction. Cultural property covers immovables too, in particular scheduled buildings, and the express mention of the emphyteutical grant, which can only concern land, shows that plots and buildings are within scope. For an unremarkable plot the key question stays whether it sits inside the development zone, but a buyer of a scheduled townhouse or palazzo should expect that the State can take over the finished deal.
Basis: Development Planning Act (Cap. 552) for the development zone boundary in the Local Plans; Cultural Heritage Act (Cap. 445), Article 40, for the right of preference of the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage over cultural property. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Netherlands
What is allowed on this land
What is permitted was previously set out in the bestemmingsplan (zoning plan) under the Wet ruimtelijke ordening. Since 2024, the integrale omgevingsplan (integrated environmental plan) under the Omgevingswet governs functions and building possibilities. Municipalities have until 2032 to complete the transition.
Protected areas and their effect
The omgevingsplan establishes environmental, water, and nature requirements alongside building rules. In addition, Natuurnetwerk (nature network) areas and flood zones are designated.
Rights of first refusal
Under the Wet voorkeursrecht gemeenten, a municipality may place a voorkeursrecht (right of pre-emption) on properties designated for future development. The owner must then offer the property to the municipality first. A buyer should verify whether such a voorkeursrecht has been registered.
Basis: Omgevingswet (since 2024, previously the Wet ruimtelijke ordening); the municipal voorkeursrecht (right of pre-emption) under the Wet voorkeursrecht gemeenten. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Norway
What is allowed on this land
The kommuneplan (Arealdel, higher-level plan) and the reguleringsplan (detailed plan) determine how an area may be used and what may be built there, and the reguleringsplan generally takes precedence. The legal basis is the Plan- og bygningsloven.
Protected areas and their effect
The land use specified in the plan, the strandsone (shoreline protection) and nature conservation provisions restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general municipal right of pre-emption for building land. A forkjøpsrett (right of pre-emption) applies only to larger rental apartment buildings (leiegård), where the tenants vote on exercising it. The buyer of a normal plot is not affected.
Basis: Plan- og bygningsloven (Planning and Building Act); a municipal forkjøpsrett (right of pre-emption) exists only for rental apartment buildings (leiegård) under the Leiegårdsloven, not generally for building land.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Poland
What is allowed on this land
The miejscowy plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego (MPZP, local spatial development plan) of the municipality determines the designation and use of a plot. Where no such plan exists, a decyzja o warunkach zabudowy (decision on development conditions) applies. From 1 September 2026, the plan ogólny (general spatial plan) replaces the previous studium (spatial development study).
Protected areas and their effect
The designation specified in the MPZP, nature conservation (Natura 2000), and flood zones restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
The municipality holds a prawo pierwokupu (right of pre-emption) for certain plots designated in the plan for public purposes. The buyer should verify whether such a prawo pierwokupu exists.
Basis: Ustawa o planowaniu i zagospodarowaniu przestrzennym; the municipal prawo pierwokupu (right of pre-emption). Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Portugal
What is allowed on this land
Each municipality's Plano Diretor Municipal (PDM) establishes the classification of the land, whether as solo urbano (urban land) or solo rústico (rural land), and the applicable use rules. As a rule, solo urbano is the buildable category.
Protected areas and their effect
Solo rústico (rural land), the Reserva Ecológica Nacional (REN), the Reserva Agrícola Nacional (RAN), and coastal protection areas restrict the permissible use.
Rights of first refusal
The municipality and the state hold a direito de preferência (right of first refusal) in certain zones, such as redevelopment areas or in relation to cultural assets. They may then take the buyer's place in the transaction. The purchaser should check whether the property is affected.
Basis: The legal basis comprises the Plano Diretor Municipal (PDM) under the Regime Jurídico dos Instrumentos de Gestão Territorial (Decreto-Lei 80/2015), and the direito de preferência of the municipality.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Romania
What is allowed on this land
The plan urbanistic general (PUG, general urban plan) and the plan urbanistic zonal (PUZ, zonal urban plan) define the permitted use. The binding provisions for a plot are set out in the certificat de urbanism (urban planning certificate). The legal basis is Legea 350/2001 privind amenajarea teritoriului și urbanismul.
Protected areas and their effect
The land use designated in the PUG, nature conservation, flood zones and monument protection restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
Any pre-emption rights (drept de preemțiune), for example in the case of protected monuments, are recorded in the certificat de urbanism (urban planning certificate). The buyer should obtain the certificat de urbanism, which sets out the binding provisions and any pre-emption rights.
Basis: Legea 350/2001 privind amenajarea teritoriului și urbanismul. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Sweden
What is allowed on this land
The municipal detaljplan (detailed development plan) regulates land use with binding effect and establishes the byggrätt (right to build in accordance with the plan). The legal basis is Plan- och bygglagen (2010:900).
Protected areas and their effect
The strandskydd (shoreline protection), riksintresse (areas of national interest), nature conservation, and kulturmiljö (cultural environment) restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
There is no municipal right of pre-emption on the purchase of land. The former pre-emption statute was repealed. The municipality controls development through the detaljplan (detailed development plan).
Basis: Plan- och bygglagen (2010:900). The detaljplan (detailed development plan) governs land use and the byggrätt (right to build).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Serbia
What is allowed on this land
The plan generalne regulacije (general regulation plan, mandatory for the principal settlement of the municipality) and the plan detaljne regulacije (detailed regulation plan) define the type and purpose of buildings in each zone and the subdivision into plots. The legal basis is the Zakon o planiranju i izgradnji (Law on Planning and Construction).
Protected areas and their effect
Land use, nature conservation areas, and hazard zones designated in the regulatory plan restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
A general municipal right of pre-emption for building land is not documented. The pravo preče kupovine (right of first refusal) applies mainly when building land is sold to another co-owner. The purchaser should review the ownership structure.
Basis: Zakon o planiranju i izgradnji (Law on Planning and Construction); pravo preče kupovine (right of first refusal) for building land between co-owners. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Slovakia
What is allowed on this land
Every municipality must adopt a územný plán, which sets the functional use of land (residential, green space, mixed, production). The basis is Act No. 200/2022 Z.z. on spatial planning (zákon o územnom plánovaní), most of which took effect on 1 April 2024, with a remainder, including sections 24, 35, and 40(2) and (4), following on 1 April 2025.
Protected areas and their effect
The use set out in the územný plán, nature conservation, and hazard zones all limit what may be built.
Rights of first refusal
There is no municipal right of first refusal, either generally or for land designated in the land-use plan as a public-benefit structure (verejnoprospešná stavba). For such land, the law instead provides for confirmation by the municipality or building authority and, where needed, expropriation against compensation, but not a right of first refusal.
Basis: Act No. 200/2022 Z.z. on spatial planning (zákon o územnom plánovaní); public-benefit structures (verejnoprospešná stavba) are subject to confirmation and expropriation rules, not a right of first refusal.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Slovenia
What is allowed on this land
The občinski prostorski načrt (OPN) of the municipality governs spatial planning and is the basis for building permits. It designates land as stavbno zemljišče (building land).
Protected areas and their effect
Land use designated in the OPN, nature conservation areas and hazard zones restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
Under the Zakon o urejanju prostora, the municipality has a predkupna pravica (right of pre-emption) over plots designated in the spatial plan. The owner must inform the municipality in writing before any sale, and the municipality has 30 days. The purchaser should verify whether such a right is registered.
Basis: Zakon o urejanju prostora (ZUreP); the predkupna pravica (right of pre-emption) of the municipality over plots designated in the spatial plan.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Spain
What is allowed on this land
Planning law classifies land as suelo urbano (urban land), suelo urbanizable (land zoned for development), and suelo no urbanizable (rustico, non-developable rural land). Suelo urbano is the main developable category; the municipality's plan general de ordenacion urbana (PGOU) determines the specific details.
Protected areas and their effect
suelo no urbanizable (non-developable rural land), specially protected areas (suelo protegido), easements, and risk areas restrict use.
Rights of first refusal
The administration may reserve derechos de tanteo y retracto (rights of first refusal and redemption) in designated areas and thereby step in on a sale. The buyer should check whether the property is located in such an area.
Basis: Ley de Suelo (Real Decreto Legislativo 7/2015) and the autonomous spatial planning law; land classification and derechos de tanteo y retracto (rights of first refusal and redemption).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Czechia
What is allowed on this land
The municipal územní plán (land-use plan) determines what is permitted on a parcel. The new stavební zákon (building act) has been in force since 2024 and separates state building authorities from municipalities.
Protected areas and their effect
Designated land use under the územní plán (land-use plan), nature conservation, and flood zones restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
The municipality, district, or state holds a předkupní právo (right of pre-emption) for plots designated in the územní plán (land-use plan) for veřejně prospěšná stavba (publicly beneficial structures). The buyer should verify whether such a land-use designation exists.
Basis: Stavební zákon (283/2021 Sb.); the municipal předkupní právo (right of pre-emption) for plots designated in the územní plán (land-use plan) for veřejně prospěšná stavba (publicly beneficial structures).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Hungary
What is allowed on this land
The településrendezési terv (settlement zoning plan) and its építési övezet (building zones) determine which area qualifies as beépítésre szánt terület (area designated for construction). The legal basis is the 1997. évi LXXVIII. törvény az épített környezet alakításáról és védelméről (Étv.).
Protected areas and their effect
Areas designated as beépítésre nem szánt terület (not for construction), together with nature conservation and agricultural areas, restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
The önkormányzat (municipality) holds an elővásárlási jog (right of first refusal) over plots required to implement the settlement planning objectives set out in the zoning plan. If it does not declare its intention within 60 days, the sale may proceed. The purchaser should verify whether such a right exists.
Basis: 1997. évi LXXVIII. törvény az épített környezet alakításáról és védelméről (Étv.); the municipality's (önkormányzat) elővásárlási jog (right of first refusal).. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
United Kingdom
What is allowed on this land
What may be built is determined by the Local Plan of the local planning authority and the Use Classes Order, which defines the categories of use. The legal basis is the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Protected areas and their effect
The green belt, conservation areas, listed buildings, flood zones, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty severely restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
There is no general right of pre-emption for the authority on a sale. The public sector may acquire land only by way of a Compulsory Purchase Order (expropriation against compensation) for public purposes.
Basis: Town and Country Planning Act 1990; the Local Plan and the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 govern the permitted use.. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Cyprus
What is allowed on this land
The Island Plan sets out the general policy, while the Local Plans govern on-site zoning and development control. The legal basis is the Town and Country Planning Law (Gesetz 90/1972).
Protected areas and their effect
Areas of special social, historical or cultural interest and areas of natural beauty restrict development.
Rights of first refusal
No general right of pre-emption exists on a sale. The public authorities may acquire real estate only through compulsory acquisition (Teil VII des Gesetzes) in return for compensation.
Basis: Town and Country Planning Law (Gesetz 90/1972, Cap.); compulsory acquisition under Teil VII des Gesetzes. Last checked against the legal text: 2026-08-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the zoning change after I buy?
Yes. Planning is regularly updated, and an owner has only limited influence over that. Checking the municipality's current planning proceedings is therefore part of due diligence.
Where do I get this information?
From the municipality or the responsible planning authority, in several countries also online. Do not rely on what the listing says; get the confirmation yourself.
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