Property templates and checklistsLatvia

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Buying

1
Preliminary agreement
Buyer and seller deal directly or via an agent. They often sign a preliminary agreement (pirkuma priekšlīgums), and the buyer pays earnest money (rokasnauda).
2
Written purchase contract
The purchase contract must be in writing. It can be a private contract or a notarial deed.
3
Corroboration request
Both parties sign a corroboration request (nostiprinājuma lūgums). A sworn notary certifies the signatures of private persons and can file it electronically.
4
Price held in escrow
The price usually goes into a bank escrow account or a notary's deposit. It is released to the seller after registration.
5
Land Register entry (zemesgrāmata)
Ownership passes only when the Land Register records the buyer as owner. A natural person pays a state fee of 1.5% of the property value, at most 50,000 euros.
6
Who cannot buy
Since 3 July 2025, citizens and companies of Russia and Belarus, and companies they own or control at 25% or more, cannot acquire real estate in Latvia.
7
Debts on a flat
Since 1 January 2026, the buyer of a flat is liable for up to 3 years of the seller's unpaid building costs.

Governing law: Dzīvojamo telpu īres likums (Residential Tenancy Law) of 17 March 2021, from 1 May 2021. The Civil Law fills gaps.
Form, term and scope: Written and for a fixed term. Short seasonal lets for holidays and tourism are outside the act.
Rent and deposit: Rent is agreed freely and changes during the lease only under a lease clause. The deposit is at most 2 months' rent.
Tenant notice: At any time, with at least 1 month's written notice.
Landlord termination: Only on the grounds in the act, such as rent arrears above 2 months' rent.
Sale of the home: A lease binds a new owner only if registered in the Land Register. Registration is free of the office fee.
Unregistered lease before 1 May 2021: Binds a new owner until 31 December 2026 or its earlier end date, or longer if a court claim to register it is filed.
Eviction clause: A notarised or registered lease can contain an eviction clause. A court enforces it in an undisputed procedure.