Tenant & Squatter Eviction in Croatia

Lawyers for owners in Croatia whose tenant does not pay or will not leave, or whose house has been occupied without any right, from the formal notice to the court decision and its enforcement.
lawyers in Croatia
4
cases in this service
1
clients' rating in Croatia
5.00 ★

About Tenant & Squatter Eviction in Croatia

Eviction in Croatia, getting a tenant or an occupier out of a property, goes through formal steps; an owner cannot simply change the locks or cut off the water. This page covers evicting a tenant in Croatia (iseljenje), a tenant who does not pay the rent or stays after the lease has ended, and squatters, people who moved into an empty house or flat without any right. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Eviction Services”. It is for landlords and owners, including those who live abroad.

Three situations

  • A tenant with a notarised lease: when the lease was made before a notary (solemnizacija), the notarial document can serve as an enforcement title, so the owner can apply for enforcement (ovrha) without a full court case.
  • A tenant with a private lease: the lease is ended by a written notice that meets the legal requirements; if the tenant does not leave, the owner brings a claim for eviction (tužba za iseljenje) at the municipal court, and the judgment is then enforced.
  • An occupier without a lease: someone who moved in without the owner's consent can be sued to hand the property over; a quicker claim for disturbed possession (smetanje posjeda) is possible only within short deadlines after the occupation.

Points to watch

A notice that the tenant cannot be shown to have received may have to be repeated, so registered post is the usual route. Unpaid rent and bills are claimed together with the eviction or separately (see debt collection). Some old tenancies have a protected status with their own rules. The rules on residential leases are being reformed, so a lawyer checks the current ones.

What a lawyer does

A lawyer checks the lease and the land register, drafts the notice, brings the claim or the enforcement application, attends the eviction with the court officer and keeps an owner abroad informed, acting under a power of attorney. Disputes that do not aim at eviction are covered under landlord and tenant disputes; to avoid the problem with the next tenant, see rental contract review.

Questions and answers

Can the owner change the locks if the tenant does not pay?

No. Self-help is not allowed and can expose the owner to a claim. An eviction is carried out through the court's enforcement.

What difference does a notarised lease make?

It can let the owner skip the court case and go straight to enforcement once the lease has ended or the tenant is in default.

Someone has moved into my empty house. What can be done?

Acting quickly matters, because a claim for disturbed possession has short deadlines. After that, a claim to hand over the property remains, and the police can step in where a crime is involved.

Can the eviction go ahead while I live abroad?

Yes. A lawyer with a power of attorney takes all the steps; the owner does not need to attend.

4 lawyers who provide Tenant & Squatter Eviction in Croatia

Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.

  • Maja, lawyer in Blato Korčula

    Maja

    Lawyer · Blato Korčula, Croatia

    • 233 cases handled · 1 in this service
    • 5+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English
    • Law, University of Split
    • 5.00(8 reviews)
    Contact Maja
  • Krešimir, lawyer in Zagreb

    Krešimir

    Lawyer · Zagreb, Croatia

    • 54 cases handled
    • 5+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English
    • Degree in law, Faculty of Law in Zagreb
    • 5.00(1 review)
    Contact Krešimir
  • Luka, lawyer in Zagreb

    Luka

    Lawyer · Zagreb, Croatia

    • 44 cases handled
    • 15+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English
    • Law, University of Split
    • 5.00(2 reviews)
    Contact Luka
  • Pavao, lawyer in Zagreb

    Pavao

    Lawyer · Zagreb, Croatia

    • 8 cases handled
    • 8+ years in practice
    • Speaks: English
    • Law, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law
    Contact Pavao
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