One of the challenges facing local self-government is the transfer of ownerless property to communities. Abandoned buildings and neglected facilities could be used to provide housing for displaced persons, as business premises, or as an additional source of revenue. However, the current procedure is too complicated and time-consuming for communities.

The All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities is calling for improvements to legislation on the transfer of ownerless property to communal ownership. According to experts, communities should be given more legal tools to enable them to use abandoned buildings, warehouses, and dormitories quickly and effectively to drive development.

The Association’s main proposals include:

• reduction of the ‘annual term’ for registration to 3–6 months;
• transfer of public announcements to digital format;
• simplified access for communities to state registers;
• the possibility of demolition or conservation of high-risk facilities;
• temporary management of property in frontline communities;
• state programmes to support reconstruction.

Tetiana Arseniuk, Deputy Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, emphasised in the programme ‘Suspilne. Studiia’:

‘Abandoned property is not only neglected premises; it is also a resource that can be used to support and develop the community. There is no clear legal mechanism for identifying abandoned property. Therefore, communities develop their own practices based on the provisions of the Civil Code of Ukraine, the Law ‘On Local Self-Government in Ukraine’, and special regulations. Based on these acts, communities approve procedures for identifying ownerless property – their internal algorithm – by decision of local councils.’

After the outbreak of the full-scale war, communities began to register and make more active use of such property. This became an important resource for accommodating internally displaced persons and filling local budgets. However, the current procedure remains complex and lengthy, which reduces its effectiveness.

‘This will enable abandoned properties to be transformed into resources for development, thereby improving the well-being of residents. Particular attention should be paid to communities located on the demarcation line,’ concluded Tetiana Arseniuk.

For more details on the procedure for registering ownerless property as municipal property, please read the article ‘How to Register Ownerless Property: Expert Advice’.