Croatia moves to clarify rules for mobile homes and building work without permits

Croatia is set to introduce clearer rules governing mobile homes in campsites and construction and renovation works that can be carried out without a building permit.

The Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets has opened a public consultation on a new Regulation on Buildings and Works for Which a Building Permit Is Not Required, which would replace the existing rules on simple and other buildings and works.

As tportal.hr reports, one of the main changes concerns mobile homes, which under the proposed regulation would be classified as single-storey modular, prefabricated or movable homes rather than buildings.

They could be placed in existing campsites without a building permit or main design, but only in accordance with the conditions set out in the location permit under which the campsite received its use and operating permits.

Mobile homes would be limited to 40 square metres in floor area and a maximum height of 3.5 metres.

In existing campsites, they could be located between 25 and 100 metres from the sea, provided this is permitted by the location permit and the campsite meets the 40 per cent built-up limit. Future campsites would have to locate areas for mobile homes more than 100 metres from the sea.

The regulation would not allow mobile homes to be used as a way of avoiding planning and construction requirements on private land. A prefabricated residential structure placed outside a permitted campsite would still require a building permit.

Another significant change concerns renovation works on smaller residential buildings. Houses of up to 400 square metres containing no more than two residential units, as well as non-industrial ancillary buildings of up to 600 square metres, could undergo certain reconstruction works without a building permit, although a main design would still be required.

Such works could include changes to façades or roofs, but would not permit extensions or the addition of another floor. Construction notification and professional supervision would remain mandatory.

Certain internal alterations in multi-apartment buildings would also be possible without a building permit, including changes to internal layouts and new installations.

The proposed regulation is open for public consultation until 3 September 2026, with adoption expected by the end of the year. A six-month transitional period is also proposed for works already underway.