Prices rose 5.7% in the year to Q3 2025 and roughly 45% over six years. Non-EU buyers need a permit, can normally buy one property, and can't rent it out — unless they buy in a Special Designated Area. Rent first. Here's the map of the rules.
Last verified: 8 July 2026| Ordinary property (AIP permit) | Special Designated Area (SDA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | AIP permit required (Chapter 246); fee ~€233; minimum property values apply (updated periodically — check the current legal notice) | No permit, no restrictions |
| How many | One property only | As many as you like |
| Use | Personal residence only — renting out not allowed | May be rented out (with the applicable licence) |
| Examples | Most of Malta and Gozo | Portomaso, Tigné Point, Fort Cambridge, SmartCity, Chambray (Gozo), and other listed developments |
| Typical trade-off | More choice, local character, lower entry prices | Premium pricing for the flexibility and turnkey stock |
NSO's Residential Property Price Index rose 5.7% year-on-year in Q3 2025 (apartments +5.3%, maisonettes +5.9%). The index is up roughly 45% over six years.
Average apartment rents in Sliema/St Julian's ran about €1,500/month in 2025 listing data — €300 above the national average. Gozo 1-beds: ~€500–750.
Long lets must be registered with the Housing Authority (Private Residential Leases Act); 1-year minimum term, deposit protections, and 70,000+ active registered contracts in H1 2025.
A tenants'-union study (Solidarjetà, using Housing Authority registered-lease data) found rents up 28.3% between 2022 and 2024 — Malta publishes no official rent-level statistic. Renting first still lets you test noise, construction, and commute realities street by street; the island varies enormously within a mile.
Current minimum values, the application, timelines, and the one-property rule in practice.
Every Special Designated Area with current pricing — and whether the premium is worth it.
Registered contracts, deposits, agent fees, and the clauses to strike out.