A ground-floor flat often looks ideal for a practice, an office or a small shop — and frequently it is. But a home does not become an office because the owner decides so. Bulgaria's Spatial Development Act (ЗУТ) sets clear conditions, and using a dwelling for something else without a formal change of use is a violation that can prove expensive. Here is how the procedure works, and what to check if you are buying a unit that has already been converted.
The rules depend on what you are converting the flat into and which floor it is on.
| New use | Where it is allowed | Whose consent is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Office, healthcare practice, studio for individual creative work (para. 3) | Ground floor or semi-basement | Express written, notarised consent of all owners of flats that are immediate neighbours |
| The same, on a higher floor (para. 3, by exception) | Other above-ground floors | Decision of the owners' general meeting + notarised consent of all immediate neighbours |
| Shop or other service activity (para. 4) | Ground floor only, with a separate entrance outside the residential entrance and common areas | Decision of the owners' general meeting + notarised consent of all immediate neighbours |
In every case the conversion must meet sanitary, fire-safety and other technical requirements. The Act does not define exactly who the "immediate neighbours" are — clarify this early with the architect and the municipality, because one missing consent stops the procedure.
The Condominium Management Act (ЗУЕС) sets no special majority for decisions under Art. 38. The general rule therefore applies — more than 50% of the ownership shares represented (Art. 17(3) ЗУЕС), with a quorum of at least 51% (Art. 15(1)) and a fallback if the quorum is not met. If the project changes the use of common parts, however — say part of the stairwell or entrance area becomes part of the unit — it needs 100% of the ownership shares (Art. 17(2)(1) ЗУЕС), and taking over common parts also requires the notarised consent of all owners (Art. 185(2) ЗУТ).
To find out who convenes the meeting and keeps the minutes, check the public register of building managers.
Under Art. 38(9) ЗУТ, a change of use is not permitted if the required garages or parking spaces for the new unit cannot be provided on the plot. The authority issuing the building permit may allow exceptions (para. 10). In densely built neighbourhoods this question often decides everything — raise it with the architect at the first meeting.
Once the works are complete, the unit is commissioned under the Act and the change is entered in the cadastre. Using a building other than for its designated purpose is prohibited (Art. 178(4) ЗУТ) — in case of violation the mayor or the National Construction Control Directorate can ban the use and order electricity, water and other supplies to be cut off (Art. 178(5)–(6)).
The planning change is only the first step. Some activities come with their own requirements for the premises:
The unit is now non-residential, and that shows in the tax bill:
The general mechanics are in our guide to property tax and the waste fee.
When a unit that was converted to non-residential use is restored to residential use, no consent from the other owners is needed (Art. 38(6) ЗУТ). Non-residential units built in an existing building can change use under the general procedure without consent, provided common parts are not affected and there is no excessive noise or pollution (Art. 38(5)). How this works for studios (ателиета) built as such — and why a studio is not simply a cheaper flat — is covered in a separate guide in this series.
A title deed on its own does not prove that the conversion is legal — just as it does not prove the building itself is, as the Varna case showed. An "office" that is a flat on paper is a flat — and the buyer inherits the problem.
This article is general information, not legal advice for a specific case — for the procedure itself, work with an architect and a lawyer.
If you are looking for premises for an office, practice or shop — or want the documents of an already converted unit checked — call us or visit our office. Information verified October 2026.
