Living and renting in Malta: the contract that must be registered
In Malta the landlord must register every residential lease with the Housing Authority within thirty days — and an unregistered contract is void. With it come a mandatory inventory, a rent that may go up at most once a year and by at most 5 per cent, and a minimum lease term you as a tenant cannot simply leave before.
4 min read
Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Yes, as a Dutch national you rent in Malta without restrictions. Since 2020 the rental market has had a law with teeth: the Private Residential Leases Act, Malta's rental law.
What it costs: EURES gives an average of 1,025 euros a month for a one-bedroom flat in Sliema, St Julian's, Kappara or Swieqi. Outside the tourist areas it is 849 euros.
Two things to know up front:
- The landlord must register the contract with the Housing Authority (Malta's housing agency) within thirty days. A contract that is not registered is void.
- The trap: whoever signs a one-year contract is bound to it for the first six months.
Why must the contract be registered?
Because the law says so, and because everything rests on it. Every residential lease, including a renewal, must be registered with the Housing Authority. That is the landlord's obligation:
- within thirty days of the start date;
- online and for an administrative fee;
- with a higher fee for late registration.
If he does not, you may register the contract yourself at his expense, and offset that fee against the rent. The registration has retrospective effect to the start date, and a landlord cannot use a delay against you.
The contract is also your proof of address. For a change of address, Identità asks for a valid lease or a letter from the Housing Authority, and a declaration signed by the landlord.
Since the 2024 amendment, the number of people living in the home is also stated at registration. EURES gives as an example at most four residents in a two-bedroom home and six in a three-bedroom home, except for a family living together.
What must be in the contract?
The law lists the mandatory elements. If one is missing, the contract is void:
- the home and its use;
- the lease term, and whether and how the contract can be extended;
- the rent and how you pay;
- the amount of the deposit;
- an inventory signed by all parties, with photographs of the condition of the home and of the landlord's furniture and appliances.
That inventory is also mandatory for an unfurnished home.
On the deposit the Housing Authority says: the amount must be in the contract, but whether the landlord asks for a deposit and how much is up to him. If he asks for none, the contract says zero. What the law does limit is the advance payment: the landlord may not demand more than one month's rent in advance, unless you agree otherwise.
What does renting cost, and who pays the agent?
| Home | Average rent per month |
|---|---|
| One bedroom, Sliema, St Julian's, Kappara, Swieqi | 1,025 euros |
| One bedroom, outside the tourist areas | 849 euros |
| Three bedrooms, Sliema, St Julian's, Kappara, Swieqi | 1,705 euros |
| Three bedrooms, outside the tourist areas | 1,363 euros |
Amounts according to EURES, excluding maintenance. The agent charges, according to EURES, one month's rent plus VAT, once, shared between tenant and landlord. You usually pay utilities such as water and electricity separately, to the landlord or directly to the utility company ARMS.
May the rent go up?
At most once a year, and not in the first year. The increase may not exceed the annual rise in the property price index of the statistics office, and never more than 5 per cent. A fall in that index does not lead to a lower rent. According to the Housing Authority the limit applies to renewals and contracts of two years or longer. For a new contract you agree the rent freely.
How do I get out again?
A long lease has a mandatory minimum term. A residential lease lasts at least a year. As a tenant you can only leave after six months for a contract shorter than two years, after nine months for two to three years, and after twelve months for three years or longer. After that you give notice by registered letter with one, two or three months' notice. If you leave earlier, the landlord may keep at most one month's rent from your deposit.
The landlord must tell you by registered letter at least three months before the end that he will not renew. If he does not, the contract is renewed for a year. In a tacitly renewed contract you cannot give notice in the first three months. A short contract of six months is only meant for those who do not intend to settle here, such as temporary workers and students.
Buying comes later. How that works is in buying a house in Malta. You use your proof of address straight away for your registration, see the e-Residence document and the eID.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Malta or go straight to step 4.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Private Residential Leases Act, chapter 604 — registration, inventory, termination and rent increases — legislation.mt
- Housing Authority — frequently asked questions on the amendments to the lease law (March 2025) — housingauthority.gov.mt
- EURES — living and working in Malta, rents, agency fees and occupancy limits — eures.europa.eu
- Identità — proof of address and change of address in the residence registration — identita.gov.mt
Read on
- MaltaRegistration on Malta4 min
Your first weeks in Malta: a registered lease, a complete file and a collection letter
The first weeks in Malta revolve around one chain: a lease the landlord registers within thirty days, an online file at Identità that only counts once it is complete, a biometric appointment, and a card you collect yourself. Your healthcare, your eID and the free bus hang on that card. Whoever works is registered on the very first working day.
Updated 26 September 2026
- MaltaRegistration on Malta4 min
Bank account in Malta: a right to a basic account, and your Dutch IBAN keeps working
As an EU citizen you are entitled to a basic payment account in Malta, and a bank may not refuse you one because you have only just moved there. Until that account exists, your Dutch IBAN works for European transfers and direct debits. One Maltese peculiarity is worth knowing: on interest on your savings you can, as a resident, opt for a flat withholding tax of 15 per cent.
Updated 26 September 2026
- MaltaRegistration on Malta4 min
The e-Residence document and the eID: the Maltese chain
Register within three months with Identità, online via the Expatriates Portal — and the rule that determines everything: a complete file gets a biometrics appointment within 48 working hours, a half file is not processed. After that everything hangs on the card, from eID to bank.
Updated 26 September 2026