SRPSKA CONSIDERS TAX ON OWNERS OF ILLEGALLY BUILT WEEKEND HOUSES

The Government of Republika Srpska is considering the introduction of a tax on illegally constructed buildings located in river zones, following an initiative by the public enterprise “Vode Srpske,” according to reports by CAPITAL.

Although precise data is unavailable, preliminary estimates suggest that at least 5,000 structures have been built on flood-prone land, where construction is prohibited under the Law on Waters.

Most of these buildings are weekend houses, increasingly advertised on popular rental platforms such as Booking, generating significant income for their owners. This trend has drawn the attention of authorities, who are now seeking ways to regulate the situation and secure potential budget revenue.

At a government session held on March 5, a decision was adopted to appoint a working group tasked with addressing the issue of illegally built structures.

The group includes representatives from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Inspectorate, the Attorney General’s Office, the Association of Municipalities and Cities, and “Vode Srpske.”

According to the official decision, the appointed members are required to promptly begin joint work on analyzing possible solutions, including amendments to existing laws and the adoption of new regulations. The goal is to explore options for temporarily allowing such structures to remain in place in exchange for the payment of appropriate fees, until a final resolution is reached.

Miroslav Milovanović, Director of “Vode Srpske,” told CAPITAL that their analysis identified 773 illegal structures built along the stretch from Zvornik Lake to Novo Goražde alone.

He explained that the company had proposed either demolishing illegal buildings or introducing a new legal framework that would permit their temporary use, subject to an annual fee that would contribute to the public budget.

“Only a small number of these buildings are used as permanent residences. Most are weekend houses or rental properties. The lowest fees would apply to homes where people live, higher fees for weekend use, and significantly higher charges for properties used for rental purposes,” Milovanović said.

He added that the working group is expected to soon define which laws need to be amended and to what extent, in order to begin implementing these measures.