Bulldozers arrive: Crackdown on illegal holiday homes in Istria

Istria

Authorities on Croatia’s Istrian peninsula are continuing their crackdown on illegal construction, with 38 buildings set to be demolished in Umag this week, daily Jutarnji list writes.

These include holiday homes and auxiliary structures that have had demolition orders for over a year, but owners failed to remove them voluntarily.

Despite the long-standing warnings, some owners are still surprised and believe the action is unfair.

Major Crackdown Across Istria

Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić confirmed that inspectors have been highly active in recent years.

“We have carried out around 3,000 inspections in Istria alone, and only 32% of cases were legal. This means that nearly 70% involved illegal buildings. So far, we have launched about 1,500 administrative proceedings, and more than 450 illegal structures have already been removed in Istria. Across Croatia, the number is around 2,100,” Mikulić told Jutarnji list.

Authorities are currently focusing on removing illegal buildings from agricultural and forest land, with a firm stance that such practices will no longer be tolerated.

Foreign Investors Among Offenders

Mikulić pointed out that many illegal builders in Istria are foreign nationals.

“The same laws apply in Croatia as in the rest of the EU. You cannot build illegally here when you wouldn’t do the same elsewhere,” he stressed.

Owners of illegal buildings who receive demolition orders must remove the structures within 15 days. If they fail to do so, they face fines, followed by forced demolition at their expense.

One-third of violators wait until the final stage before taking action.

Enforcement Expanding to Other Regions

Fifteen inspectors are currently on-site in Umag, and 200 construction sites have been shut down. Some owners have already demolished their illegal structures voluntarily.

Umag

While local authorities now have additional enforcement powers, including the involvement of municipal wardens, Mikulić revealed that only two reports have been submitted from Istria so far.

The demolition campaign will continue in other parts of Istria, including Šišan and Ližnjan, before moving to the islands, where illegal campsites are also set for removal.

The message from authorities remains clear: “Illegal construction is the most expensive type of building. Don’t do it.”