Renovation of protected houses

If your house is a protected cultural good or is located within the zone of a cultural and historical unit, you will require additional authorisations for performing works

Historic buildings, complexes of buildings, cultural and historical units and landscapes are, due to their preserved qualities as a monument recognised on the basis of an expert analysis, protected as immovable cultural goods under the Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Goods.

If your house is under special protection, it will be listed in the Register of Cultural Goods. The Register of Cultural Goods can be found by using the search engine of the Ministry of Culture and Media.

Register of Cultural Goods.

Regardless of the house’s legal status of protection, before preparing any documents, it is recommended to contact the competent conservatory department or the City Office for Protection of Cultural. Monuments and Nature of the City of Zagreb.

Required authorisations

If your house is a protected cultural good or is located within the zone of a cultural and historical unit, before the commencement of construction works or repairs that could alter the integrity and character of the historic building, you should obtain authorisations from the competent conservatory department or the City Office for Protection of Cultural. Monuments and Nature of the City of Zagreb.

Conservatory departments.

An authorisation is also required for removing an unprotected house within a cultural and historical unit.

The owner may be held criminally liable for any works performed on a protected cultural good without an authorisation or contrary to the issued authorisation.

You can find out about the scope of the protected zone at the local conservatory department, and also get advice on the required authorisation for performing works. Before preparing any documents, you may also consult the local departments for physical planning and construction with regard to physical-planning documents and planned works.

Works on a protected house

At the stage of planning works on a historic house, conservators shall issue special requirements for protection of the cultural good, on the basis of which the designer will develop the main renovation design. Works may commence only after conservators have issued the main design certificate.
 
Works on cultural goods may be designed by natural persons having the permission for performing activities of protecting and preserving cultural goods, and persons having relevant expert professions. This provision was included in the Act to ensure the quality of prepared documents concerning the cultural heritage, as well as to guarantee the knowledge, skills and equipment of the contractors of works.

Permission for performing activities of protecting and preserving cultural goods

Financing of cultural heritage renovation

Once a year, the Ministry of Culture and Media publishes in public media and on its website the public call for financing public needs in culture, under which programmes for protection, preservation, restoration, presentation and maintenance of cultural heritage are financed.

Public calls.

Owners of historic buildings, both natural persons and legal entities, may apply for the public call. Financing is implemented through one-year programmes.
 
Other than the state budget, the funds for renovation of historic houses are also allocated in the budgets of local and regional self-government units.