Arrears: what happens when owners do not pay in Latvia
Since 1 January 2026, when an apartment is sold voluntarily, the buyer is liable for the seller's unpaid management costs, utility charges, savings fund payments and land-use fees that arose no earlier than three years before the apartment passed into the buyer's ownership, plus default interest and any contractual penalty.
What the law says
Dzīvokļa īpašuma brīvprātīgas atsavināšanas gadījumā tā ieguvējs atbild par šā panta pirmajā daļā minēto maksājumu parādiem, kas radušies ne agrāk kā trīs gadus pirms dzīvokļa īpašuma pārejas viņa īpašumā. Dzīvokļa īpašuma ieguvējs sedz arī nokavējuma procentus un maksā līgumsodu, ja tāds aprēķināts par parāda samaksas nokavējumu.Last verified:
Also relevant
(4) Dzīvokļa īpašuma ieguvējs var prasīt, lai iepriekšējais dzīvokļa īpašnieks viņam atlīdzina izpildījumu, kuru viņš devis kreditoram, sedzot šā panta otrajā daļā minētos parādus, ja vien dzīvokļa īpašuma ieguvējs un iepriekšējais dzīvokļa īpašnieks nav vienojušies citādi.What this means in practice
Older debts stay with the seller. A buyer can demand that the previous owner reimburse what the buyer paid the creditor on those debts, unless they agreed otherwise. The rule applies to voluntary sales after 31 December 2025, and for debts that arose before 2026 the buyer answers only if the previous owner did not pay. The obligation is not entered in the land register, so the seller's duty to inform the buyer and the manager's statement on payment obligations (izziņa) are how a buyer learns of it. Purchases at auction are handled by another article.
Where Unitify fits
Unitify records the debt per unit, records payments and sends reminders. Interest, voting limits, liens and enforcement come from the law above and your own rules and are applied by people; Unitify records the debt and the payments.
How this works in UnitifyQuestions and answers
- What are the consequences of unpaid contributions in Latvia?
- Since 1 January 2026, when an apartment is sold voluntarily, the buyer is liable for the seller's unpaid management costs, utility charges, savings fund payments and land-use fees that arose no earlier than three years before the apartment passed into the buyer's ownership, plus default interest and any contractual penalty.
- Where does this come from, and when was it checked?
- The quotation is from Dzīvokļa īpašuma likums, 13.1 panta otrā daļa, at the official source linked on this page. It was last checked against that source on October 17, 2026.