Despite several attempts at reform,immovable property rights in Albania are not adequatelysecure and represent an important governance challenge.Problems have resulted from incomplete first titleregistration, the lack of accurate cadastral records, and,in many cases, the absence of reliable evidence ofownership. Although Albania has adopted legislation callingfor restitution or compensation for owners whose propertywas expropriated under communism, implementation isincomplete. In Albania, rapid internal migration hasresulted in informal occupation of land and unauthorizedconstruction on a mass scale, thus compounding the problemsassociated with the incomplete transfer of property. Duringthe 1990s, as much as one-third of the population of somenorthern and mountainous regions migrated to urban,peri-urban, and coastal areas in search of income generationopportunities, despite the lack of adequate housinginfrastructure or public service provision. Internalmigration continues, albeit at a slower pace. Gaps interritorial planning legislation and administrative failuresin the issuance of construction permits have made itdifficult to obtain an appropriate construction permit, evenwhen occupiers have legal title to the land. Stateauthorities have largely failed to prevent new illegaloccupation of land and illegal construction, and it isestimated that up to one-third of all buildings in Albaniaare illegal due to the occupier's lack of clear titleand/or appropriate construction permit. This review ofimmovable property rights in Albania draws primarily uponthis definition, which takes into account the popularlegitimacy of state institutions and respect for the lawamong citizens and government institutions the softeraspects of governance that are essential to understandinghow policies are made and implemented in practice and howpublic resources are used.
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