What happens when you type «buy an apartment in Batumi» into a search box? You get an avalanche of dozens of agencies, hundreds of listings, and developer promises of 25% a year. You arrive in Batumi and realise half the listings are fakes or long outdated prices.
You need to be able to see three things: real quality, legal cleanliness, and Georgia's taxation. That is exactly what this article is about.
1. First decide why you need the apartment
It sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how often people come with the request: «I want an apartment to rent out daily in summer and live in myself in winter. And with maximum yield».
Every time we have to explain: these are two completely different types of property. Like a family minivan and a racing kart: both drive, but their jobs are opposite.
An apartment «for yourself» (or for long-term rental): you need proper heating, not an air conditioner on heat mode but gas. A school, supermarket and pharmacy nearby. A layout with separate bedrooms, not «a studio you can partition off with a curtain».
An apartment for short-term rental: here it is the opposite. Seasonal footfall comes first. Walking distance to the sea. A view a tourist will pay extra for. If available: a pool, a reception, a management company in the complex.
This is exactly why at DT Realty we always start work not with picking options but with this question. Because trying to sit on two chairs usually ends with you buying a liquid property you cannot live in yourself because of the noise, or a quiet apartment that sits empty in the low season. Goal first, square metres second.
2. New build or resale: the real difference
There is no right answer here, there is an answer that suits you. It depends on your timing, budget and how ready you are to wait.
| Criterion | New build (primary) | Resale |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Lower, especially at the excavation stage | Higher, you pay for a finished metre |
| How you pay | Installments from the developer, often interest-free | Usually 100% upfront or a mortgage |
| When you move in | Wait 1 to 3 years (sometimes longer) | You can move in tomorrow |
| Risks | Deadline delays, quality questions | Poor renovation, encumbrances |
| Yield | Price growth as construction progresses | Instant rental income |
If you are not in a hurry and want to get in at the minimum price, your option is a new build. If your money has to work right now, resale.
3. Districts of Batumi: what is where
Batumi is a compact city, but every district is its own story.
Heroes' Square: the epicentre of investment development. Invest-hotels, apart-complexes. For short-term rental it is top: the footfall is huge. You can live here year-round too, but it can be quite noisy.
New Boulevard: a district growing fast. Modern development, a park area, the sea within reach. A good balance: it works both for holidays and for rental.
The Centre and the Old Town: the classic. Prestigious, beautiful, all the infrastructure at hand. Excellent for permanent living. Downsides: the square metre here is more expensive and there are almost no new projects. Mostly resale.
4. How to vet a developer and not buy a pig in a poke
A nice sales office and smiling managers guarantee nothing. I have seen people buy apartments from developers with a «flawless reputation», and two years later stand in front of a peeling facade and broken lifts.
Three things you must check:
- Look at already completed buildings. Not renders, but real buildings this developer delivered 2–3 years ago. Go there, walk around. How does the facade look? Do the lifts work? By the way, at DT Realty we have an unwritten rule: we do not recommend a property to a client until we have visited the developer's completed buildings ourselves and looked at them through residents' eyes. It saves a lot of nerves.
- Check the extract in the Public Registry of Georgia, it is open. There you can check the building permit, the plot's cadastral code and any encumbrances. It is simple and free.
- Land status. A point not everyone knows. If you are buying a townhouse or an apartment with a private yard, make sure the land has «non-agricultural» status. Under Georgian law foreigners cannot own agricultural land. At all. Full stop. And if you are told «don't worry, we'll re-register it later», do worry. Right now.
5. Remote purchase: how to buy without coming
The good news: Georgian law allows a deal to be done fully remotely. The bad news: there are nuances with the power of attorney that many people learn about after the fact.
Here is how the process looks:
- You choose a property and agree the contract.
- You prepare a power of attorney for a representative.
- You apostille the power of attorney in your country.
- You translate it into Georgian and notarise it in Batumi.
- The representative signs the contract, you transfer the money.
- Registration of ownership in the registry (NAPR).
If you are buying remotely, all this bureaucracy with the Apostille and translations falls on your representative. At DT Realty we take this stage on entirely: from checking that the power of attorney is correct to the final registration. All you need to do is send a scan of your passport.
6. Taxes and hidden costs: what people usually keep quiet about
Georgia's tax system really is one of the most lenient. But «lenient» does not mean «non-existent».
On purchase. Purchase tax: 0%. None at all. Registration in the registry: from GEL 150 (up to 4 days), from GEL 360 (same day).
Annual property tax. Tied to your family's total income for the previous year:
- Income up to GEL 40,000 (about $15,000): 0%.
- From GEL 40,000 to 100,000: 0.05% to 0.2%.
- Above GEL 100,000: 0.8% to 1%.
Rental tax. Renting to individuals: a 5% rate on income. But you need to register with the tax authority (RS.ge). An important threshold: if your total income passes GEL 100,000 over 12 months, you fall under VAT (18%). So if you are planning a serious rental business, keep this threshold in mind.
On resale (of a property with «residential» status):
- Owned less than 2 years: 5% on net profit.
- Owned more than 2 years: 0%.
7. Georgian residency through a property purchase
Buying an apartment gives the right to a short-term residence permit, renewable, for the whole family.
The minimum threshold: $150,000 (market value per an appraiser's report). But there is a nuance: if your ownership is registered in the registry before 1 March 2026, the old threshold of $100,000 applies. So if residency matters to you, there is still time, but not much.
8. Step-by-step deal plan
- Define the task. Budget, strategy, timing.
- Independent audit. Check the legal status of the plot and the registry extract.
- Preliminary contract with the developer, or a deposit agreement on the secondary market. Fix the terms and the price.
- Registration in NAPR. This is the most critical step. Only a record in the Public Registry of your «claim right» makes you the sole legal owner. At DT Realty a deal is not considered closed until we receive from the client a registry extract bearing their name. No «taking it on trust».
- Payment.
- Handover. You re-register the utilities.
The Batumi market offers excellent opportunities, but only to those who know how to filter out the noise. You can walk this path yourself: study registries, drive out to unfinished builds, work through taxes and align powers of attorney.
Or you can hand this routine to us. At DT Realty we do not just «show apartments». We act as your independent technical and legal auditor. We come to the property with builders, verify it and support the deal from the first message in a messenger to the moment you get the keys and a bank text about the first rent payment landing.
If you feel you need not just a «salesperson» but a partner who will protect your money and time, write to us. We will discuss your goal with no obligations and no pushing of extra square metres.
