Improved transparency and effectiveness in property registration in Malta

The Land Registration Agency, together with the Ministry for Lands and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme, is consulting on a draft strategy that is looking at a reform for the next ten years to provide for the registration of property on all the territory of the Maltese islands and to improve on the services it provides and be more accessible to all the stakeholders and the public.

The current operations of the Agency

The Agency has embarked on the transformation of a more efficient, modern, and transparent Land Registration System. The Agency currently makes use of an information system developed in the 1990s, an avant-garde system for that period but unfortunately has not been kept abreast with the latest information such as updated map bases or enhanced technologies. 

 As a result, this system cannot withstand any updates or enhancements to make good and keep up the pace with the current trends in the property sector including transparency of the registration process.  

A major setback of this current system is that it utilises outdated basemaps which cannot be updated unless the technology is modernised to more modern systems. 

 The current information system is an internal platform for office use and is only shared with other government entities. Stakeholders, such Public Notaries and Periti, and the public have no means to access the Land Register’s information if not by calling at one of the Agency’s offices, which besides being a cumbersome for the stakeholders it undermines the efficiency of the Agency's operations. 

We are all aware that in recent years the property market in Malta has changed drastically, each plot has now a multitude of properties, property transactions dramatically increased, and more households are owners of their homes.

For this degree of economic activity and property ownership to be supported, a contemporary, effective land registration system that offers stability, clarity, and security in land transactions is crucial. To satisfy the need to increase operational efficiency, this will reinforce internal procedures inside the public administration. 

A new e-Land Registration Information System

The new e-Land Registration System is intended to address all the issues raised above and the first module is planned to come into effect later this year. The information system will be an online platform available to the main stakeholders in the registration process.  This will be first accessed by Public Notaries and Periti, through secure means such as the e-ID will have the possibility to carry out the whole application process online.  

Commencing from the drawing up of the property boundary by the Perit and its submission for validation and then the process may continue by the Public Notary according to the service required.

The information system will also address transparency and governance issues, by providing for access to the respective clients who may have access through the e-ID and can see in real-time the status of their application.

So, instead of having to follow-up with their notaries or periti, the clients may now check the status of any application from the comfort of their home.

Advantages of an updated online system

An updated land registration system offers several advantages to the buyer, seller, developer, the Notary, the Perit, and the banks. Firstly, a reliable Land Register shall provide a clear, and complete record of property ownership, ensuring ownership is updated upon transactions.  

The aim is to facilitate the process of buying and selling property by ensuring that all property can be registered irrespective of its location and facilitating the process of registration to ensure that the Land Register is continuously updated indicating ownership rights.  

Property records shall be more readily available, allowing anybody to confirm ownership and any restrictions, such as any mortgages or easements. This transparency fosters confidence and reinforces due diligence in property transfers and related transactions.

An updated land registration system shall increase the accountability in the whole process reducing the risks for buyers and sellers and ensuring trust in transactions regarding property. 

Details of the property, including site plans and detailed plans, conditions of ownership and any burdens will all be specified in the property title certificate that the Agency will be able to provide at the end of the registration process.  

Considering that it is envisaged that the whole Maltese territory will eventually become mandatory registration area as a result of this reform, land and property can eventually be protected, by a reliable ownership title that inspire trust and encourages both social and financial well-being. 

Digital landscape in Malta

The Public Administration, which constitutes of the Public Service and the Public Sector, is the backbone of the Maltese economy through drafting and implementing of policies on a nation-wide level.

These projects include the full transformation of all front-end and back-end services, the implementation of the Once-Only Principle, introduction of digital registers to simplify customer to business interactions, and finally enhancing service design for an improved user experience across digital government services (Malta Digitali, 2022). 

Therefore, it is only reasonable that the Land Registration Agency, which forms part of the Public Administration, takes innovative and digital technologies on board to reflect the strategy and fully commit itself to the digitization of its services offered to its customers.

One of the advantages of working in the public administration is being able to use cutting-edge technologies which the public service thrives to heavily invest in. 

With this overview of the digital economy landscape in Malta, the Land Registration Agency is committed to take advantage of fast broadband across the nation, good digital skills, use of big data, cloud services and most importantly the uptake of digital public services available to citizens and businesses. 

A copy of the National Strategy for the Reform of the Land Registration System: 2025-2035 can be viewed on https://lands.gov.mt/resources/ 
Feedback on this reform can be submitted on the Public Consultation portal till Friday 28th February on consultation.gov.mt