bg
No single certificate proves that a property “has no bills”. The seller's public liabilities, contractual electricity and water accounts, and condominium amounts are separate categories. Check each close to completion and state who pays every amount up to physical handover.
Before specified property dispositions, the notary electronically checks the transferor's enforceable unpaid public liabilities under Article 264 of the Bulgarian Tax and Social Security Procedure Code. This is not a zero-balance certificate for electricity, water or building management. NRA explanation, Bulgarian
Sources were checked on 21 August 2026. Provider procedures change and must be checked for the actual address and operator before completion.
Public liabilities are only the first check
Your lawyer and notary should establish the applicable public-liability and local property-tax documents. Do not confuse them with private service contracts. A clear Article 264 result says nothing about yesterday's meter reading.
Obtain current seller records and require payment of amounts relating to the period before handover. For a material or disputed sum, a Bulgarian lawyer can structure retention or payment against evidence.
Utilities follow accounts and periods
Providers use their own account-holder procedures. EVN, for example, publishes a new-owner service and a 30-day notification period under its terms. Burgas Water publishes a separate ownership-change process. EVN Burgas Water
These are examples, not nationwide rules. Check the operator, forms, documents and how consumption before and after transfer is allocated.
At handover, record meter numbers and readings, take photographs and count the keys. The record turns “before completion” into a measurable date and amount.
The condominium has a separate account
Request a written statement from the manager covering monthly contributions, repair fund, extraordinary decisions and disputes. Read recent general-meeting minutes because a major repair may have been approved before its payment date.
For a statutory owners' association, Article 30 ZUES transfers membership to the buyer while keeping the former owner liable for association debts due before transfer unless otherwise agreed. Do not extend that limited rule to every informal building account. ZUES, Article 30, Bulgarian text
Put the allocation in the contract
State who pays until physical handover, how settlement is evidenced and what happens when a later invoice covers an earlier period. Require cooperation with account changes and delivery of customer numbers and documents.
A general “no liabilities” declaration is useful, but it does not replace records. A sound transaction combines a promise with verification.
Frequently asked questions
Do old bills automatically become the buyer's debt?
There is no universal answer. The category, period, contract and provider rules matter.
Does the notary check electricity and water?
Not through Article 264. That check concerns specified public liabilities, not every private account.
When should accounts be changed?
Follow the actual provider's deadline and start promptly with the deed and handover record.
Verified primary sources
- NRA: Article 264 check, Bulgarian
- MRRB: Condominium Management Act, Bulgarian
- EVN account-holder procedure
- Burgas Water account procedure
Contact the Pikadili team before signing the preliminary contract.