The Rada has restricted access to real estate registers: what will change for Ukrainians and why it is controversial
21 August 19:46
on August 21, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted as a whole draft law No. 11533, which significantly restricts public access to data on real estate of legal entities. The document was voted for by 231 MPs. This was announced by the Speaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The law provides for amendments to the Civil Code and a number of other acts regulating access to state electronic registers.
What is changing
According to the new law:
- Access to addresses, cadastral numbers and other information about real estate owned by legal entities is restricted.
- The restrictions will be in effect for the duration of martial law and for one year after its termination.
- The changes will also affect the registers of industrial designs, patents, copyrights, intellectual property, and court decisions that may contain logistics data or specifications of enterprises.
The purpose of the law is to protect defense facilities
One of the authors of the draft law, MP Ihor Fris (Servant of the People), explained that open registers allow the enemy to identify the locations of defense companies, which poses risks to national security. He recalled that in December 2024, Russia launched a cyberattack on state registries, and some of the information could have been leaked to the aggressor.
“It is currently impossible to restrict access only to defense companies, as this will only help the enemy to identify them,” Fries said.
Reaction of journalists and anti-corruption organizations
The Anti-Corruption Action Center said the new rules will complicate the work of journalists investigating real estate fraud. In particular, it will become more difficult to check who owns the property before buying it or to expose officials who hide their wealth through companies.
“This law will make life easier for corrupt officials and may increase the number of real estate frauds,” the AntAC believes.
DEJURE Foundation also expressed concern that the property of officials will be re-registered to legal entities, and society will not be able to find out where the next “judge’s villa” or “prosecutor’s dacha” is hidden.
How to get information now
Journalists and citizens who want to find out information about the real estate of legal entities should:
- Apply to state registrars.
- Receive a written response for a fee established by law.
Balance between security and transparency
The draft law has sparked discussions on how to balance national security and transparency of public data. Despite the authors’ assurances that the restrictions do not apply to individuals, experts fear that this will create new mechanisms for concealing assets and complicate the fight against corruption.
