Events and Initiatives

Initiatives

Sustainable Land Planning and Infrastructure Management

We support the continuous improvement of the legislation governing land planning, taking into account the dynamic change in urbanised areas, the need for conversion and the number of excessive procedures. We are one of the initiators in drafting the Law on Municipal Infrastructure, which defines clear rights and obligations for the initiators and managers of infrastructure construction, as well as the principles of sharing the costs of new infrastructures.

Initiatives

Affordable Housing

A comprehensible housing market should provide the choice of residence that meets person’s needs and possibilities. It combines both owned and rented housing alternatives. Therefore, LNTPA supports different forms of housing, municipal housing, and the regulated long-term rental market.

Initiatives

Municipal Housing

Municipally owned housing is important for long-term rental opportunities. The city could rent part of the housing for a special price to professionals in the fields most needed by the city. Such a practice is common in many Western European countries, allowing city residents to ensure legal and safe long-term rent, whereas the rearrangement or reconstruction of such a housing stock is much simpler and quickly organised as needed by the city.

Initiatives

Legal Housing Rental Market

According to expert assessments, legally rented housing currently accounts for only 1/6 of the total rental market. This leads to an uncivilised rental market, unsecured lawful interests of landlords and tenants, lost taxes to the state and lack of rental culture. LNTPA seeks for the introduction of more incentives for the formation of a Western housing rental culture, involvement of business companies in the rental market, and establishment of modern student housing and co-living projects. The Association, together with its partners, conducts public surveys on tolerance within a society towards illegal rental markets.

Initiatives

Different Forms of Housing

With changing lifestyles, more and more people work remotely and choose more exciting forms of life. LNTPA advocates and supports the regulation of more diverse forms of life than the mere currently envisaged housing.

Initiatives

Modern Standardisation of Construction

In practice, there is a systemic problem related to outdated construction regulations that do not meet the pace of modern construction and technologies. Therefore, we provide proposals for their improvement building on existing experience of local developers and foreign practice.

Initiatives

Uniform and Universal Real Estate Tax

In order to achieve a clear and reasonable valuation of property, LNTPA, together with other business associations (Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists and Investors’ Forum), offers to introduce a uniform real estate tax ending the existing numerous exemptions.

  1. To combine the real estate tax and land tax by introducing a single and uniform real estate tax at a rate of 0.3 to 1 percent, leaving the discretion to determine the specific rate(s) for municipal councils;
  2. The taxable value for the most of real estate should be determined using the methods of comparative value or value-in-use;
  3. To remove all exemptions, except for those provided for in international law: applicable in respect of embassies, religious buildings, etc.;
  4. To provide for an exemption to first home buyers for homes up to a certain value;
  5. The tax should be collected only into municipal budgets and used to increase the value of real estate: for the construction of social and engineering infrastructure;
  6. To subject to taxation state-owned property as well, with a view to ensuring efficient management thereof.
Initiatives

Mobility and Car Parking

As the number of vehicles in the country grows and cities become denser, most of the streets in the country appear to be inadequate for increased traffic flows. LNTPA proposes to monitor changes in mobility in the city on an ongoing basis and to apply dynamic measures – promote motor transport alternatives, electric cars, expand public transport network, lower the standards for mandatory parking spaces in the centre and surrounding areas by offering, instead, incentives for mobility packages (transport services, rental of bicycles and scooters, taxi services, etc.).

Initiatives

Monitoring and Improvement of the Business Environment

Permanent monitoring of legal acts considered by the central government and local authorities and making proposals regarding the improvement of legal acts on the business environment; cooperation with the Seimas and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, responsible ministries and their subordinate institutions, and municipalities; active work towards involving other stakeholders (business associations, communities) in this process.

Events

Conference for Professionals

Annual CORE conferences for real estate market professionals are organised in February. See more on: Core conference

Initiatives

Expectation Index

Every year LNTPA, together with its partners, carries out a survey of developers about their expectations for the coming year.

Initiatives

Activities of Kaunas City Unit of the Association

Activities of Kaunas city unit of the Association involve periodic events and meetings to address issued related to Kaunas city development.

Events

Regular Meetings

Regular meetings with the leaders of the Vilnius City Municipality: meetings with the political leaders and administration of the Vilnius City Municipality on issues relevant to business and society in the area of city development.

Initiatives

Competition “For Sustainable Development”

The Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA) together with the Academy of Sustainable Development annually selects the best real estate projects by organizing the competition “For Sustainable Development” („Už darnią plėtrą“).

During the competition, discussions with urban planners, architects and urban developers are presented. It’s important to address what makes a city attractive and comfortable to live in.

In the competition, in addition to the presentation of projects, readers can get acquainted with photographs, images and information how development has changed individual places in cities and how new real estate projects impacted life around them.

All projects in the housing, commercial, multifunctional, and public real estate project categories will be evaluated by an independent commission of ten members: urban engineers, energy, construction specialists, economists, architects and journalists. Finalists will be selected in each of the above categories. The main prize “For Sustainable Development” (Sustainable Development Star) will be awarded to them.

Traditionally, readers of the media partner of the competition vote for the most liked object and choose their favourite participant.

Evaluation criteria for participants:

  • Compliance of the concept of the object with the goals of sustainable urban development, quality of life (renovation of existing residential areas or buildings, multifunctionality, access to public transport and other public infrastructure, harmonization of environmental, economic and social objectives, and aesthetic landscaping);
  • Architectural quality;
  • Respect for nature and cultural heritage;
  • Intelligent solutions in design and construction, technological innovation and exclusivity (PropTech);
  • Energy efficiency, resource saving solutions;
  • Compliance of the project with the needs of the real estate market, economic utility of the project, creating added value for the local economy;
  • The organization’s reputation in society and business ethics (activities that promote harmonious relationships with consumers and society).

Members of the commission:

  1. Mindaugas Statulevičius, President of LNTPA – Chairman of the Commission;
  2. Dr. Dalia Bardauskienė – Adviser to the Chief Urban Architect of Vilnius City Municipality, ISOCARP – Member;
  3. Darius Kvedaravičius Narmontas – Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania;
  4. Tauras Paulauskas – architect, Chairman of the Professional Ethics Council of the Lithuanian Chamber of Architects;
  5. Alvydas Kvedaravičius – expert of the Lithuanian Builders Association, head of the real estate development department of UAB YIT Lietuva;
  6. Doc. Linas Naujokaitis – Member of the Board of the Vilnius Branch of the Lithuanian Union of Architects, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Architecture of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University;
  7. Prof. Habil. Dr. Vytautas Martinaitis – Professor at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Department of Building Energy,
  8. Martynas Trimonis – Head of Real Estate Clients, Swedbank AB;
  9. Evelina Povilaitytė – Real estate and construction news editor at Verslo žinios;
  10. Justina Maciūnaitė – RE editor at Delfi.

The goals of the public competition, open to all real estate developers, are to foster the ideas of sustainable development, to draw public attention and present the best projects of real estate and their developers, to promote cooperation between business, science, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Criteria and requirements for the evaluation of participants are specified in competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) REGULATION 2021 (text in Lithuanian language).

More information: www.lntpa.lt and phone: (8-5) 262 0350.

Prize “For Sustainable Development”

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2019

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2018

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2017

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2016

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2014 – 2015

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2013

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2012

Competition “For Sustainable Development” (“Už darnią plėtrą”) 2010 – 2011

LNTPA report: Awards of the competition “For Sustainable Development 2011” were presented
“For Sustainable Development” projects in 2007-2009
Winners of the 2008 Competition “For Sustainable Development

Events

Housing Fair

The Housing Fair is held in Vilnius twice a year. During the Housing Fair, open lectures are held on topics useful to home buyers, real estate developers and credit institutions introduce new projects, and consultations with interior designers and real estate lawyers take place.

More information: BustoMuge.lt

Initiatives

Demographic Research

LNTPA, together with the Lithuanian Social Research Centre regularly conducts demographic research and provides the latest forecasts for the future.

Initiatives

PropTech Initiative

Meetings held between real estate developers and real estate technology (PropTech) communities to promote and enhance the understanding of technological innovation in the real estate market.

More information: PropTechBaltic.com

Initiatives

Cognitive Professional Tours

Tours to foreign countries to see the best practices of urban development and management, architectural and urban solutions. Tours already organised include Amsterdam (the Netherlands) (2014), Copenhagen/Malmö (Denmark/Sweden) (2017), London (United Kingdom) (2018), New York (USA) (2018) Toronto (Canada) (2019).

Events

Training

Targeted thematic events for the members of the Association with lawyers and other professionals working in the field of real estate. Business breakfasts are held on a regular basis on issues relevant to the community of real estate developers in the area of law, real estate marketing and other topics.

Initiatives

LNTPA Library

From now on, LNTPA members and friends will be able to enjoy books relevant to the real estate market in our library section. Here you will find useful literary references, authors, and their books. This is not only a recommendation, but also a real library – you will be able to pick up and return books after reading.

We would also be happy to receive your recommendations on what to read for real estate market participants.