The adoption by the Verkhovna Rada in the second reading of draft law No. 12377 became one of the largest reforms in the sphere of housing law in the entire period of Ukraine's independence. The state is actually trying to finally move away from the Soviet model of housing relations, which formally existed for decades, but has long since ceased to correspond to real social and economic conditions.
The need for such changes is long overdue. The 1983 Housing Code did not take into account the market economy, mass private property, internal population displacement, and challenges caused by the war. Draft Law No. 12377 proposes a new concept of housing policy, which envisages the development of social and rental housing, housing programs, transparent registries, and a fundamentally different role for the state — not as a housing manager, but as a regulator and guarantor of basic standards.
At the same time, the very idea of the reform does not eliminate the legal risks that it entails. The most sensitive issue remains the issue of free privatization of state and municipal housing. This mechanism has been the key way for millions of citizens to acquire housing for many years. Although the new law does not immediately abolish privatization, it actually creates legal grounds for a gradual abandonment of this model after the end of martial law and the transition period.
The practical consequences of this approach are obvious. Citizens who have been living in non-privatized housing for a long time have a limited chance to exercise their right. Any problems with documents, family composition, registration or housing status in the future may lead to the loss of the possibility of privatization. Thus, the risk of legal uncertainty is gradually transferred from the state to citizens, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of legal disputes.
Among the potential positive consequences of the reform, experts note the formation of a unified and more logical housing policy, the development of the rental and social housing market, the rejection of outdated and corruption-vulnerable mechanisms, as well as the gradual integration of European standards into housing law. At the same time, there are serious risks: legal uncertainty for residents of non-privatized apartments, increased social tension, especially among vulnerable groups of the population, a possible surge in litigation regarding the right to use and ownership, as well as the danger that the state will abandon old obligations faster than it will introduce effective alternatives to providing housing.
On January 13, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law on the Basic Principles of Housing Policy in its second reading and as a whole. The document defines the legal, economic and organizational foundations of the housing sector, the principles and priorities of the state, requirements for housing quality, mechanisms for state support for construction, acquisition and rental, the procedure for the formation and use of housing funds, as well as the powers of government bodies and local self-government.
The law also introduces a unified information and analytical housing system, financial and credit mechanisms to support housing programs, revolving funds, public-private partnership instruments, mechanisms for comprehensive renovation of outdated housing stock, and new approaches to strategic planning of housing policy. The orientation towards European standards and norms of the Constitution of Ukraine is especially emphasized.
At the same time, the document declared the Housing Code of Ukraine and the Law on the Privatization of the State Housing Fund invalid. This means that the housing system of Ukraine is entering a period of profound transformation, the consequences of which will become decisive in the coming years - both for citizens, for authorities and lawyers working in this area.
