ühisomandi

Ühisomandi is a form of property ownership in Estonia in which a property is owned by two or more persons as undivided co-owners. Each co-owner holds a share in the property, which may be equal or defined by agreement or inheritance; no single owner has exclusive rights to any particular part of the property. The arrangement is commonly referred to in Estonian as ühisomand or ühisomandi omand.

The term combines ühis-, meaning common, with omand, meaning ownership, and denotes a legal relationship where several people share ownership of a single asset.

In Estonian law, ühisomandi is regulated primarily by the Civil Code and real property law. Co-owners participate in the use and management of the property in proportion to their shares, and decisions regarding the property generally require consent among the owners or according to an agreed mechanism. The property can be disposed of, or its partition can be sought, through agreement or court action, typically in accordance with each owner’s untied share.

Administration of ühisomandi can be organized by all co-owners acting jointly or by a designated management body, such as a co-ownership committee, depending on the consent of the owners and any applicable agreement. Common expenses and income are allocated according to the shares unless the owners agree otherwise, and disputes are resolved under civil procedure.

Historically, communal and joint ownership arrangements occurred in Estonia within village communities and feudal estates, and variants persisted through various political periods. After Estonia regained independence in 1991, co-ownership structures continued to operate alongside privatization and land-reform processes, adapting to contemporary property law and market conditions.

See also: co-ownership, partition, property law.