Gozo · Investment Guide
Investing in Kerċem
A rural village on Victoria’s western edge, with the Lunzjata valley below it and farmland around.
44New homes approved, Q1 2026
7Promise of sale, Jun 2026
6Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
13Busiest month for sales, Mar 2026
The case
Why investors buy in Kerċem
Kerċem lies immediately west of Victoria, a small village with the Lunzjata valley and open farmland below it. It is close enough to the capital to be practical and far enough to be quiet.
The stock is village housing and rural property, and buyers are usually after land, quiet and the valley outlook. Its proximity to Victoria gives it more year-round substance than the coastal villages have.
It is a small market and few properties change hands in any month. Demand is a mix of local buyers and second homes, and letting is modest and mostly seasonal.
Find me an investment in KerċemA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in Kerċem
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in Kerċem have ranged from 2 to 13 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 94 in total, up from 70 in the twelve months before that.
Promise of sale agreements
Promise of sale agreements, the deals in progress ahead of a deed, have ranged from 1 to 18 a month. The past twelve months carried 74, down from 97 in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How Kerċem compares
44 new dwellings were approved in Kerċem this quarter, 26th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. That is a modest pipeline: most of what sells here will be existing stock rather than new build.
Sliema
322
St Paul's Bay
171
Birkirkara
154
Mosta
149
Qormi
126
Msida
120
Marsaskala
112
Kerċem
44
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
Kerċem holds 0.19% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 59th-highest of any locality, a small share, so the rental market here is thin next to the towns that dominate it.
St Paul's Bay
13.76%
Sliema
6.96%
Msida
6.03%
Marsaskala
4.46%
St Julian's
4.4%
Birkirkara
4.25%
Gżira
4.17%
Kerċem
0.19%
Source: Housing Authority (Malta), Malta Rent Calculator, H1 2026. Reconstructed from the published tool's own chart, not a downloadable table - see data/README.md.
Run the numbers
What it costs to buy in Kerċem
Enter a price and see the deposit, stamp duty and notary costs a Maltese purchase actually carries.
€
25%
The regulatory minimum for this buyer type is 20% - adjust the slider to match your own lender's terms.
Deposit€75,00025%
Stamp duty€15,0005% of the price
Notary fees€3,000-€10,500
Monthly repayment€1,07430-yr term at 4%
Cash to complete€93,000 -€100,500
Open the full finance calculator →Indicative figures based on standard Malta rates and a 30-year term at 4% - not a mortgage offer or financial advice. For income-based affordability, joint applicants and a shareable scenario, use the full finance calculator.
Buy-to-let
Investment-grade homes in Kerċem
Homes on the market now that suit a rental or resale strategy.
Costs & incentives
Tax, costs and residency
The rules and schemes that shape the return on a Maltese property investment.
Rental income tax
Rental income can be taxed at a flat 15% final withholding rate in Malta, a simple and competitive regime for landlords.
Residency by investment
Buying or leasing property can form part of Malta’s residency routes for non-EU investors, alongside the other requirements.
Short-let licensing
Short-term holiday letting is possible but licensed and regulated. Long-let is the simpler route for most investors.
Good to know
Investing in Kerċem, answered
Is Kerċem a good buy-to-let?
Modestly and seasonally, though being next to Victoria helps more than it does in most Gozitan villages. Kerċem accounts for 0.19% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the Kerċem property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 196 final deeds of sale and 200 promise of sale agreements in Kerċem, a monthly range of 2 to 13 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was Mar 2026, with 13.
Is much new build coming to Kerċem?
44 new dwellings were approved in Kerċem in the first quarter of 2026, 26th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. New build is a modest part of this market, so most of what trades here is existing stock.
Can foreigners buy property in Kerċem?
Yes. Non-residents can buy in Malta, usually through an Acquisition of Immovable Property permit, though many apartments in designated areas are exempt and Special Designated Areas carry no restriction at all. We can confirm the position for any specific property in Kerċem.
What are the total costs of buying?
As a rule of thumb, budget around 5% stamp duty plus notary fees, searches and any agency or legal fees. Off-plan and first-time purchases may qualify for reduced duty, so check the grants and schemes for the reliefs that currently apply. The calculator above works the figures through for a given price.