Northern Malta · Investment Guide
Investing in Mellieħa
Malta’s northern resort town: beaches, larger homes and a market that leans towards holiday use and seasonal letting.
- New homes approved, Q1 2026
- 62
- Promise of sale, Jun 2026
- 26
- Final deeds of sale, Jun 2026
- 21
- Busiest month for sales, Feb 2024
- 44
The case
Why investors buy in Mellieħa
Mellieħa spreads across a ridge in the north of Malta with the island’s best-known beaches below it. It is a large locality with a comparatively small permanent core, and much of what has been built here was built with holidays in mind.
That shapes the letting market. Summer demand is strong and rates are high, winter demand is much thinner, and the owners who do best here either accept the seasonality or hold for their own use and let around it.
The stock is more varied than the harbour towns: apartments near the centre, larger houses and villas on the slopes, and rural property towards Manikata and the Marfa ridge. Prices reflect the view and the walk to a beach more than they reflect the postcode.
Find me an investment in MellieħaA few questions, then we do the looking.
The numbers
Market activity in Mellieħa
Final deeds of sale
Completed sales in Mellieħa have ranged from 18 to 44 a month since 2024. The past twelve months carried 367 in total, level with the 358 recorded 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 18 to 46 a month. The past twelve months carried 399, up from 379 in the twelve months before that.
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential property transactions.
The supply pipeline
How Mellieħa compares
62 new dwellings were approved in Mellieħa this quarter, 14th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. It is a real pipeline rather than a token one, and worth weighing against the demand side above.
Sliema
322
St Paul's Bay
171
Birkirkara
154
Mosta
149
Qormi
126
Msida
120
Marsaskala
112
Mellieħa
62
Source: National Statistics Office (Malta), residential building permits, Q1 2026.
Rental demand
Where the tenants are
Mellieħa holds 2.81% of all active residential rent contracts in Malta, the 11th-highest of any locality, a moderate share, and a tenant pool that is real without being among the largest.
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%
Mellieħa
2.81%
Source: Housing Authority (Malta), Malta Rent Calculator, H1 2026. Read from the published tool's own chart.
Buy-to-let
Investment-grade homes in Mellieħa
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 Mellieħa, answered
Is Mellieħa a good buy-to-let?
It works, but seasonally: summer letting is strong and winter demand is thin, so the year has to be modelled rather than assumed. Mellieħa accounts for 2.81% of Malta’s active residential rent contracts.
How active is the Mellieħa property market?
Between January 2024 and June 2026 the National Statistics Office recorded 947 final deeds of sale and 944 promise of sale agreements in Mellieħa, a monthly range of 18 to 44 completed sales. The busiest month in that window was Feb 2024, with 44.
Is much new build coming to Mellieħa?
62 new dwellings were approved in Mellieħa in the first quarter of 2026, 14th of the 68 localities the National Statistics Office reported. That is a genuine pipeline, so new stock is a factor here without dominating the market.
Can foreigners buy property in Mellieħa?
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 Mellieħa.
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.
Compare Mellieħa
Mellieħa side by side
The same published figures, set against the towns a buyer is most likely to weigh Mellieħa against.