Buying land in Uganda: what to check before you pay
Check it before you pay: a land search and a boundary opening.
A title in the seller's hand doesn't prove the land is theirs to sell, or that the plot you were shown is the plot on the title. Most land problems buyers meet later could have been found before the money changed hands.
Two checks cover most of the risk. A land search tells you what the register says about the title. A boundary opening tells you where that title actually sits on the ground.
How we handle it
- 1We search the title at the Ministry of Lands zonal office for the registered owner, caveats and mortgages.
- 2A registered surveyor opens the boundary on site and shows you the beacons.
- 3You get a written note of what we found, including anything that doesn't match what the seller told you.
Worth knowing
- The search and the ground must agree
- A clean search on the wrong plot is no protection. Have the boundary opened on the same title you searched, so you know the land you walked is the land you're buying.
- Look for people already on the land
- Occupants such as tenants on mailo land (bibanja holders) have rights that don't disappear when the title changes hands. Ask who lives on or uses the land before you agree a price.
- Family land needs the spouse's consent
- Where the land is family land, the Land Act requires the seller's spouse to consent to the sale in writing. Ask for it with the sale agreement.
This guide explains how the process generally works. Every piece of land is different, so talk to us about yours before you act on it. More on our land & engineering surveying work.
Tell us about your land
Which district is the land in, and roughly how big is it? Send it on WhatsApp or by email, or call the office Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm.
Common questions
How do I check a title is genuine before I buy?
Before paying, get a land search done at the Ministry of Lands zonal office and have the boundary opened on the ground. Together they confirm who the registered owner is, whether there are caveats or mortgages on it, and that the land you were shown is the land on the title.
My neighbour says the fence is on their land. What do I do?
Ask for a boundary opening. A registered land surveyor uses the survey records for your title to re-establish the original beacons on the ground, in the presence of the neighbours, so everyone sees where the line actually runs.
Do you work outside Kampala?
Yes. Our work has covered Kabale, Hoima, Buliisa, Mubende, Buvuma, Jinja, Ibanda and more, and we have processed titles in Kamwenge, Ntungamo, Mbarara, Wakiso and Mukono.