Property
All urban land is state-owned; buyers acquire time-limited use rights
Private ownership of land does not exist. Urban land belongs to the state and rural land to collectives. What is bought and sold is a granted land-use right, typically 70 years for residential use.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Registration is with local natural resources bureaus. Rural collective land generally cannot be sold to non-members.
Governing law
- Civil Code of the PRC (2021), Book TwoReal Rights
- Land Administration Lawrevised 2019
- Urban Real Estate Administration Law
In practice
Grant terms are 70 years residential, 50 years industrial and 40 years commercial. The Civil Code provides that residential use rights renew automatically on expiry, but the fee payable on renewal is not settled, which is the single largest open question for long-horizon residential buyers. Buildings are owned separately from the land-use right beneath them. Foreign individuals may generally buy only one residential property for self-use and usually must show a period of study or work in the country first.