Conduct a title search at the District Land Registry
Agency: Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority
The buyer should perform due diligence before entering into a sale agreement with the owner of the property by making sure that the property has no charges against it. The buyer will request a title search with the Office of the Registrar of Land Titles District Land Registry. A letter will be issued by the Office of the Registrar providing information on the status of the property.
At this time if the potential buyer is satisfied with the search, he/she will pay the total amount of RWF 30,000.
- Total Transfer and Notary Fees: RWF 30,000 (Art. 16 of the Official Gazette nº Special of 27/07/2012 – Page 67)
- Notary Fees: RWF 5,000 (art. 17 of the Official Gazette nº 13 of 27/03/2017 – page 9) – Presidential Order N°100/01 of 24/02/2017 Establishing the List of Fees And Other Charges Levied By Decentralized Entities And Determining Their Thresholds
- Fees to establish a new Registration certificate: RWF 5,000 (Art. 16 of the Official Gazette nº Special of 27/07/2012 – Page 69)
- There is no more need to pay for additional copies; the RWF 5,000 includes the fees for 3 copies + the cost of the cancellation of the old registration certificate. This information is posted in the Land Registry.
Since July 2018, the buyer also has the option of requesting information on land ownership sending a text message to the code (*651#) specifying the UPI (Unique parcel Identification Number). Other information includes parcel size, land use/purpose, and whether the land has a caveat (encumbrance) established on it. In case that the property has not charges or mortgages, this information will be sufficient to complete the drafting of a sales agreement. However, even if there is no need to go to the District Land Registry personally, the requester doesn’t receive the information immediately after sending the text message. Obtaining the information could take up to 1 day.
Time and cost: 1 day, RWF 30,000 (Transfer Fees RWF 20,000 + Notary Fees RWF 5,000 + Fees to establish a new Registration certificate: RWF 5,000 as established by Presidential Order No. 25/01 of 09/07/2012 Establishing the List of Fees And Other Charges Levied By Decentralized Entities And Determining Their Thresholds and Presidential Order No. 100/01 of 24/02/2017 Determining Fees Paid for Notarial Services.)
The sale agreement is notarized
Agency: Notary at the District Level
The law requires that the sale agreement be authenticated by a notary.
Article 35 of the property law specifies that for the transfer of any property, any adult of 21 years or older, must give their consent to the transfer of property. It is the practice that parties ask the notary to draft the sale agreement himself.
In order to facilitate land transfers, the District Land Registry set up a short form of 2 pages, fulfilled by the parties to the contract. In principle, the contract shall be made of 3 mandatory copies, 2 of which are given to the parties (the buyer and the seller), the remaining (which is actually the minute) is kept by the land notary in his/her records.
The buyer and seller will meet with the notary at the District Level to sign the sales agreement.
Time and cost: 2 days, paid in procedure 1
Finalize registration at the District Land Registry and obtain new deed
Agency: District Land Registry
The seller takes the authenticated sale agreement, the registration receipt and the certificate of good fiscal standing to the Land Registry and files a request of the transfer of property.
The documents to be provided are the following:
- Completed form to request the transfer
- Original property title
- The notarized sale agreement
- Copies of identification of the buyer and seller
- Proof of payment of transfer and notarial fees equivalent to twenty seven thousand Rwandan Francs paid into the bank account of the district where the land is located.
Once the request is made at the District Land Registry level, the document will be scanned and sent to the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority where it will be approved and the new title signed. The new title will then be sent to the District Level where the new owner will come and pick it up.
Time and cost: 4 days, paid in procedure 1
