Jordan’s 2026 Real Estate Ownership Amendments: A Legal Overview

Jordan’s Prime Ministry lists Law No. 17 of 2026, amending the Real Estate Ownership Law, in Official Gazette issue 6072, dated 10 September 2026. The amendment is to be read together with Real Estate Ownership Law No. 13 of 2019 and its amendments as one law.

Petra reported the law’s issuance on 12 September and said its provisions would take effect 30 days after publication. Based on the date of the official Gazette issue, that period had not elapsed on 1 October 2026, the date of this article; the amended provisions should not be treated as in force on that day. The Petra report date should not be confused with the official issue date.

In official messages about the draft amendment, the Department of Lands and Survey described themes including digital land transactions, off-plan sale and subdivision, co-ownership procedures, expropriation compensation and certain cases of non-Jordanian ownership. These summaries help explain the direction of the amendment, but the published Gazette text controls the scope of each rule.

An announced digital service does not mean that every transaction is immediately available online or follows the same process. Implementation may depend on commencement, official instructions, the property and the competent authority.

Among the reported themes are electronic methods for property transactions, including sale, signature, payment and subdivision. Digital processing may reduce some paper-based steps, but it does not remove the need to verify the parties’ identities and authority, the property details and the integrity of the documents.

Owners and buyers should use only channels approved by the Department of Lands and Survey and other competent authorities. Keep transaction receipts, digital copies and payment records, and check the official instructions to confirm whether a specific service is available online and which documents it requires.

The Department’s messages on the draft amendment referred to regulating the sale and subdivision of property before construction begins, together with an allocation certificate that may be submitted to a bank as part of financing arrangements. This approach creates opportunities to buy future units, while making project and contract review especially important.

Before committing, check the seller’s identity and authority, land records and plans, the unit’s description and area, construction and handover dates, payment arrangements, and what happens in case of delay or non-completion. These are practical due-diligence points, not a substitute for reviewing the enacted law, contract and official requirements.

The Department’s public messages referred to replacing unanimous consent with approval by owners of three-quarters of the property for partition of properties with buildings, without prejudice to the other co-owners’ rights. This summary concerns a specific situation; it should not be treated as a general rule for every form of co-ownership or partition request.

For jointly owned property, verify the property type, each owner’s share, the available form of partition and the procedures set by the published law and competent authority. A reduced approval threshold does not, by itself, extinguish the rights of a dissenting co-owner; the applicable safeguards must be checked in context.

The official messages on the bill identified stronger judicial review of compensation assessments. They also referred to payment of expropriation compensation by public authorities within a period not exceeding five years, with delay compensation under the applicable legal provisions. The published law must be checked to determine the exact scope, covered authorities and deadlines.

If a property is subject to expropriation, keep notices, assessment decisions and related correspondence. Review the valuation basis, available objections and procedural deadlines. Compensation is not assessed by area alone; location, planning status, use and land records may also matter.

The draft’s reported features addressed certain cases of non-Jordanian ownership of land outside planning boundaries for residential purposes, subject to conditions and approvals. This should not be understood as unrestricted permission to acquire property or as removing the conditions that govern such transactions.

A non-Jordanian buyer or investor should confirm the property type and location, the intended use, and all approvals and restrictions that apply before signing or paying. Eligibility and procedure may vary depending on the land and the buyer’s legal status.

Before buying an existing property or an off-plan unit, check the land record, the registered owner and their authority, ownership shares, mortgages, attachments and other registered notices, planning status and whether subdivision is possible. Check for co-owners, disputes or expropriation steps, and request documents showing the seller’s authority to transfer the property.

For an off-plan purchase, review project plans, unit specifications, construction and handover dates, payment terms, delay remedies and termination clauses. Recording and reviewing these points before signing can reveal risks that price or area alone will not show.

Existing ownership does not need to be rearranged merely because an amendment has been published. If an owner plans a sale, subdivision, partition or expropriation-related step, they should confirm the commencement date and the instructions applicable to that transaction rather than relying on a press summary alone.

The amendment should be read as part of Real Estate Ownership Law No. 13 of 2019 to understand how new provisions relate to the existing framework. In a particular dispute or transaction, legal assessment depends on the property file, documents and relevant deadlines.