Digestible Overview of Indonesian Land Law

INTRODUCTION

Indonesia’s land law is complex with a rich pedigree. Unlike what can be described as a more uniform legal framework of property law in developed nations, which in its simplest description and depending on the jurisdiction generally prescribe only two types of land titles, freehold and leasehold , Indonesia’s property law is somewhat more complex.

In Indonesia provisions on land tenures and titles are mainly administered under Law No. 5 of 1960 on Basic Provisions of Agrarian Principles (“Basic Agrarian Law”). This law was enacted 15 years after Indonesia’s independence to repeal and replace the colonial land tenure system.