Urban Land Management Law – Law No: 17/2001 as amended in 2008.

This Law consisting of 35 articles aims at controlling the phenomenon of urban grabbing in the cities of Somaliland. Article 1 states that the Government owns the land and, consequently, establishes that the power to transfer the land and legislate upon its administration rests with the Council of Ministers. More specifically, the management and issuance of plots in urban centers are for the local authority (the Executive Branch of the local authority), while the administration of public interests belongs to the Central Government (art.2). Anybody who receives title to land with permanent use must build a permanent building in one year, starting from the date of issuance or a unified tax tariff will be paid. Land with temporary use can be allocated for those who need it and must build in three months. If it does not happen and due taxes are not paid for two consecutive years, the right to own that land is lost, and the land shall become public property (art. 12 on Land Ownership). Local authorities are required to distribute land on the bases of justice and with respect to the equality of citizens (art. 15). The ownership of permanent land is unlimited when the conditions are fulfilled.
The Law deals also with (i) building permits (art.13); (ii) land building for private projects (art.16); (iii) illegal building and demolitions (arts.20 and 21); (iv) procedures for demolition of legal building (art.22); (v) Land Dispute Tribunal for land litigation (art.28); (vi) punishment (art.29); (vii) sale of land and Government buildings (art.31).