Buying in Bali: villas, leaseholds and the rules for foreigners

About Buying in Bali: villas, leaseholds and the rules for foreigners

By the ULTIMATE Bali Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Bali’s property market follows its coasts and hills: Canggu and Pererenan for villas among the rice fields close to the surf, the Bukit for clifftop houses, Ubud for homes in the valleys, and Sanur, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran for quieter, established areas. Indonesian law sets clear limits on what foreigners can hold: freehold (Hak Milik) is for Indonesian citizens only, while foreigners can hold a home on a right of use (Hak Pakai) or an apartment unit, under Government Regulation 18 of 2021.

Where people buy

Canggu, Pererenan and Berawa have villas among the rice fields close to the west-coast surf; the Bukit around Uluwatu, Bingin and Ungasan has clifftop plots; Ubud has homes in its valleys; and Sanur, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran are the island’s settled, quieter areas.

What foreigners can own

Freehold title, Hak Milik, is reserved for Indonesian citizens. Under Government Regulation 18 of 2021, foreigners with valid immigration documents can hold a house on a right of use (Hak Pakai) or own an apartment unit, subject to minimum-value rules set by the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR/BPN). Many villas are also offered as leaseholds.

We never publish prices; ask your notary (PPAT) and your lawyer.

The steps

Transfers are signed before a PPAT, the land deed official, and registered with the land office of ATR/BPN. Check the certificate and zoning before you commit, and use your own lawyer.

Our advice: arrangements that put land in an Indonesian’s name on your behalf are not a safe way to own; take independent legal advice.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Buying in Bali: villas, leaseholds and the rules for foreigners before you go.