A new legal provision on real estate in Cuba has begun circulating since its publication in the Official Gazette. Although it is presented as a technical update, many citizens—both inside and outside the country—are wondering about the true scope of the measure.
El agreement, issued by the Council of Ministers, proposes adjustments to procedures related to housing, rooms, and premises that do not yet have formal legal support.
In a country where a significant portion of the housing stock is informal or precarious, changes in these types of processes often generate diverse interpretations.
In fact, in recent days, interest has grown regarding the possibility of losing ownership or use of unregistered properties.
The official measure, by modifying the deadlines and some requirements, could have consequences both for those who still reside in Cuba and for those who, for various reasons, have not been able to complete the legalization of the properties they left in the custody of third parties.
The new deadline is extended until December 2025
Official Gazette No. 26 (extraordinary), of May 23, officially announced the extension until December 31, 2025 to submit applications for the legalization of properties without recognized status. The measure applies to homes, rooms, bedrooms, and premises adapted for residential use, provided they comply with territorial and urban planning regulations.
According to Marvelis Velázquez Reyes, Director of Legal Affairs for Housing at the Ministry of Construction (Micons), this extension is due to the delays caused by the pandemic and the need to simplify the procedure in place since 2019.
With this update, Municipal Housing Offices will no longer be required to complete a floor plan survey and a detailed description of the property. A technical report issued by the Land Use and Urban Planning authorities will suffice, which, they claim, will reduce processing times by up to 15 days.
Who is eligible for this measure?
Potential beneficiaries include:
Permanent tenants of state housing who have not been convicted of crimes such as corruption, drugs, or illicit enrichment.
Ocupbefore rooms, bedrooms or premises transformed into homes.
People who live in buildings built by the State without due legal process.
Residents of rural or urban areas not yet regularized.
Vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, people with disabilities, and older adults.
The Micons official also noted that the more than 19 cases pending from the previous process will receive a response from municipal authorities in the coming months.
In the background, a persistent housing crisis
Cuba has faced a severe housing shortage for years, estimated at nearly one million units. According to official data, only 65% of the country's housing stock is in good technical condition. The shortage of materials, accumulated damage, and the absence of a formal real estate market exacerbate this situation.
In this context, the extension until December could be seen not only as an opportunity to complete pending procedures, but also as a warning to those who have not yet legally secured their link with the property that orcupan… or left behind.
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12 comments
I am from the municipality of Cotorro and I have not been able to legalize because the housing officials, Dayli Lago Aguilera, head of attention to the population, together with her lawyers and directors, sold the house that I lived in for 28 years and 4 months with the address and my 27-year-old and 10-month-old son who was born there. They sold the lower parts and I am upstairs on the plate and now for a year the lower parts have been rented because the lady who paid is in the United States. This case is a little complicated, but I remain firm here waiting for justice in this country. Those of us who do not have dollars are in very bad shape. Blessings 😘👇
I have lived in my house since I was born, it belonged to my grandparents. After my mother started construction with a license in 86, I finished it. My mother died a few years ago and she could not continue taking care of it. The special period arrived. How is it? Every time I go, they always put up obstacles. I do not have the money to pay what many ask for the papers because of those cases, which must be quite a few, they do not finish, they summon him and they just gave him the papers. It is in Guanabacoa.
With all due respect: I'm concerned about the deadline set for legalizing a home before December 31st, and the fact that the status of owners abroad is never made clear. Are they going to expropriate these homes without warning, as ETECSA did with the new plans? I'd like a clarifying answer.
Sir, if the government is the one who lacks the necessary conditions for legalization, it's the one responsible for ensuring the procedures are carried out, and its offices take years to process a transaction. First, get the responsible agency working, and then pass the bill to the population.
Everything is fine. In the municipality of Cardenas, everything is a disaster. If you don't pay, you can't complete your process, starting with the inspectors who work there, and in many cases, you don't even pay. This isn't even counting the many mistakes made by people who have been through housing, such as using already repealed resolutions. When they realize this, in some cases, they say it can be resolved. In others, they're still waiting for an answer that, according to them, has to come from Havana because there are so many cases. In some cases, they've said they paid for their legalization, and those who haven't... have to pay for this... everything is a disaster. How long will this corruption and indifference continue? Not to mention the justifications that it's a tourist corridor or an oil zone. If everyone had fulfilled their role, such disorder wouldn't exist. In short, we, those below, are the most affected.
The housing department of Old Havana states that it still has no guidelines for changing the use of housing in the historic center, homes confiscated from owners who left the country in the 90s and left relatives living there.
I think it's positive news, but not because of the way it's reported. I think the negative side is that the procedures are difficult and there are long lines.
Good morning, I live in Old Havana and I'm a permanent tenant. According to what the official said, do I have the right to acquire ownership of the property?
I live in a rural area on a private property, but I've already been given permission to remove my property, which doesn't affect anything because it's what's called a batey. The owners won't sign the paperwork for me to continue my procedures, especially since I'm affected by the cyclone and need materials to repair my house. I'd like you to help me and for the minister to read this statement and respond to me carefully.
I'm an INOTU employee in a municipality in Cienfuegos, and to legalize a home within a property, the first thing you must submit is the land declassification certificate, which is issued to you by the Agriculture Department. You must then submit this certificate to the Planning Management Department and request the process, which shouldn't take long. You must then proceed to pay for the land at the bank, depending on whether they authorize or declassify it as agricultural. Currently, it's a fairly quick process here, but the biggest impact is the time required for document preparation, since everything is digital.
I was affected by Hurricane Irma. My house isn't finished yet. I did everything myself, and the Municipal Housing Authority is trying to charge me an outrageous price. No terminal. I'm just commenting briefly, there are still things left to say. I wrote to the National Housing Institute, but there's no response. I wrote to Díaz Canel, and there's no response either. I'm 64 years old, and I've been linked to the state all the time. It's all very nice, but the truth is there's no solution.
The housing issue is yet another lie raised by your commander in History Will Absolve Me. The housing issue has never been resolved, nor will it ever be resolved in this socialism.