China Inbound Legal Guides · Real Property

Real Property

China realty is a land-use-right and registry stack. Foreign eligibility and SAFE on sale proceeds sit beside the purchase contract.

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Title, eligibility, deal, or remittance — which property stack? Open the matching topic route or counsel — this hub does not decide the legal outcome on your facts.

China real-property route covering title, eligibility, lease, purchase and remittance.

LifecycleTitle → eligibility → occupy or buy → remit

UpdatedAugust 2026

AudienceForeign buyers, tenants, FIEs and in-house counsel

Signature · Title / use-right / transaction stack

China land is a use-right stack, not a common-law freehold file.

source → documents → registry/tax gate → control → destination

Property lifecycle

Which property file controls the next step?

Start with the situation

Title, eligibility, deal, or remittance — which property stack?

Each topic owns one bounded decision, then connects to deeper guides, local context or counsel. This hub does not duplicate long-form analysis.

Title

Title & land-use rights

What is owned: land-use term, building, and the register — not a Western freehold label.

First jobName what sits on the register before pricing a purchase or a fit-out.

Open topic route

Eligibility

City eligibility to buy

Whether a foreign individual or company may purchase in this city, and on what conditions.

First jobTest eligibility before commissioning surveys or paying a deposit.

Open topic route

Lease

Lease to opening

Commercial or residential lease, registration, and the path from keys to lawful occupancy.

First jobSeparate the lease file from a purchase, then map what must be true to occupy.

Open topic route

Buy

Purchase diligence

Title, encumbrances, planning and the contract pack before funds move.

First jobScope the diligence around this unit — not a generic property essay.

Open topic route

Exit

Sale, tax & remittance

Selling a China property and moving proceeds — tax clearance then FX, not a recall clock.

First jobName sale, tax certificate and remittance as three steps, not one form.

Open topic route

Dispute

Occupancy & property disputes

Delivery, defects, co-owners and the dispute path — after title is understood.

First jobName the live dispute (delivery, quality, co-owner) before restarting a purchase theory.

Open topic route

Common entry points

Already know what is happening?

01We want to buy in ChinaStart with eligibility and the title stack.02We need to lease and occupyStart with the lease-to-opening path.03We need to sell and remit proceedsStart with sale, tax clearance and FX.

Curated resources

Go deeper without losing the route.

Long-form analysis lives on canonical guides. This hub only points.

core guide

China real property transaction and occupancy map

National buy, lease, build, finance and exit desk — not a product-incident file.

checklist

Prepare a real-property enquiry

Organise high-level property facts before counsel or Ask a Lawyer.

deep guide

China land-use rights: types, terms and transfer

What the register actually records, distinct from a freehold label.

deep guide

Selling China property as a foreigner and remitting proceeds

Sale then remittance — two files, not one form.

city guide

Beijing real-property lawyers

Local counsel layer when eligibility or registration practice is material.

Local context

Add the city — eligibility is local.

Purchase eligibility, registration and bureau practice are city-specific after the national title question is identified.

Open city and province guides

Counsel hand-off

Need property counsel?

This hub organises title, lease, purchase and remittance questions. It does not transfer title, register a lease or move funds on your facts.

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