What should I check before buying property in Amman?
Check the registration extract at the Department of Lands and Survey (owner, shares, mortgages, seizures), the boundaries with a licensed surveyor, the zoning plan from the Greater Amman Municipality, and for apartments the electronic works permit and municipal clearance the seller must now obtain. Check co-owners and building charges too.
Sources: Al-Wakeel: DLS on checking title · Law 13 of 2019: mortgages and seizures (text mirror) · Greater Amman Municipality: site zoning plan · Petra: works permit and clearance for apartment sellers. Legal points come from law-firm summaries and text mirrors of the statutes, not the Official Gazette, so confirm anything you rely on with the Department of Lands and Survey or a Jordanian lawyer.
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The due-diligence checklist
- Registration deed and owner
Get a recent registration extract showing the owner, shares sold, parcel, basin and plan number; the seller or an agent with a valid power of attorney must match the deed. - Land survey
Have a licensed surveyor confirm the location and boundaries on site. - Mortgages and seizures
Ask for a fresh extract that shows mortgages and court seizures, which appear as annotations on the register. - Servitudes and rights of way
Check for easements over the property, such as rights of way or water access. - Zoning
Ask the Greater Amman Municipality for the site zoning plan, using a recent deed and the archived plan; Amman's new planning regulation applies from 1 January 2026. - Works permit and clearance
For an apartment, the seller needs an electronic works permit and a municipal clearance; units with violations are not cleared until corrected. - Municipal tax arrears
Building and land tax and education tax arrears are cleared through the municipal clearance. - Utilities
Ask for the latest electricity, water and sewage bills and confirm there are no arrears (a commercial checklist). - Co-owners and shares
A sale of co-owned property needs all owners' agreement, and co-owners have a right of first refusal on shares sold to outsiders. - Apartment buildings
Units are registered separately with a common section and an owners' association; ask about service charges. - Foreign buyers
Check the approval and the conditions that apply to the permit.
Red flags
Seller not on the deed
Or an agent without a valid, notarised power of attorney.Purchase outside the Department
The Department says such purchases are not recognised.Informal deeds (hujaj)
Land sold through them is usually state land, according to an earlier Department warning.Price far below the area
Compare with the area median before you pay anything.Related guides
Can foreigners buy property in Jordan?
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Part of our buying guides.Read more →How to buy property in Jordan
Part of our buying guides.Read more →Foreign ownership limits
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What should I check before buying property in Jordan?
That the property is registered at the Department of Lands and Survey in the seller's name, that no mortgage or seizure is noted on the register, the boundaries and zoning, and for apartments the works permit and municipal clearance. A lawyer and a licensed surveyor can verify them. This guide →
How do I verify that a seller owns a property in Jordan?
Get a registration extract from the Department and match the owner's name and the shares to the person signing; if an agent signs, check a valid notarised power of attorney. A seller who is not on the deed is the core red flag. Avoiding scams →
What is the clearance certificate (baraat dhimma) for an apartment?
Since May 2026 the seller of a residential apartment must obtain an electronic works permit per unit and a municipal clearance; the Ministry of Local Administration said the clearance is not granted to a unit with prior violations until they are corrected. Ask for both. How to buy →
How do I check for a mortgage on a property in Jordan?
A registered mortgage exists only once registered with the registration directorate and noted on the land register, so a fresh extract shows it. Seizures also appear as annotations; a court-enforcement search is a further check. Mortgages in Jordan →
How do I check zoning for a plot in Amman?
Apply to the Greater Amman Municipality for a site zoning plan, which needs a recent registration deed and the Department's archived land plan; a new planning regulation took effect on 1 January 2026, so old zoning tables may be out of date. Land for sale →
What are the risks of buying off-plan in Jordan?
A promise to sell must be registered at the Department to be binding; we found no developer-licensing or escrow rules. The 2026 law introduces bank-approved allocation certificates and a Department regulatory unit. Off-plan guide →
Should I use a licensed surveyor?
Yes for land and boundaries: the Department's Director General has advised having the location checked on site by a licensed surveyor. How to buy →
Do I need a lawyer to do due diligence?
It is not required, but a lawyer can run the register, court and tax checks and review the contract, which is most valuable if you do not read Arabic. Official bodies →