According to the principal of local law, only people with true Indonesian citizenship have the right to own a land in Indonesia. Individual foreigner who happened to be domiciled in the country may only allowed to have a private property or a home over a particular...
Background
Condominium is a building built in an environment which is divided into parts that are functionally structured horizontally and vertically and consisting of units that can be owned individually and can be used separately, particularly for residence, which is completed with common equipment, common facility, and common land. In the condominium, there are private property managed by the owner himself and the common rights which should be used and managed together because it involves the common interest. Utilization and management of condominium and its environment should be arranged and conducted by the tenant association. There are some regulations on the tenant association, such as Law Number 16 of 1985 on Condominium (“Law 16/85”), Government Regulation Number 4 of 1988 on Condominium (“GR 4/88”), and Decree of State Minister of Public Housing Affairs Number 06/KPTS/BKP4N/1995 on Guidance on Making Deed of Establishment and Article of Association of Tenant Association of Condominium (“Decree”).
Tenant Association
According to Article 1 of Law 16/85, tenant association is an association which consists of tenants as its member. Article 19 of Law 16/85 states that tenants of condominium shall establish a tenant association, having the main task to regulate manage, and also to guarantee order, principle of mutual aid, and harmony based on the Indonesian personality, in order to manage the common equipment, common facility, and common land.
Tenant association, by the Law 16/85, is given the status as a legal entity with the deed of establishment and articles of association, therefore, the tenant association may act in and out on behalf of the owner, and with its authority, the tenant association shall realize the comfortability of the environment of the condominium in order. Establishment of tenant association should be executed with a deed that is legalized by Regent, Mayor Head of Region II, and especially in Jakarta, shall be legalized by the Governor Head of Special Capital City Region of Jakarta
Establishment Meeting
Refer to the Decree, it is stated that in the establishment of tenant association, firstly, the owner and/or tenant of condominium shall convene the meeting of establishment of tenant association (“Meeting”), and the result of such Meeting shall be stated in the minutes of Meeting. In the Meeting, it shall appoint some of the member/participant of the Meeting, and such member/participant shall be given the power of attorney to appear before the Notary to make all of the statements as the result of the Meeting. Furthermore, in the Meeting, without prejudice to the permission of the authorities, shall decide and arrange the article of association of the tenant association in accordance with the Decree.
On the tenant association, its membership was chosen based on the family principle by and for the member of tenant association through the general meeting of tenant association which held especially for that necessity, provided that the board of tenant association at least shall consist of a chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, and a management supervisor.
The person who can be the member of the tenant association is a legal subject who has, or use, or rent, or lease or utilize unit of condominium concerned, having status as a tenant. Establishment of tenant association is very important, because it has a main task and authority to manage and maintain the environment of the condominium, and arrange the regulation on tenancy rules. Membership of tenant association is based on the reality of occupancy, means that the person who can be a member of the tenant association are those who actually inhabit or occupy the unit of the condominium either on the basis of ownership or other legal relation. If the owner has not yet occupied, use or utilize the unit of condominium, thus, the developer becomes a member of the tenant association. If the developer of condominium is has not yet sold the entire of the units of the condominium, the developer shall act as a member of the tenant association.
Isrilitha Pratami Puteri
The Government of Indonesia has been trying to find a way to provide more flexibility for a foreigner and foreign entity to own a property in Indonesia. One of the intentions is also to improve the property market in Indonesia. At this moment, the Government has been...
The purpose of the Government Regulation No. 41 of 1996 (the “GR No. 41”) is to give a legal certainty for foreigners who own property in Indonesia. Foreigners who are domiciled in Indonesia are foreigners who give benefits for national development.
The requirements of property ownership by foreigners who are domiciled in Indonesia are as follows:
1. Property which is built on a land:
Having a Right to Use (Hak Pakai) over a state land;
Having a Right to Use which based on an agreement between the foreigner and the holder of rights over land (for example: Rights to Own or Rights to Build)
2. Strata title units which are built on a land with Right to Use over a state land.
The agreement between foreigner and the owner of the land must be made in writing, with a deed made by a land official (Pejabat Pembuat Akta Tanah), registered in the book of land (Buku Tanah) and certificate of Right to Use. According to the Law of Principles of Agraria, the agreement between foreigner and the owner of the land is not a lease agreement or cultivated agreement. The agreement is made with the terms agreed by the parties but shall not exceed 25 (twenty five) years time period. The term of the agreement can be extended with a new agreement which shall not exceed another 25 (twenty five) years time period, provided that the foreigner is still domiciled in Indonesia.
If the foreigner is no longer domiciled in Indonesia, in a period of one year, the foreigner must release or transfer their rights over the property to other who is eligible. If the foreigner did not release or transfer it, then the state will take over and sell it through a tender. For property which is built over a land owned according to an agreement with the owner of the land, then the property will belong to the owner of the land. The results from the tender of house and land held by the Government will be returned to the foreigner after deducted by tender fee, stuffs and other fee.
Handy Samot
The real estate law in Indonesia is mainly governed in the Law No. 5 of 1960 on Principle Provisions of Agrarian (the “Agrarian Law”).
Indonesia as a developing country is one of the investment destination for developed countries to expand their global business activities. That is why more foreigners domiciled in Indonesia to do their business. However, there are boundaries or conditions for foreigner to own a residence especially a strata title, which is going to be discuss further here.