The Most Notable Laws and Decrees Issued in Syria Over the Past Decade Related to HLP Issues
| Law Number | Date of issue | Name of law | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative Decree No. 43 of 2011 | 24/03/2011 | Amendment to Law No. 41 of 2004 | Laid out principles for the creation, transfer, modification and acquisition of real estate rights in lands located within border areas |
| Law No. 11 of 2011 | 10/04/2011 | Provisions for Real Estate Rights in Syria for Non-Syrians | Principles for creating, modifying or transferring any real estate right within the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic for the benefit of a non-Syrian, whether they are an individual person or a legal entity. |
| Legislative Decree No. 76 of 2011 | 28/06/2011 | Regulating the Work of the General Housing Establishment | Repealed by Legislative Decree No. 26 of 2015 |
| Law No. 8 of 2012 | 22/02/2012 | The “Real Estate Appraiser” Profession, and Conditions for Practicing this Profession | Provisions related to employees in both public and private organisations who perform real estate appraisals. |
| Legislative Decree No. 36 of 2012 | 14/05/2012 | Amendment to Law No. 8 of 2012 | Grants a transitional period until 31-12-2012, during which real estate appraisers could continue performing their duties |
| Legislative Decree No. 68 of 2011 | 16/06/2011 | Implementing the Provisions of Legislative Decree No. 59 of 2008 | Concerns building code violations for structures located on maritime properties |
| Law No. 25 of 2011 | 14/12/2011 | The Real Estate Development Law | The provisions of this law apply to real estate developers and individuals selling off-plan property units within real estate developments projects. |
| Law No. 32 of 2011 | 31/12/2011 | Amendment to Rental Law No. 6 of 2001 | Concerns vacating properties leased to the public sector, including governmental organisations and other entities |
| Legislative Decree No. 40 of 2012 | 20/05/2012 | Building Violations | Provisions for construction undertaken within a permit, or construction work that violates the licence granted |
| Law No. 19 of 2012 | 28/06/2012 | Anti-Terrorism Law | Authorises confiscation of movable and immovable property of those convicted by its rulings |
| Legislative Decree No. 63 of 2012 | 16/09/2012 | Judicial Police Authorities | Grants judicial police the right to preventative seizure of defendants’ properties |
| Legislative Decree No. 66 of 2012 | 18/09/2012 | Providing for the Establishment of Two Development Zones in the Governorate of Damascus within the General Plan for Damascus City | Sets up two organisational zones within the general plan for Damascus city to develop areas containing building code violations and irregular housing, in accordance with detailed organisational studies prepared by Damascus governorate and certified under current laws and regulations. The First Zone: Regulation of the southeastern zone of Mazzeh from the two real estate zones Mazzeh and Kafr Sousseh. The Second Zone: Regulation of the area south of the southern ring, from the real estate zones of Mazzeh, Kafr Sousseh, Qanawat Basatin, Darayya, Qadam. |
| Legislative Decree No. 26 of 2013 | 25/04/2013 | Determining the Conditions for Permitting and Preventing Real Estate Owners of Lands Located within the Boundaries of the Zoning Plans | Provisions for owners of properties within the boundaries of any approved general zoning plans to dispose of those properties |
| Law No. 13 of 2014 | 25/06/2014 | Postponement of Law No. 32 of 2011, which Amends the Rental Law | Provided a three-year postponement, starting from 01-01-2015 |
| Law No. 16 of 2014 | 20/07/2014 | Real Estate Judges Law | Concerns appointments of real estate judges, their duties and the nature of their work |
| Legislative Decree No. 37 of 2014 | 19/08/2014 | On Selling and Allocating Housing for Public or Social Entities | Special provisions regulating the sale and allocation of public and social housing |
| Law No. 1 of 2015 | 15/01/2015 | Ruling to Form Committees to Termination of Common Property in the Provinces | Terminated Law No. 21 of 1986 and reorganised committees to Termination of Common Property in the provinces |
| Legislative Decree No. 26 of 2015 | 27/05/2015 | Regulating the Work of the General Housing Establishment | Repealed Legislative Decree No. 76 of 2011 |
| Law No. 20 of 2015 | 11/11/2015 | Rental Law | Regulates rental contracts signed for residential properties before February 2001 and for commercial properties before February 2006 |
| Law No. 21 of 2015 | 23/11/2015 | Exempting Owners of Properties Damaged by Terrorist Attacks from Construction Permit Fees | Exempts owners from paying construction permit fees when either completely or partially repairing or restoring their properties |
| Law No. 23 of 2015 | 08/12/2015 | Planning and Urban Development Law | Provides a mechanism for issuing zoning plans, as well as methods for handling areas where there are building code violations and informally built housing |
| Legislative Decree No. 11 of 2016 | 05/05/2016 | Halting Registration of Personal Real Estate Rights within Property Departments Closed Due to Emergency Security Conditions | This law considers null the registration of property rights in areas outside regime control |
| Legislative Decree No. 12 of 2016 | 19/05/2016 | Decree to Consider the Digital Copy of the Real Rights Incidents Transferred from the Land Record in the Public Entity Legally Entrusted with Keeping Records of Real Estate Ownership Records of an Evidentiary Nature | Stipulates the production of a digital copy of the real estate records, then reproduction of a hard copy from the digital copy. Offers a four-month period to field objections to the contents of the digital copy |
| Law No. 33 of 2017 | 23/10/2017 | Regulating the Reproduction of a Lost or Damaged Real Estate Document | Gives the Real Estate Directorate the right to undertake a set of procedures ending with issuing an alternative to the lost or damaged real estate document |
| Law No. 42 of 2017 | 03/12/2017 | Extending the Time Limit Mentioned in the Text of Paragraph A of Article 12 of Law No. 20 of 2015 | Amends the Rental Law, with a deadline of three years, starting 01-01-2018 |
| Law No. 1 of 2018 | 18/01/2018 | Establishment of a Reserve Around Al-Fijeh Springs | This text, enacted at the beginning of 2018, establishes a protected area around the Fijeh Springs, which involves the expropriation of real estate within the immediate surrounding of the water canals that transport water from the springs to Damascus |
| Law No. 3 of 2018 | 12/02/2018 | Removing the Rubble of Buildings Damaged by Natural or Unnatural Causes, or Because they Are Subject to Laws Requiring their Demolition | Defines destroyed or damaged facilities, and how to remove the rubble, as well as the costs of removing it |
| Law No. 10 of 2018 | 02/04/2018 | Providing for the Establishment by Decree, Based on the Recommendation of the Minister of Local Administration and Environment, of One or More Development Zones within the General Zoning Plans for the Administrative Units, and Amendment of Some Items of Legislative Decree No. 66 of Year 2012 | Expands the scope of Decree No. 66 of 2012, making it applicable to all Syrian governorates |
| Law No. 42 of 2018 | 06/12/2018 | Amendment to Some Articles of Law No. 10 of 2018 and Legislative Decree No. 66 of 2012 | The main amendment concerns the deadlines for submitting homeownership documents and objections |
| Law No. 5 of 2020 | 17/03/2020 | Amendment to Legislative Decree No. 40 of 2012 | Contains one article, concerning local administrative units’ seizure of machinery and building materials used in construction that violates building code |