Real estate in Abidjan: ACD land titles, leases, off-plan purchases, social housing and traps to avoid

In Abidjan, ownership of urban land is proven by an arrêté de concession définitive (ACD, a definitive concession order) and, after each resale, by a certificat de mutation de propriété foncière (CMPF, a certificate of transfer of land ownership) issued after a notarial deed. That is the regime of Côte d'Ivoire's Law No. 2020-624 of 14 August 2020 establishing the Urban Planning and Urban Land Code, which replaced Ordinance No. 2013-481. To rent a home, the 2019 Construction and Housing Code requires a written, registered lease and caps rent paid in advance at two months and the security deposit at two months. To buy off-plan, the same Code limits payments according to construction progress and requires a licensed seller. Imonga publishes no prices for Abidjan because it has no listings in Côte d'Ivoire; as of 14 September 2026, it does list 10 developments and 49 Ivorian professionals.

Property prices in Abidjan: why this page gives none

We give no rents and no price per square metre by commune, because we have nothing to base them on. As of 14 September 2026, Imonga has no published listing in Côte d'Ivoire, and we found no recent public statistics on Abidjan property prices that explain their method. Earlier versions of this page gave ranges by commune (Cocody, Marcory, Yopougon, Abobo) with no source at all: they have been removed.

The most solid public rental data we found is old. According to the 2015 household living standards survey (ENV 2015), analysed in an August 2018 note by the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa, 78% of Abidjan households were renting, and 46% of urban renter households nationwide lived in a cour commune (shared courtyard compound). The same note puts the average rent paid in Abidjan at just over 50 US dollars a month in 2015, across all dwelling types: far too old to negotiate a rent today.

For a current price, compare several similar properties in the same commune, ask a licensed agency (the official list is linked below) and, before buying, have the property valued by a real estate expert.

The Abidjan district: communes and population

The Autonomous District of Abidjan had 6,321,017 inhabitants at the census of 14 December 2021, according to the RGPH 2021 headline results published by the Ministry of Planning. The city of Abidjan accounts for 5,616,633 of them across its ten communes; the other 704,384 live in Anyama, Bingerville, Songon and Brofodoumé, which belong to the district. Yopougon and Abobo are the two most populous communes. Figures below use the census table's own format.

Commune or sub-prefecture	Population on 14 December 2021
Yopougon	1 571 065
Abobo	1 340 083
Cocody	692 583
Port-Bouët	618 795
Koumassi	412 282
Adjamé	340 892
Attécoubé	313 135
Marcory	214 061
Treichville	106 552
Plateau	7 186
City of Abidjan total (10 communes)	5 616 633
Anyama	389 592
Bingerville	204 656
Songon	89 778
Brofodoumé	20 357
Four other sub-prefectures total	704 384
Autonomous District of Abidjan	6 321 017

This geography matters to buyers: inside the Autonomous District of Abidjan, the ACD is signed by the minister in charge of urban planning; outside it, the prefect signs by delegation for residential lots under one hectare from an approved subdivision (Decree No. 2021-785 of 8 December 2021, articles 3 and 20).

Land documents in Côte d'Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire, ACD stands for arrêté de concession définitive. Do not confuse it with Togo's ACD, which is an attestation de détention coutumière (certificate of customary holding): same acronym, unrelated documents.

The ACD: how the State grants full ownership

Full ownership of urban land registered in the State's name is conferred by the ACD (article 220 of Law No. 2020-624 of 14 August 2020 establishing the Urban Planning and Urban Land Code). It is granted on three conditions: an application with a technical file, payment of the land's sale price, and payment of a land title fee calculated on the land's market value. It only covers lots from an approved subdivision (article 224), except for major private projects outside subdivisions. Decree No. 2021-785 adds that the lot must be registered in the State's name with a unique land identifier for Côte d'Ivoire, and that the ACD must be published in the land register (article 7).

These principles come from Ordinance No. 2013-481 and Decree No. 2013-482 of 2 July 2013, which made the ACD the sole ownership title for urban land. Both texts have since been repealed: the ordinance by article 302 of the Urban Planning Code, the decree by article 26 of Decree No. 2021-785. Anyone still relying on them is quoting superseded law.

The CMPF: proof of every resale

Land that has left the State's domain through an ACD is resold by authenticated deed, meaning before a notary. The land registrar then issues a CMPF to the buyer, and also after a subdivision or merger of plots. Since Law No. 2024-351 of 6 June 2024, this certificate is "final and unchallengeable" (new article 223). Decree No. 2021-785 adds that no one can rely on a transfer deed or a promise of sale drawn up before the property was entered in the land register (article 8).

Village certificates and customary rights

Customary rights over a plot are not ownership: they are personal to their holders and cannot be transferred (new article 272, 2024 law). A "village plot" sold with a mere certificate therefore does not pass ownership. The attestation de droit d'usage coutumier (ADU, certificate of customary use) came into force on 1 July 2024. In its statement of 23 August 2024, it asked holders of village certificates to apply for an ACD before 31 December 2024, and announced that village certificates or customary transactions made after 30 September 2024 would be rejected.

Document	What it is worth	Legal basis
Arrêté de concession définitive (ACD)	Full ownership of urban land granted by the State, published in the land register	Urban Planning Code, articles 220 and 224
Certificat de mutation de propriété foncière (CMPF)	Ownership after a resale, subdivision or merger; final and unchallengeable	New article 223 (Law No. 2024-351)
Letter of allocation, provisional concession order	Not a final right: the minister can revoke it on unregistered, undeveloped land	Urban Planning Code, article 298
Village certificate, ADU	Personal, non-transferable customary rights: not ownership	New article 272 (Law No. 2024-351)
Transfer deed or promise signed before registration	No one can rely on it	Decree No. 2021-785, article 8

Getting an ACD in the Abidjan district

The application is filed at the ministry's Guichet unique du foncier (GUF, one-stop land office), which registers it and gives it a number (Decree No. 2021-785, article 11). As soon as it is filed, the fees, charges and taxes linked to the plot are assessed and notified to the applicant (article 6). The ministry, now called the Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment, sets out a twelve-step process in its "Le parcours de l'ACD" infographic, grouped here into seven:

1. the applicant files at the GUF, which forwards the file to the Urban Domain Directorate (DDU) for review;
2. the DDU sends the file to the land registry, which creates the land title;
3. the land title returns to the DDU, which drafts the ACD;
4. the minister's office signs the ACD and returns it to the DDU;
5. the signed ACD goes to the land registry for publication in the land register;
6. the applicant pays the land price and registration fees at the land registry;
7. the published ACD returns to the DDU, then to the GUF, where the applicant collects it.

Applications are handled in the Integrated Urban Land Management System (SIGFU), created by Decree No. 2021-862 of 15 December 2021; Decree No. 2021-785 requires ACD files to be processed in line with it (article 5). These texts set no guaranteed timeframe. Track your file with the GUF or the ministry's call centre (1378, shown on its official website) rather than paying a middleman who promises to speed things up.

Buying a property that already has an ACD: steps, notary and costs

1. Get a copy of the ACD or latest CMPF and the seller's ID, then check that the names match.
2. Have the notary check at the land registry that the seller is the registered holder and that no mortgage is recorded: a property under an ACD can be mortgaged (new article 222).
3. Check the subdivision. The ministry's website offers a service showing whether a subdivision is approved, cancelled or suspended. Since 2024, cancelling a subdivision does not cancel an ACD obtained in good faith (new article 106).
4. Have a chartered surveyor check the boundaries: the markers on the ground must match the land title plan.
5. Sign the deed of sale before a notary. The transfer is made by authenticated deed (new article 223), and the Construction Code forbids estate agents from drafting deeds that transfer real property rights (article 460).
6. Have the transfer published and obtain the CMPF in the buyer's name.

Item	Published amount	Source
Registration duty on a property sale	4% (standard rate)	DGI 2025 guide, articles 760 to 764 of the General Tax Code
Capital gain on sale by an individual or a partnership not subject to corporate tax	15%	DGI 2025 guide, article 762 of the General Tax Code
Notary fees	not published here: ask for a written quote	none
Land registry and CMPF fees	not published here: ask the notary for a breakdown	none
Chartered surveyor, boundary marking	not published: written quote	none

The rates come from the 2025 edition of the "Impôts et taxes en Côte d'Ivoire" guide from the Directorate General of Taxes, which includes the 2025 tax annex. A finance law can change them: ask the notary for a written, itemised breakdown before transferring funds, and pay into the notary's account, never in cash to a middleman.

Renting in Abidjan: lease, rent in advance and deposit

For a home, Law No. 2019-576 of 26 June 2019 establishing the Construction and Housing Code sets the following rules (articles 408 to 456). It repealed Law No. 2018-575 on residential leases (article 552).

• A written, registered lease. The contract must be registered with the tax authority, and the landlord gives the tenant the registered copy within 30 days (article 414). The DGI's 2025 guide applies a 2.5% lease duty to written fixed-term leases.
• Two months in advance at most. The landlord cannot demand more than two months' rent in advance at signing (article 415).
• Two months' deposit at most. The deposit earns no interest and must be returned within one month of handing back the keys, minus sums owed and justified (article 416). A joint inventory is signed at move-in and move-out (articles 416 and 427).
• No other payments. Signing the lease cannot be tied to any other payment (article 415), and any clause providing for one is deemed unwritten (article 456).
• Service charges. Only water, energy and gas used, routine upkeep, minor repairs and taxes linked to occupancy can be charged to the tenant (article 417). Major repairs (roof, load-bearing walls, pipes, septic tanks) remain the landlord's (article 431).
• The rent. It is set with regard to market value, paid monthly (articles 421 and 422) and can be reviewed every three years, with at least three months' notice (articles 423 and 424).
• Ending the lease. The tenant can leave with three months' written notice for a legitimate reason; a landlord taking the home back for personal or family use gives three months' notice (articles 440 and 442).
• Sale of the home. The tenant has a right of first refusal (article 453), and the buyer cannot evict the tenant during the lease, except to occupy it personally or for family, notified within three months of the purchase (article 449).

Worked example: for rent of 250,000 FCFA, the landlord can ask for at most 500,000 FCFA in advance and a 500,000 FCFA deposit, so 1,000,000 FCFA before moving in, excluding any agency fee. The move-in statement must list rent, deposit, expenses and fees separately (article 488). These rules do not apply to commercial, administrative, industrial or craft premises (article 410).

The ministry sells a "secure lease contract" for residential use at 5,000 FCFA per copy, sold in pairs (one for the landlord, one for the tenant), through bookshops, post offices and the one-stop land office, according to its official poster.

Using an agency is optional (article 419). An agency or broker must, however, be licensed: regularly carrying out these transactions without a licence is punishable by 15 days to 12 months in prison and a fine of 200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA, or either penalty (article 546). The ministry publishes the list of licensed estate agents (version of 31 August 2026). Being listed in Imonga's directory of professionals does not replace that check.

Buying off-plan: what the Code requires of developers

Under Ivorian law, buying off-plan is a vente d'immeuble à construire (sale of a building to be constructed). It takes two forms: the vente en l'état futur d'achèvement (VEFA), where the buyer owns the works as they are built and pays as construction progresses, and the vente à terme (forward sale), where ownership passes on completion, recorded by notarial deed (articles 110 to 114 of the Construction and Housing Code).

• A licensed seller. Every seller of buildings to be constructed needs a ministerial licence (article 138), and each development needs technical approval before any advertising or marketing (article 140).
• Reservation. The reservation contract must be in writing (article 129). The deposit cannot exceed 10% of the price if the sale is due within a year, 5% between one and two years, and no deposit is allowed beyond two years (article 130). It is refunded without penalty within one month, notably if the final price exceeds the forecast by more than 5% or if the loan mentioned is not obtained (article 134).
• The sale contract. It is signed before a notary and states the origin of the land rights, the building permit references, the price, the delivery date and the seller's commitment to hand over the ACD for the unit (article 119). The seller must show a reference unit (article 120).
• Payments. Nothing may be paid before the sale contract is signed, other than the reservation deposit, unless a licensed bank or insurer guarantees repayment (article 121). Cumulative payments cannot exceed 20% of the price when the foundations are finished, 60% when the building is weathertight and 90% on completion; the balance is due at handover (article 124).
• A VEFA can only be signed once the foundations are complete and the seller has shown that the land is paid for, its tax affairs are in order and a completion guarantee is in place (article 136).
• Withdrawal. If the buyer breaks the contract, the seller cannot keep more than 5% of the price (article 145).

Before reserving, look up the company's exact name on the list of licensed property developers published by the ministry (version of 31 August 2026). It gives the reference and date of each licence; its legend flags licences whose five-year validity has expired and must be renewed.

Social housing: SICOGI is now ANAH

The Société ivoirienne de construction et de gestion immobilière (SICOGI) no longer exists under that name. At a Council of Ministers in December 2021, the government turned it into a state company called Agence nationale de l'habitat (ANAH, National Housing Agency), according to an APA agency report published by Abidjan.net on 16 December 2021. That report said the body would no longer build social housing itself but coordinate the programme. The Directorate General of State Holdings now describes ANAH (formerly SICOGI) as a majority publicly owned company, 84.18% held by the State, in charge of property development, land development, delegated project management and property brokerage.

For a former SICOGI development, a subscription or a rent-to-own contract, contact ANAH. Do not pay anything for a social housing "subscription" without checking the scheme with ANAH or the ministry, and only pay into an account in the organisation's name.

Two SICOGI developments are listed on Imonga. For Résidence Concorde in Abobo PK18, a May 2010 Le Patriote article, republished by Abidjan.net, announced 2,678 homes on 50 hectares, prices of 9 to 22 million FCFA and rent-to-own over up to 15 years. Those figures are sixteen years old and say nothing about current prices. Cité ADO in Yopougon-Azito has 2,172 social and economic homes according to its listing.

On Imonga: new developments and professionals in Côte d'Ivoire

As of 14 September 2026, Imonga lists 10 property developments in Côte d'Ivoire: 7 in Abidjan, 2 in Bingerville and 1 in Grand-Bassam. Four are delivered, two are selling, two are under construction and two are at the planning stage. None shows a current price: the only known figures, for Résidence Concorde, date from 2010. Listings draw on public information, press and developer websites: check them with the developer before paying anything.

• Cité Opes 1, Bingerville, by Opes Holding: delivered according to its listing, which mentions rent-to-own over up to 25 years, a term we could not verify in a public source. Opes Holding is on the list of licensed developers (Opes Holding SA, licence 24-00076 of 31 July 2024).
• Cité Olympia, Koumassi, by SIPIM: 478 two- to four-room flats of 54 to 77 m², under construction according to its listing. The developer's page did not respond on 14 September 2026: unverified. SIPIM is on the list with a licence dated 11 July 2013.
• Two office and retail buildings in Cocody, Ivoire Trade Center and Le Badamier, by PFO Immobilier (licence 24-00125 of 16 December 2024). For Le Badamier, the PFO Africa group announces 4,000 m² built over four levels in II Plateaux.

The directory lists 49 professionals in Côte d'Ivoire: 38 developers, 10 agencies and 1 listings platform. Eight carry Imonga's "verified" badge, which is not the ministerial licence: check that on the ministry's lists. The directory's SICOGI entry and its ANAH entry refer to the same body. To prepare a loan, the financing calculator estimates a monthly payment from the price, deposit, rate and term you enter.

Common traps in Abidjan

Land sold on a village certificate

Customary rights cannot be sold (new article 272), and the ministry rejects village certificates issued after 30 September 2024. A seller with only a certificate cannot pass ownership to you: insist on an ACD or CMPF in the seller's name.

Unapproved subdivisions

No approved subdivision, no ACD (article 224). Carrying out an urban development without approval is punishable by two months to two years in prison and a fine of 2,000,000 to 20,000,000 FCFA (new article 282), and surveyors or contractors involved are treated as accomplices. Check the subdivision's status before paying.

Deposits paid before the notarial contract

Off-plan, nothing is payable before the sale contract is signed, except the capped reservation deposit, or if a bank or insurer guarantees repayment (articles 121 and 130). A developer demanding 30% at reservation without a written guarantee is outside the legal framework.

Double sales and private agreements

A receipt or promise signed outside a notary's office does not protect you: the transfer is made by authenticated deed. Pay at signing before the notary and have the transfer published straight away.

Middlemen and months of advance rent

For rentals, rent in advance is capped at two months and the deposit at two months. Do not pay "viewing fees" to a middleman whose licence is not on the ministry's list, and get a receipt for every payment.

Who to contact

Need	Contact
ACD application or follow-up, subdivision status	One-stop land office (GUF) of the Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment (call centre 1378)
Deed of sale, checking the seller's rights, cost breakdown	A notary (Chambre des notaires de Côte d'Ivoire, presented on the ministry's website)
Land register publication, CMPF	Land registry (Conservation de la propriété foncière et des hypothèques)
Boundary marking	A chartered surveyor (géomètre expert)
Developer or agency licence	Lists published by the ministry
Former SICOGI development, social housing	Agence nationale de l'habitat (ANAH)
Registration duties, lease registration	Directorate General of Taxes (DGI)

Frequently asked questions

What is an ACD in Côte d'Ivoire?

The arrêté de concession définitive is the act by which the State transfers full ownership of urban land registered in its name. It is governed by Law No. 2020-624 (articles 220 to 225) and Decree No. 2021-785, published in the land register, and only granted on a lot from an approved subdivision. In Abidjan the minister signs it; after each resale, a CMPF proves ownership.

How many months of advance rent and deposit can a landlord demand in Abidjan?

For a home, at most two months' rent in advance and a deposit of at most two months, under articles 415 and 416 of the Construction and Housing Code. No other payment can be a condition for signing the lease. The deposit must be returned within a month of handing back the keys, minus sums owed and justified. Commercial premises are not covered.

Does SICOGI still exist?

Not under that name. The government turned it into the Agence nationale de l'habitat (ANAH) in December 2021. The Directorate General of State Holdings lists it as ANAH (formerly SICOGI), 84.18% owned by the State. For a former development, a subscription or a rent-to-own contract, contact ANAH, and check every payment you are asked to make.

What do properties cost in Abidjan?

We do not publish prices: Imonga has no listings in Côte d'Ivoire, and we found no recent public statistics, with a stated method, on prices by commune. The latest public rent data we found comes from the 2015 ENV survey. For a current price, compare similar properties in the same commune and have the property valued before buying.

Can I buy land with a village certificate?

Not safely. Since Law No. 2024-351, customary rights are personal, non-transferable and do not amount to ownership. The ministry announced that village certificates issued after 30 September 2024 would be rejected. Only an ACD or a CMPF in the seller's name allows ownership to be transferred by notarial deed.

What taxes apply when buying in Abidjan?

According to the DGI's 2025 guide, a property sale carries a 4% registration duty, and a capital gain made by an individual seller is taxed at 15%. Notary fees and land registry fees come on top; we do not publish them because we have not consulted an official scale. Ask the notary for a written breakdown before signing.

Sources

Pages and legal texts consulted on 14 September 2026.

• Law No. 2020-624 of 14 August 2020 establishing the Urban Planning and Urban Land Code, Official Journal of 22 December 2020 (Lex & Terra): ACD (articles 220 to 225), CMPF, revocation (article 298), repeal of Ordinance No. 2013-481 (article 302).
• Law No. 2024-351 of 6 June 2024 amending the Urban Planning Code, Official Journal of 2 July 2024: unchallengeable CMPF, non-transferable customary rights, penalties for unapproved subdivisions.
• Decree No. 2021-785 of 8 December 2021 on the ACD procedure: filing at the GUF, registered lots, signature, repeal of Decree No. 2013-482.
• Ordinance No. 2013-481 and Decree No. 2013-482 of 2 July 2013 (FAOLEX): original ACD texts, now repealed.
• Decree No. 2021-862 of 15 December 2021 creating the Integrated Urban Land Management System.
• Statement by the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning of 23 August 2024 on the certificate of customary use.
• Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment, "Le parcours de l'ACD" infographic and ministry home page (e-services, call centre).
• Law No. 2019-576 of 26 June 2019 establishing the Construction and Housing Code (DGI website): off-plan sales (articles 107 to 145), residential leases (articles 408 to 456), agencies (articles 459 to 492), penalties (article 546).
• Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Living Environment, secure lease contract poster.
• List of licensed property developers, version of 31 August 2026 and list of licensed estate agents, version of 31 August 2026.
• Ministry of Urban Planning, presentation of the Chamber of Notaries.
• Directorate General of Taxes, "Impôts et taxes en Côte d'Ivoire", 2025 edition: 4% sale duty, 15% capital gains, 2.5% lease duty.
• RGPH 2021 headline results, Ministry of Planning and Development: Abidjan district population by commune.
• Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa, note on the Ivorian rental market (August 2018), based on ENV 2015.
• Directorate General of State Holdings, ANAH (formerly SICOGI) profile.
• APA via Abidjan.net, "La Sicogi devient l'Agence nationale de l'habitat" (16 December 2021).
• Le Patriote via Abidjan.net, Résidence Concorde in Abobo (15 May 2010).
• PFO Africa, Le Badamier building.
• Imonga data: 0 listings in Côte d'Ivoire, 10 developments and 49 professionals in Côte d'Ivoire, extracted from the site's API on 14 September 2026.