Real estate in Bingerville (Côte d'Ivoire): buying land with an ACD, renting with a written lease

Bingerville is a sub-prefecture of the Abidjan Autonomous District in Côte d'Ivoire. According to the national statistics institute (INS), whose results are reproduced by City Population (accessed 9 October 2026), it had 204,656 inhabitants at the 2021 census, up from 91,319 in 2014. To buy land, the document to demand is the ACD, the Arrêté de Concession Définitive. To rent, the residential lease must be in writing. We give no price per square metre and no rent here: we found no verifiable public source that establishes them for Bingerville at the time of writing.

Bingerville in figures: what the census says

The sub-prefecture's population more than doubled between 2014 and 2021. The figures below are INS figures, reproduced by City Population (accessed 9 October 2026).

The census says nothing about prices or neighbourhoods. It only shows that the sub-prefecture is filling up fast, which is one more reason to check the papers of a plot before paying a single franc. Because Bingerville belongs to the Abidjan Autonomous District, the rules and offices set up for that district apply. For the rest of the metropolitan area, see our Abidjan real estate guide.

Buying land in Bingerville: demand the ACD

The title that makes you an owner in town is the ACD. The official portal of the Ivorian administration describes it as « le seul et unique acte qui confère la propriété sur le domaine foncier urbain », the one and only deed that confers ownership of urban land (servicepublic.gouv.ci, « Demander une régularisation d'ACD », accessed 9 October 2026). Mind the acronym: in Côte d'Ivoire, ACD stands for Arrêté de Concession Définitive. It means something else in other countries.

The procedure is set by Decree No. 2021-785 of 8 December 2021 on the issuing of the Arrêté de Concession Définitive, reproduced on loidici.biz (general provisions, procedure in the Abidjan Autonomous District, decree reference, pages accessed 9 October 2026). Four points matter to a buyer:

• Approved subdivision. Article 2 refers to land « issu d'un lotissement approuvé par le Ministère en charge de l'Urbanisme », that is, coming from a subdivision approved by the ministry in charge of urban planning. Ask the seller for proof of that approval and read the article for its exceptions.
• Signed by the minister. In the Abidjan Autonomous District, the ACD « est délivré par le Ministre chargé de la Construction et de l'Urbanisme » (Article 3).
• Land register. Article 7: « L'Arrêté de Concession Définitive est obligatoirement publié au Livre Foncier. » Publication in the land register is mandatory.
• Resale. Article 8: « La propriété d'un bien détenu en vertu d'un Arrêté de Concession Définitive se transfère par acte authentique. » A receipt signed between seller and buyer is therefore not enough.

Before paying, have a notary check that the ACD shown to you is published in the land register and that the seller is the person named in it. Notary fees and the duties owed on a sale are not quantified here because we could not open a fee schedule: ask for a written quote. Our article on purchase costs, notary fees and registration explains how these costs are built up.

The plot has no ACD yet: where and how to apply

The file is lodged at the Guichet Unique du Foncier, the one-stop land office in Abidjan. Under Chapter II of the decree (Articles 11 to 15), the office registers the application, the Direction du Domaine Urbain examines it and submits the draft order to the minister for signature, then the land registry (Conservation de la Propriété Foncière et des Hypothèques) « le publie au Livre Foncier et établit un état foncier ». The applicant collects the ACD at the office.

According to the servicepublic.gouv.ci page (accessed 9 October 2026), the file includes a technical file prepared by a surveyor, an ACD application form, a cadastral information sheet, a village attestation or equivalent title, four photos of the built house and four photocopies of an identity document. The same page displays the following cost:

This portal page carries the footer mention « Mis à jour le 08/11/2016 » (updated on 8 November 2016), identical on the lease page, so it may be a site-wide date and not the page's own; it states no processing time. Have the current amount and timeline confirmed at the Guichet Unique before assembling the file. The sale price of the land, the surveyor's fees and the tax linked to the land title are not on the page: ask the office and the surveyor.

One thing has changed since that page was written. According to Fraternité Matin of 2 July 2024 (accessed 9 October 2026), the attestation de droit d'usage coutumier (ADU) « remplace désormais l'attestation villageoise »: it now replaces the village attestation. The minister asked that it be required for all land transactions from 1 July 2024. Holders of an old village attestation had six months, until 1 January 2025, to file their ACD application, failing which it would be rejected. If a seller shows you an old-format village attestation today, have its value checked at the Guichet Unique or by a notary before any payment.

Renting in Bingerville: a written lease, a capped advance and deposit

A residential lease must be in writing. The applicable text is Law No. 2019-576 of 26 June 2019 establishing the Code de la construction et de l'habitat, which the Ivorian administration's portal summarises on its page « Demander un bail à usage d'habitation et professionnel » (accessed 9 October 2026). Here is what that page says:

• Article 414: « Le contrat de bail à usage d'habitation est écrit. » The lease may be for a fixed or an indefinite term.
• When the lease is signed, the landlord may not require payment « de plus de deux mois de loyer d'avance et de caution au candidat à la location », meaning more than two months of advance rent and deposit.
• « La violation de cette disposition constitue une infraction pénale sanctionnée d'une amende de 200.000 F.CFA »: breaching this rule is a criminal offence with a 200.000 F.CFA fine.
• A tenant who does not pay « ne peut être expulsé qu'après une décision de justice ayant ordonné son expulsion »: eviction requires a court decision.
• « Le loyer peut être révisé à la hausse ou à la baisse, tous les trois (3) ans. » Rent may be revised up or down every three years.
• « Le bailleur est tenu en outre de faire les grosses réparations »: major repairs fall on the landlord.

We quote the page word for word and go no further than it does. It covers neither notice periods nor registration of the lease. On those points, or if an agent or landlord asks you for more than this cap, consult a lawyer or the Direction des affaires juridiques et du contentieux of the ministry in charge of construction, which the page names as the responsible department. Agency and broker fees are negotiable: get them in writing before the viewing. For the general notions, see our article on leases, deposits and notice.

Before you pay: a five-point check

1. For land: ask for the ACD, not just a letter or an attestation.
2. Have a notary check that it is published in the land register.
3. No ACD: ask for proof that the subdivision is approved and which customary document the seller holds (ADU or old attestation).
4. For a rental: insist on a written lease and a receipt for every sum paid.
5. Pay no cash to an intermediary who has no written mandate.

Further reading: our land checks before buying a plot, the property scams to avoid and, for a new-build home, buying off-plan. Diaspora buyers can also read how to finance a purchase from abroad.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bingerville part of Abidjan?

Bingerville is a sub-prefecture of the Abidjan Autonomous District, according to INS tables reproduced by City Population. For land matters this has a practical consequence: Decree No. 2021-785 provides that, in this district, the ACD is issued by the minister in charge of construction and urban planning, and that the file is lodged at the Guichet Unique du Foncier.

Can you buy land in Bingerville with only a village attestation?

It is risky. The State portal presents the ACD as the only deed that confers ownership in urban areas. According to Fraternité Matin of 2 July 2024, the attestation de droit d'usage coutumier replaces the village attestation, and ACD applications based on old attestations had to be filed before 1 January 2025. Have the document checked by a notary or at the Guichet Unique.

How much does an ACD cost for an individual?

The servicepublic.gouv.ci page, accessed 9 October 2026, displays 100 000 FCFA per plot, plus 50 000 FCFA, plus 1 000 FCFA per folder for an individual. The page carries the footer mention « Mis à jour le 08/11/2016 » (updated on 8 November 2016), which may be a site-wide date and not the page's own, and it covers neither the surveyor nor the sale price of the land. Have the current amount confirmed at the Guichet Unique du Foncier before paying.

Can an ACD still be challenged after it is issued?

We cannot give a firm answer. On 10 May 2024, Fraternité Matin reported a bill amending Law No. 2020-624 of 14 August 2020, under which no challenge would be possible after four months. The article describes a bill adopted by a Senate committee, not an enacted text. Ask a notary or a lawyer what the law in force says.

Sources

• City Population, Bingerville page (INS data): status as a sub-prefecture of the Abidjan Autonomous District, population at the 1998, 2014 and 2021 censuses. Accessed 9 October 2026.
• servicepublic.gouv.ci, « Demander une régularisation d'ACD »: definition of the ACD, documents, displayed cost, responsible office. Accessed 9 October 2026.
• loidici.biz, decree on issuing the ACD, general provisions: Articles 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8. Accessed 9 October 2026.
• loidici.biz, procedure in the Abidjan Autonomous District: Articles 11 to 15 (filing, examination, publication, collection). Accessed 9 October 2026.
• loidici.biz, authority that issues the ACD: number and date of Decree No. 2021-785, Articles 3 and 4. Accessed 9 October 2026.
• Fraternité Matin, 2 July 2024: the ADU replaces the village attestation, 1 January 2025 deadline. Accessed 9 October 2026.
• Fraternité Matin, 10 May 2024: bill amending Law No. 2020-624, four-month limit on challenges. Accessed 9 October 2026.
• servicepublic.gouv.ci, « Demander un bail à usage d'habitation et professionnel »: written lease, cap on advance and deposit, fine, eviction, rent revision. Accessed 9 October 2026.

These rules apply to Côte d'Ivoire only: they differ in other countries, as our guide to land status in Togo shows.