This section presents answers to some of the most frequently asked, land related questions that are made to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey.

Common Land Enquiries

  • How to apply for Land

    All land being offered by the Ministry has to go through public tender process. Notice of tenders will be advertised through this website.

    For any other enquiries, please visit the customer service counter or send us a message from this website

  • How to transfer Fixed Term Estates

    Parcel clearance and consent fee needs to be paid.

    1. Write a simple letter addressed to the Commissioner of Lands. The letter should state the details of the person wishing to sell the land, as well as the person they wish to sell the land to, and the Parcel number(s) of the land.
    2. Deliver the letter to the Commissioner of Lands.
    3. The Commissioner of Lands will instruct his Data officers to prepare the necessary paperwork. To follow up on this process, phone 21511 or send us a message from this website
    4. Data officers will contact the person wishing to sell the land, to inform them of the amount of any arrears to be paid, and the parcel clearance and consent fee (total $142.00 for residential estates, or $330.00 for commercial or industrial estates. Please note that in the case of bank loans where a transfer of charge is involved, fees will be $30.00 parcel clearance and $112.00 x 2 for the two dealings (transfer and charge). Even if a single consent application is for a number of parcels the charge will be per parcel and dealing).
    5. Once the person has paid, they provide a copy of the receipt to Data officers, who then prepare the consent letter for the Commissioner of Lands to sign.
    6. Once Commissioner of Lands has signed the consent letter, the person can pick it up from Data officers.
    7. Next, the person selling the land needs to get a valuation report from a registered / licensed valuer, and prepare and sign a transfer document, and take the report and form to the Data officer.
    8. The Data officer then communicates with the Inland Revenue to determine the applicable Stamp Duty fees, and then communicates this back to the person selling the land, who then brings payment.
    9. The Data officer takes the valuation report, transfer document and payment to Inland Revenue for payment of stamp duty, then lodges the documentation with the Registrar of Titles office for the transfer to take effect.
  • How do I apply for a Temporary Occupation License (TOL)?

    Make an enquiry at the customer service counter, and purchase a copy of a map of the area you are interested in occupying (or you have already been occupying). A simple map will cost SBD $30.00.

    Customer service officers will advise you to make a formal application of interest to secure a TOL. The application should be in the form of a simple letter addressed to the Land Board. Submit this letter to the customer service officers but mark to the attention of the TOL officer. The TOL officer will then assess the application and prepare the proposal for the Land Board to consider. For further enquiries on these matters, please contact the Urban Section or send a message to the TOL Officer from this website.

    If the application is approved by the Land Board, the applicant will have to pay a fee equivalent to SBD $100.00 for every year that the person has already had a house on the land, including the current year.

  • How do I renew my Temporary Occupation License (TOL)?

    Make an enquiry with the customer service officers, who will direct you to the TOL officer in the Urban section. The TOL officer will then confirm your record, including whether the TOL has expired for more than one year. The TOL fee to be paid will depend on how many years the TOL has been expired. The applicant will then go to the cashier and pay the required fee, and return the copy of the receipt to the TOL officer who will then issue the new TOL.

  • How do I convert my Temporary Occupation License to a Fixed Term Estate?

    Make your enquiry with the customer service counter, and officers will give you an application form for “conversion”. The application and map attached will then be forwarded to the TOL officer to assess, and to report to the Land Board. It is then up to the Land Board to decide whether to approve the application. The enquirer must also pay any outstanding arrears, and provide a proper postal address for correspondence.

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