The National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba approved the , which regulates the ways in which the State should ensure the right of individuals to adequate housing and a safe and healthy habitat.
The legislation introduces provisions regarding property, buying and selling, inheritance, construction, and access to housing for vulnerable groups.
The regulation, approved on July 30, 2026, was published this Wednesday in the , on pages 2 to 46.
According to its final provision six, it will come into effect seven days after its publication, on October 21, 2026.
The Law 187 covers the production, quality, financing, distribution, access, use, conservation, and transmission of housing, as well as public protection actions related to the housing sector.
One of the most relevant aspects appears in Article 4, which recognizes the right of individuals to own up to two homes, without prejudice to any property they may have on a vacation or leisure home, as long as that condition is declared in the constitutive title.
The legislation states that when a possible violation of that limit is detected, the Municipal Housing Directorate must open a file to determine what happened. If the infringement is proven, the municipal director will issue a resolution for the loss of the most recently acquired home.
The text also regulates the transactions for the buying and selling of real estate. Its Article 89 states that transfers of ownership between individuals, between individuals and legal entities, or between legal entities, whether Cuban or foreign, must be formalized through a public deed before a notary, with exceptions provided for certain transactions in favor of the State or arising from administrative assignments.
The sale and purchase are carried out at the price agreed upon by the parties, and the contracts may include agreements, clauses, and conditions, as long as they do not contravene the law, public order, or the nature of the contract.
The regulation allows for the participation of foreign individuals and entities in certain real estate transactions.
However, this does not constitute a blanket authorization for any foreigner to freely purchase any property in Cuba, as transactions remain subject to the requirements and exceptions established by legislation.
In relation to inheritances, the law includes provisions for the transfer of properties upon the death of the owner, the rights of heirs and legatees, and specific situations regarding the occupation of the properties.
Among the stipulated provisions, it establishes that an unoccupied property can be transferred to the State if the heir or legatee renounces acquiring it, subject to the payment conditions outlined in the regulation. It also governs the transfer to the State when there are no heirs or legatees, once the established legal period has elapsed.
The legislation also incorporates housing protection mechanisms for vulnerable individuals, prioritized populations, and certain workers in sectors deemed strategic.
The text defines social or protected housing as that managed by the State to assist specific groups. The prioritized individuals include young people, families living in overcrowded conditions, and those responsible for three or more children or adolescents, in addition to other groups covered by the law.
For young people aged 18 to 30, Article 63 establishes that the State must work to ensure their access to adequate housing through rehabilitation, conservation, construction programs, and other modalities provided for in the legislation.
The regulation also includes subsidies funded by the State Budget, aimed at benefiting individuals based on their economic capacity.
These provisions establish protection mechanisms, but do not imply that every person included in a prioritized category will automatically receive housing.
Another aspect is the recognition of different modalities to promote housing construction, including the self-efforts of the population, housing cooperatives, micro-brigades, and the participation of other authorized economic actors.
Cooperatives are conceived as voluntary associations of individuals who manage urban and architectural intervention projects in accordance with legal requirements, their statutes, and the corresponding regulations.
Regarding the microbrigades, Article 41 states that the houses built by the microbrigadistas are to be transferred to them as property with a 30% discount off the price.
The Housing Law also includes provisions related to the conservation and rehabilitation of buildings, the improvement of living conditions, and the care of properties located in vulnerable areas or exposed to risks.
In this regard, it links housing policy with territorial, urban, and socioeconomic planning, while also incorporating criteria for climate resilience and energy efficiency.
The responsibility for directing and controlling state policy in this area lies with the Ministry of Construction, which must coordinate its implementation with the other relevant agencies.
The legislation also addresses situations related to legitimate occupants, usufructuaries, and individuals whose rights to certain housing are pending formalization.
Among its transitional provisions, it establishes deadlines for certain categories of occupants and usufructuaries to request the transfer of ownership. In several of these cases, the timeframe is five years from the enactment of the law, with specific legal consequences if the application is not submitted within the established period.
The new regulations also amend articles of Law 113, "On the Tax System," related to real estate transactions, and provide for the repeal of several previous regulations.
Among them is the Law 65, General Housing Law, of December 23, 1988, which will be replaced by the new legal framework when Law 187 comes into force.
The transitional provisions clarify that legal relationships established and rights acquired under previous legislation retain their validity, while certain procedures that have already been initiated continue to be processed in accordance with the rules under which they began.
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