Resources · Rules of the North

Who can buy land where

The rules on who may buy, state by state, for the places Clayyard covers. Updated 20 October 2026.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Land laws in the hill states change, and some of the changes below were still being decided when we wrote this. Always have a lawyer confirm the rules for the property you want before you pay any token money.

At a glance

Where	Homes, flats and shops	Plots	Farm land and orchards
Jammu & Kashmir	Any Indian citizen	Any Indian citizen, if non-agricultural	Agriculturists of J&K only, unless the government permits
Ladakh	Generally residents of Ladakh only
Himachal Pradesh	Flats in RERA or HIMUDA projects: generally anyone. Houses and buildings: permission needed	Permission needed (Section 118)	Permission needed (Section 118)
Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh	Any Indian citizen	Any Indian citizen	Any Indian citizen; check land ceiling and change of land use

NRIs and OCI card holders can buy homes, flats, shops and plots anywhere in India, but not agricultural land, plantations or farmhouses, except by inheritance. ¹³

Jammu & Kashmir

Since October 2020, any Indian citizen can buy non-agricultural land and property in J&K. Before that, only permanent residents could. ^1,2
Agricultural land can still be sold only to an agriculturist of J&K, unless the government gives permission. ^1,2
Using farm land for a house or shop needs the District Collector's permission to convert it. ³
State land (khalisa), grazing land (kahcharai) and village common land (shamilat) can't be sold to anyone. ⁴

Ladakh

The 2020 changes that opened J&K to buyers from anywhere in India did not apply to Ladakh. ⁵
In April 2023 the central government told Parliament that nobody from outside Ladakh had bought land there in the previous three years. Local groups are asking for constitutional protection of land. When we last checked, Ladakh had not notified its own rules for buyers from outside. ⁶
If you are not a resident of Ladakh, speak to a lawyer in Leh or Kargil before you go any further.

Himachal Pradesh

Under Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, anyone who is not an agriculturist of Himachal needs the state government's permission to buy land, including land for a house. ^7,10,12
Flats built in towns, and flats in RERA-registered or HIMUDA projects, can generally be bought without that permission. ^7,10
A bill to simplify Section 118, including for flats and buildings, was presented in December 2025 and sent to a select committee. Check whether it has become law before you rely on it. ^8,9
Permission is applied for through the Deputy Commissioner and can take months. Agree in writing with the seller what happens to your token money if it is refused.

Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh

There is no rule about which state the buyer comes from.
Building on farm land needs change of land use (CLU) permission. In Haryana this applies in notified controlled areas around Gurugram, Faridabad and other towns. Limits on how much farm land a family can hold may also apply. ¹¹

Sources

Not sure whether you can buy a property listed on Clayyard? Ask us before you visit.