Security
Land security in Senegal: checking a land title and avoiding scams
Land title, lease, deliberation: how to tell a safe document from a risky one, verify ownership at the Land Registry, and buy without being trapped.
By Jamm Immobilier · 24 June 2026
In Senegal, the biggest risk when buying is not the price: it is the ownership document. A sale without a clear title can lead to a dispute, a double sale, or the outright loss of your money. The good news: with a few reflexes, a land purchase can be secured.
The land title (TF): the safest document
The land title is the most protective ownership document in Senegalese law. It is definitive, unchallengeable and enforceable against everyone. A property under a TF has a unique number, recorded in the land register at the Land Registry. This is what you should aim for first.
The other documents, and their level of risk
Not all documents are equal:
- Lease (in particular emphyteutic): a long-term right of use granted by the State, subject to conditions. Less secure than a TF, but it can sometimes be regularised into a title.
- Deliberation: an allocation by a municipality. Common, but it is not an ownership title: it must be converted to be fully secured.
- Private agreement: a simple written agreement between the parties, with no value as a title. To be avoided as sole proof of ownership.
The rule: the further you move from the land title, the greater the risk. Ideally, any document is regularised into a TF before the transaction.
How to check a property before buying
- Ask for the land title and note its number.
- Verify it at the Land Registry: registered owner, surface area, and above all the absence of any mortgage, seizure or dispute.
- Check the seller’s identity and that it matches exactly the name shown on the title.
- Go through a notary: a property sale requires it, and it is the notary who legally secures the transfer.
- Never pay any money before these checks.
Warning signs
Be wary if: the seller refuses to show the title, offers a price that is “too good”, presses for a quick cash payment, presents only a deliberation or a private agreement, or if the identity does not match the document. These are the most common scam patterns.
The Jamm approach
Every listing published on jammimmo.com is verified by the agency before going live. And before you commit, our free self-assessment gives you a first level of security in just a few questions — then an expert can verify the title for you.
This article is informational and does not replace the advice of a notary. Always have a land title verified at the Land Registry before a purchase.