Ownership & law
KUHPerdata (Civil Code)
KUHPerdata (Гражданский кодекс) · Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Perdata
In one sentence. Indonesia's Dutch-derived Civil Code. It governs contracts, leases, the evidentiary weight of documents and liability for non-performance.
KUHPerdata (Burgerlijk Wetboek) is the civil code inherited from Dutch law. A villa buyer will meet a handful of articles that we cite regularly:
- Art. 1320 sets the conditions for a valid contract (consent, capacity, object, lawful cause).
- Art. 1338 makes a contract law between the parties (pacta sunt servanda).
- Art. 1576 says the sale of the property does not end a lease, and the new owner is bound.
- Arts. 1868, 1875, 1880 set the evidentiary force of a notarial deed versus a private document. A private signature can be denied and its date does not bind third parties.
- Arts. 1238–1243 cover default and damages (wanprestasi).
In practice, the more your contract relies on notarial form and precise wording, the less you will have to prove in court in a foreign language.
Read more in the blog
Related terms
Forms of authentication (akta notaris, legalisasi, waarmerking)Wanprestasi (breach of contract)Leasehold
Updated 2026-09-20. Not a public offer. Regulations change, so we cite enacted acts only and update the entry when they do.
We'll match a villa to your brief
Tell us your budget and goal and we'll send a shortlist with prices, floor plans and a yield calculation. No pushy calls.