Boundary Disputes With Neighbours: Steps to Resolve

What should I do if my neighbour moved the boundary?

Do not argue over the fence line, and do not pull out marks yourself. Start by collecting what proves where your land begins and ends. In most cases that means your certificate of title, the deed plan or survey plan attached to it, your sale agreement, and any earlier surveyor's report. Take dated photographs of the disputed marks, fences, trees and structures.

Then follow the order that usually saves money:

1. Talk to the neighbour with a witness, such as the area LC1 chairperson, and write down what each side says.
2. Ask for a boundary opening by a licensed surveyor, so that the lines on paper are found on the ground.
3. Ask the Ministry of Lands for a boundary opening report if the two sides still disagree.
4. Try mediation through a mediator both sides accept.
5. Go to court only if the steps above do not settle it.

The legal base for your claim is your registered title. For how titles work, read our guide to Uganda land law. If the argument is about who owns the land and not just where the line runs, you are in a wider land dispute in Uganda and should see where to take it.

What is a boundary opening and who does it?

A boundary opening is a site exercise in which a surveyor finds, or re-establishes, the corner marks (boundary stones or pegs) shown on the survey plan of a plot. The surveyor measures from known points, then plants or confirms the marks so that the owner and the neighbours can see the lines. It is a technical step, not a court judgment. It does not move any boundary: it shows where the registered boundary already is. Our separate page on boundary opening explains what happens on the day.

Reports in the press show that the exercise can alarm residents where several titles cover the same ground. In August 2023 the Minister for Lands halted boundary opening on a block in Makulubita, Luweero District, after residents feared eviction, saying the ministry had found multiple titles issued by different bodies on the same land. The Resident District Commissioner described the usual route for a survey on that block: the owner first gets a letter from the district staff surveyor, takes it to the RDC office, and then receives a letter for the village chairperson that names the block, the plot and the survey instructions (Monitor, 31 August 2023).

The lesson is practical. Tell the neighbours before the surveyor arrives, ask that the surveyor invites them, and keep the surveyor's written report.

Does the Ministry of Lands help with boundary disputes, and what does it cost?

Yes. The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD) lists a boundary opening report for dispute resolution as a service: the report is delivered in 10 working days at no cost to the applicant. You apply to the Ministry Zonal Office (MZO) or the Survey and Mapping Department. The standards document covers financial years 2025/26 to 2028/29 and is dated May 2025.

Other related services in the same standards, which a dispute file often needs, are listed below. Fees are as published by MLHUD and may change.

These are the Ministry's target times, not a guarantee. Offices can be slower in practice, so ask for a receipt and a date on every application. You will still pay a private surveyor if you hire one for the opening itself; agree the fee in writing first.

How do local councils and mediation help?

Most boundary quarrels are settled before any official file is opened, and that is the cheapest result. The area LC1 chairperson knows the history of the ground, can call both families together and can witness a written agreement. Treat that agreement as evidence, not as a replacement for the surveyor. Some sources disagree on how far local council courts may decide land cases, so do not rely on a local council decision as the final word on titled land.

The Land Act (Cap. 236, as at 31 December 2023) gives mediation a formal place. Section 85 says that nothing in the Act stops traditional authorities from settling or mediating disputes over customary tenure, and a tribunal may adjourn a case so the parties can try mediation. Section 86 provides for mediators in each district, who must be agreed by both parties, are independent, and cannot force a result. A written mediated settlement that sets out each corner and is signed by both sides, and by the surveyor if possible, is far easier to enforce later than a spoken promise.

If you are the one who has encroached, a settlement can be as simple as moving a fence. If you are the owner, accept a fair compromise only after the surveyor has shown you the registered line.

Can the Registrar of Titles correct a wrong boundary on the title?

Sometimes the problem is on paper. The Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 230) lets a registered proprietor apply to amend a certificate of title where the boundaries, area or position described differ from the land actually and honestly occupied under that title (section 156). The registrar may also require a survey and plans at the owner's cost (section 149).

The Land Act adds a stronger power. Under section 88, where a certificate of title or instrument contains a wrong description of the land or its boundaries, was issued in error, or was wrongfully obtained, the Registrar of Titles must give at least 21 days notice in the prescribed form to anyone likely to be affected, and must hold a hearing under the rules of natural justice. This helps in cases of overlapping titles, but it also means a neighbour with a competing title will be heard. A hurried change at the registry that nobody has been told about is a warning sign, which our guide to double titling explains further.

Note that section numbers follow the editions we read, the Registration of Titles Act as printed in the 2000 revised edition and the Land Act as at 31 December 2023. Ask your advocate to confirm current numbering before you quote a section in a letter.

When should I go to court over a boundary?

Go to court when the earlier steps have failed, when the neighbour is building on your land, or when you need an order to stop work. The Land Act names district land tribunals as courts of first instance for land matters below a set value and gives them power to issue injunctions (section 77), but you should ask your advocate which forum actually hears your case today, because the system has changed over time and we cannot confirm that a tribunal sits in every district.

A court that has to decide where a line runs will want a surveyor's evidence, so a boundary opening report and the Ministry's dispute report are the documents that carry most weight. Keep them safe with your title. If the neighbour has started to build, ask your advocate about an urgent order to stop work while the case is heard; our page on court orders and injunctions on land explains how those orders work and how they show on a title.

Court cases over land can take years, which is why the cheaper steps matter. A neighbour who has lived on a plot for a long time may also raise a claim of long occupation; see what long occupation does and does not give.

How do I avoid buying a boundary dispute?

Do the boundary check before you pay, not after. Ask the seller to arrange a boundary opening with the neighbours present, and compare the corner marks with the survey plan on the title. A seller who refuses is telling you something. Walk the whole boundary yourself, and ask the neighbours who they believe owns each side.

Also look for a kibanja on the land, because occupants with rights can turn a clean boundary into a long dispute. Our own listing data shows how common the issue is: in Land & Property listings, Nov 2026, 18 of our 21 plots are mailo and 1 is freehold, and 2 do not state a tenure, so most plots you will meet are titled land where a precise survey plan exists and can be checked.

If you are buying standing trees only, the boundary question is about where the planted block ends and who owns the strip beside it. Our checklist on how to inspect a forest before buying covers boundary trees and shelterbelt disputes, and reminds you that a forest purchase on our platform is trees only, with the land not included.

To compare plots with survey plans on file, browse plot listings, or ask our team on WhatsApp or by email to help you plan a boundary check before you pay a deposit.

Listings available now

Live from Land & Property on 4 November 2026. Prices are the sellers' asking prices.

• 25 Decimals in Bunga at Ugx820m Buziga, Kampala · Plot UGX 820,000,000
• 1 acre for sale in Kololo at $2,500,000 Kololo, Kampala · Plot UGX 9,250,000,000
• Plot For sale in Masoli kitetika at 80m Kasangati, Wakiso · Plot UGX 80,000,000
• 33 Decimals in Bukoto Town at Ugx1.4bn Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 1,400,000,000
• 53 decimals commercial Plot in Bukoto Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 3,500,000,000
• 71 decimals in Kira Bulindo at Ugx500m Kira, Wakiso · Plot UGX 500,000,000

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Boundary Opening in Uganda: What Happens on the Day
• Land Disputes in Uganda: Where to Go and What to Expect
• Uganda Land Law and Land Titles Explained
• Court Orders and Injunctions on Land
• Buying Land With a Kibanja on It: Steps and Risks