Civil Code · Book IV: Obligations and Contracts · Title VIII: Lease

Article 1676

Chapter 2: Lease of Rural and Urban Lands · Sec. 1: General Provisions

Unamended since 1950

Current text, as of October 24, 2026

The purchaser of a piece of land which is under a lease that is not recorded in the Registry of Property may terminate the lease, save when there is a stipulation to the contrary in the contract of sale, or when the purchaser knows of the existence of the lease.

If the buyer makes use of this right, the lessee may demand that he be allowed to gather the fruits of the harvest which corresponds to the current agricultural year and that the vendor indemnify him for damages suffered.

If the sale is fictitious, for the purpose of extinguishing the lease, the supposed vendee cannot make use of the right granted in the first paragraph of this article. The sale is presumed to be fictitious if at the time the supposed vendee demands the termination of the lease, the sale is not recorded in the Registry of Property. (1571a)

Consolidated by Alleba from the text of Republic Act No. 386 (Lawphil and the Supreme Court E-Library). Book I provisions on marriage, family relations and parental authority were repealed by the Family Code (Executive Order No. 209, 1987) and are shown for reference only. For information and research only, and not legal advice. For certified copies, refer to the Official Gazette or the issuing agency.