What the decree did
Decreto-Ley 288 of 2011 amended Cuba's housing law to permit the buying and selling of homes between Cuban citizens and permanent residents. Before it, a straightforward legal sale of a dwelling was not generally available; afterwards, an owner could sell and a buyer could purchase, with the transfer formalised before a notary.
That reframed a home from something you mainly swapped or inherited into something you could sell for money. It is fair to call it the legal foundation of the modern Cuban housing market.
The limits it kept
The decree did not turn Cuba into an open real-estate market. It applies to citizens and permanent residents, not to foreign nationals on tourist or temporary status. It also preserved limits on how many homes a person may own, typically one primary residence plus one secondary or vacation home, which prevents large-scale accumulation.
So the reform was liberalising but bounded. It gave individuals a genuine right to transact while keeping the state's broader housing framework intact. This summary is general information, not legal advice; the operative text and any later amendments should be confirmed in the Gaceta Oficial.
Why it mattered
For ordinary Cubans, 288 meant they could finally realise the value of their home, relocate more freely, or consolidate family arrangements without engineering an elaborate swap. For the country, it introduced negotiated pricing and a visible market where little had existed.
For foreigners, the key takeaway is what the decree is not: it is not a gateway for outside buyers. The routes available to non-Cubans still run through residency, marriage or inheritance, or through the separate foreign-investment framework, rather than through Decreto-Ley 288 itself.
Reading the law responsibly
A decree is not a single frozen text. Since 2011 the housing framework has been touched by later regulations and administrative practice, so the sensible approach is to treat 288 as the foundation rather than the complete current rulebook. The authoritative wording, and any amendments, are published in the Gaceta Oficial.
For a lay reader, the practical lesson is modest but important: the right to sell a home exists, it belongs to citizens and permanent residents, and it operates within ownership caps and a notarised process. Beyond that, details matter and change.
Anyone acting on the law, rather than merely reading about it, should verify the present rules with Cuban authorities and a qualified attorney. This explainer describes the landmark reform in general terms and is not a substitute for that professional check.