Restrictive Covenant

A registered restriction on what you can build or do on a property — often imposed by the original developer.

A restrictive covenant is a registered rule on the title limiting how the land can be used — common in master-planned estates, where developers impose building covenants like "no second-storey extension," "minimum two-car garage," "no boats parked on driveway" or "homes must be of brick construction." Covenants generally run with the land in perpetuity and bind every future owner. Removing or modifying a covenant requires court order or unanimous beneficiary consent.