The importance of agriculture is decreasing all over the world. The aim of the paper is to compare the ownership structure and land use in some selected former Central and Eastern European countries. The property structure and land use is in dichotomy, the production is performed simultaneously on small-size farms which produce primarily for self-consumption. The importance of farm land leases is increasing. The present paper tries to identify the main differences and similarities in land ownership and property structure, the changes in the last fifteen years, what happened and whether the expectations had been met. Furthermore the paper compares the main regulations of land ownership and tenancy in different countries, explains land market protection, and the need of a real valuation system of land.