Due Diligence Checklist: Before You Buy Costa Rica Property
Never buy property in Costa Rica without thorough due diligence. This checklist covers every step to protect your investment.
Essential Checks
- Title Search (Registro Nacional) — verify the seller actually owns the property and the title is clean
- Lien Search — check for mortgages, tax liens, or legal encumbrances
- Survey (Plano Catastrado) — verify boundaries match what's registered. The survey is king in boundary disputes.
- Zoning Check — confirm the property is zoned for your intended use
- Municipal Permits — verify all construction has proper permits
- Property Tax Status — confirm taxes are current (delinquent taxes follow the property)
- Concession vs. Titled — confirm property status, especially near the coast
- Water Letter (Carta de Agua) — confirm legal water access from AyA or local association
- Environmental Restrictions — check for protected zones, setbacks, building restrictions
- Road Access — verify legal road access to the property (not just de facto access)
- Corporation Status — if buying through a corporation, verify it's in good standing
- Squatter Check — physically inspect the property for unauthorized occupation
Red Flags
- 🚩 Seller can't produce a registered survey (plano catastrado)
- 🚩 Property in the Maritime Zone sold as "titled"
- 🚩 Multiple liens or legal proceedings against the property
- 🚩 Seller pressuring you to close quickly without due diligence
- 🚩 Construction without permits
- 🚩 No legal road access (only informal paths)
- 🚩 Property tax years behind
"A friend bought a 'beachfront lot' without proper due diligence. Turned out it was concession land with an expired lease. He lost his entire investment. Always do your homework."