Punta Cana due diligence checklist for buyers
Run the paperwork in order: title first, then liens, then permits, then the CONFOTUR resolution if the project claims one, then the HOA budget, then who manages rentals, then the payment schedule, and only then the deposit. Every one of those items is a document you can ask for and a lawyer can verify at the registry. If a seller or developer will not produce them, that is the answer. An independent lawyer — not the developer's lawyer, not ours — signs off before you transfer anything. This is orientation for 2026, not legal advice.
The checklist, in order
1. Certificado de título
Confirm the seller is the registered owner and that the title matches the unit or parcel being sold. For land, check the deslinde (the surveyed, individualised title) exists.
2. Liens and charges at the registry
A certification from the Registro de Títulos shows mortgages, embargoes, litigation notes and usufructs. Old, quiet debts attach to the property, not to the seller's conscience.
3. Permits, for anything not yet finished
Construction licence, environmental clearance and municipal approvals. A rendering, a sales office and a brochure are marketing; permits are the project.
4. CONFOTUR resolution number
If tax exemption is part of the pitch, ask for the resolution granting it to that project under Law 158-01. There is no such thing as a CONFOTUR zone, and 'in process' is not granted.
5. HOA budget and rules
Current fee per square metre, what it covers, the reserve fund, arrears, and whether nightly rental is permitted. HOA is the cost most buyers underestimate and the one that decides net yield.
6. Who manages rentals, and on what terms
Read the rental or hotel-operator contract before you buy, not after. Look at the split, the exclusivity, the owner-use weeks, and how gross becomes net.
7. The payment schedule
For off-plan: how much at reservation, how much per milestone, how much at delivery, what happens if delivery slips, and whether payments sit in escrow or in the developer's operating account.
8. Independent lawyer, before the deposit
You hire them, you pay them, they answer to you. Their job is to verify all of the above in writing and to review the promise of sale before you sign it.
What a clean file looks like
A clean purchase file has a registered title in the seller's name, a lien certification dated within days of signing, permits for anything under construction, a HOA budget with a reserve, a payment schedule tied to verifiable milestones, and a promise of sale that names the penalty if the developer is late. Nothing exotic — just documents that exist or do not.
We run this list with you
On a goal-based tour we walk the buildings and pull the same checklist for each one. We represent the buyer, so the awkward questions are ours to ask.
Buyer checklist FAQs
- Do I need a Dominican lawyer if the developer provides one?
- Yes. The developer's lawyer represents the developer. An independent lawyer verifies title and liens at the registry, reviews the contract, and is accountable to you alone. It is the cheapest risk reduction in the whole transaction.
- How long does due diligence take?
- For a standard resale with clean title, commonly one to three weeks. Land with a missing deslinde, inherited title or an unresolved lien can take months. Treat pressure to skip it as a red flag rather than a scheduling problem.
- Can I verify CONFOTUR myself?
- You can ask for the resolution and have your lawyer confirm it covers the project and the unit type you are buying. CONFOTUR is granted per project by resolution, so a zone-level claim is meaningless.
- What should never be skipped?
- The registry lien certification and an independent contract review. Everything else can be negotiated around; those two protect the money.
Go deeper
2026 orientation, not guarantees and not legal advice. No guaranteed ROI, no invented occupancy.