What is due diligence when buying property abroad?
Due diligence is the set of checks a buyer makes before committing to a property: the registry title and any liens, the survey and boundaries, zoning and coastal rules, permits, access, utilities and unpaid taxes.
Last updated · Buying & ownership glossary
About Due diligence
Abroad, due diligence is usually run by a local lawyer the buyer hires, and a purchase agreement often gives the buyer a fixed period to complete it before the deposit becomes non-refundable.
For coastal surf property it typically adds whether the land is titled or concession, where the public beach zone begins, and whether the intended use is allowed.
- Also called
- legal due diligence
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed local attorney before you buy.
Related terms
- Public property registry
- The public property registry is the government record of who owns each parcel of land and of the mortgages, liens and easements attached to it. A buyer's title search starts there.
- Titled property
- Titled (fee-simple) property is land held in full private ownership and recorded in the country's public property registry in the owner's name. It can be sold, mortgaged, leased or inherited without a government grant behind it.
- Coastal concession
- A coastal concession is a government-granted right to occupy, use and build on public coastal land for a fixed term, under conditions set by the grant. It is not ownership: the land stays public, and the concession can be lost if its conditions are broken.
- Maritime Terrestrial Zone (ZMT)
- Costa Rica's Maritime Terrestrial Zone (ZMT) is the 200-metre strip of coast measured inland from the mean high-tide line. The first 50 metres are public and cannot be owned or built on; most of the remaining 150 metres can only be held under a municipal concession, not owned outright.