Selling a run-down or vacant house in Puerto Rico
Short answer
Yes, without fixing it: we buy as-is, so you don't have to repair or clean before you sell. If the town says the house could be declared a public nuisance, the process includes a notice to the owner and a hearing before a hearing officer. Read the notice calmly, write down the date and talk to a lawyer.
Step by step
Each step says when it happens.
Tell us what shape the house is in
First
You don't need to fix anything or get the house ready: we buy as-is. Photos help, if you have them. If you got a notice from the town, keep it handy. If you're not on the island, tell us who can let us in.
We see the house and send the offer
Written offer within 48 hours after we see the house
Power and water don't need to be on for the visit or for the closing. The offer is for the house as it is.
If there's a notice from the town, deal with it
Before the hearing date
The process includes a notice to the owner, a hearing before a hearing officer, fines, a lien for the cleanup costs and, in the end, expropriation. Go to the hearing, or talk to a lawyer before that date.
The papers and the debts are checked
Before closing
Who owns the house and what it owes get confirmed. The house's debts, such as property tax owed to CRIM (the property-tax agency) or a mortgage, are normally paid at closing from the sale money.
Closing before a notary
We can close in 7 days once the paperwork is ready; our goal is to close in under 30 days
Closing takes place before a notary, and payment is made at closing, by cashier's check (cheque de gerente) or wire transfer. You can leave behind what you don't want; we clear it out. If you live on the mainland, someone you trust can sign for you with a power of attorney.
Who pays what at closing
What gets paid in this situation, and where the money comes from.
| Cost | Who pays | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs and cleaning before the sale | Not you | We buy as-is: no repairs or cleaning before you sell. |
| Whatever you leave in the house | We clear it out | You can leave behind what you don't want; we clear it out. |
| CRIM property tax debt, if any | You, from the sale money | Normally paid at closing, with a check made out to CRIM. More in our guide on CRIM debt. |
| Mortgage, if any | You, from the sale money | The bank issues a payoff letter, and the mortgage is paid at closing from the sale money. |
| Town fines or a town lien, if any | Depends on your case | If the town cleaned up the property, there can be a lien for the cleanup costs. Show the notice to the notary before closing. |
| Deed of sale, stamps and Property Registry fees | Spelled out in your written offer | In Puerto Rico, the sale is settled on a sheet called the hoja de liquidación, which lists each cost and who pays it. |
| Commission | None | When we buy directly, we don't charge you a commission. |
An example with numbers
Made-up numbers, so you can see how the math works.
An empty house with hurricane damage, no mortgage and years of unpaid CRIM. The owner sells it as-is, without repairs or cleaning. The numbers are made up.
| Price for the house as it is | $68,000 |
|---|---|
| CRIM debt, paid at closingWith a check made out to CRIM, from the sale money. | $4,100 |
| Repairs and cleaning the owner pays for before the saleWe buy as-is. | None |
| Deed, stamps and Registry feesWho pays each cost is in the offer. | Spelled out in the written offer |
| What the owner receives, before closing costs | $63,900 |
Selling the house as it is
A run-down, damaged or empty house can be sold without fixing it. We buy as-is: no repairs or cleaning before you sell. The offer takes the condition of the house into account, so you don't have to put money into it first.
As-is means you don't have to repair or clean anything; it doesn't mean keeping quiet about what you know. If you know of a problem that doesn't show, like a leak or termites, tell us from the start, so the offer is made with everything on the table.
Two practical details: you can leave behind what you don't want, and we clear it out; power and water don't need to be on.
If the house has hurricane damage
Hurricane damage doesn't stop a sale: we buy as-is. Before you sign, keep two things in mind:
- If you have an open insurance claim for that damage, tell us, and tell the notary before you sign.
- If the house was inherited, the estate papers come first. The steps are in our guide Selling an inherited house in Puerto Rico.
If the house is empty
An empty house needs someone to look after it. If it was inherited and no one lives in it, taking care of it (keeping it up, watching over it, managing it) and paying the taxes on the estate isn't, by itself, accepting the inheritance, unless the person takes on the title of heir.
If it's a condo, check the maintenance fees: overdue condo maintenance fees can follow the unit. Ask the administration for the balance in writing.
If the town says your house is a public nuisance
A notice from the town isn't the end of the process. Read it calmly, write down the dates and talk to a lawyer.
- How it works. The town can declare an abandoned or run-down property a public nuisance. The process includes a notice to the owner, a hearing before a hearing officer, fines, a lien for the cleanup costs and, in the end, expropriation.
- The changes in the law. Act 97-2026 (June 1, 2026, Senate Bill 777) amended the Municipal Code's articles on nuisance properties.
- If you live in the house. A house that is the main home of the person who holds it isn't considered a public nuisance.
- The fines. If the town cleans up the property, it can fine the owner $1,000 to $5,000 per quarter; repeat cases bring separate fines.
If you can't go to the hearing, or you don't understand the notice, talk to a lawyer before that date.
What the law says about who can buy in that process
The law also limits buyers like us, and we want to say so plainly. Article 4.012A gives priority to citizens interested in the property (1 year to raise the funds, plus a possible 6 months) and says that the summary expropriation it sets up won't be used to benefit third-party buyers, investors included. That means the municipal expropriation route can't be used to benefit a buyer like us.
A direct sale from the owner to a buyer, when the house has already been declared a public nuisance or is in that process, is a different matter. What the law means for that direct sale is a question for a lawyer: ask before you sign with any buyer, including us.
Before you sell: papers and debts
- If the house owes CRIM, our guide Selling a house that owes CRIM property tax explains how it's paid at closing.
- If you live on the mainland, you can sell without flying back. The steps are in our guide Selling a Puerto Rico house from the mainland.
- The timing. We can close in 7 days once the paperwork is ready. Our goal is to close in under 30 days.
Common questions
Can I sell a house in bad shape without fixing it?
Yes. We buy as-is: no repairs or cleaning before you sell. The offer takes the condition of the house into account, so you don't have to put money into it first.
Do you buy abandoned houses as-is?
Yes: we buy as-is, and you don't have to repair or clean before you sell. If the house was inherited, the estate papers come first.
Can I sell a house with hurricane damage without repairing it?
Yes, we buy as-is, hurricane damage included. If you have an open insurance claim for that damage, tell us, and tell the notary before you sign.
The town says my house is a public nuisance. What do I do?
Read the notice calmly and write down the dates. The process includes a notice to the owner, a hearing before a hearing officer, fines, a lien for the cleanup costs and, in the end, expropriation. Go to that hearing, or talk to a lawyer before the date. If the house is your main home, tell the town: a house that is the main home of the person who holds it isn't considered a public nuisance.
Can I be fined for an abandoned house?
Yes. If the town cleans up the property, it can fine the owner $1,000 to $5,000 per quarter; repeat cases bring separate fines.
I live in the house, even though it needs work. Can it be declared a public nuisance?
A house that is the main home of the person who holds it isn't considered a public nuisance. If you got a notice and you live there, tell the town and talk to a lawyer.
My house has already been declared a public nuisance. Can I still sell it?
That's a question for a lawyer: what the law means for a direct sale by the owner when the house has already been declared a public nuisance, or is in that process. Ask before you sign with any buyer, including us.
Do I have to turn the power and water back on to sell?
No. Power and water don't need to be on for the visit or for the closing.
Do I have to take the furniture out?
No. You can leave behind what you don't want; we clear it out. Before closing, take whatever you want to keep.
It's an empty condo that owes maintenance fees. What happens?
Overdue condo maintenance fees can follow the unit; the condo's bylaws can't exempt someone who acquires the unit voluntarily from paying them. That's why it's worth asking the administration for the balance in writing before you sell.
The house was inherited, and no one lives in it. What do we do?
The estate papers come first: our guide Selling an inherited house in Puerto Rico explains the steps. In the meantime, someone has to look after the house, and taking care of it (keeping it up, watching over it, managing it) isn't, by itself, accepting the inheritance.
The house has been empty for years, and I live on the mainland. Can I sell it from here?
Yes. You can sell without flying back: you sign a power of attorney in your state, and someone you trust signs for you in Puerto Rico once it's protocolized there (entered into a Puerto Rico notary's official records). Tell us who can let us in to see the house, and if a notice from the town arrives, have someone send you a copy. Every step is in our guide Selling a Puerto Rico house from the mainland.
Next step
If you'd like to know what we'd offer for the house as it is, send us the address. We send a written offer within 48 hours after we see the house, and you don't have to repair or clean anything first.
Sources
Where this guide's facts come from.
- Municipal Code: nuisance properties checked on
- Amendments to the Municipal Code on nuisance properties checked on
- Municipal Code: a main home checked on
- Municipal Code: fines checked on
- Municipal Code: priority for citizens and limits on third-party buyers checked on
- Overdue condo maintenance fees checked on
- Civil Code: acts that are not accepting the inheritance checked on
- Settlement sheet (hoja de liquidación) checked on
- Selling without traveling, with a power of attorney checked on
General information; not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a lawyer or a CPA.