Cuban or foreign buyers
Sales between individuals and companies, "Cuban or foreign", are formalized by public deed before a notary in the province where the home is.
Buying and investing in Havana real estate
Buy a home in Havana, with every step on paper.
Since October 2026, Cuba's new Housing Law lets foreign individuals and companies buy homes directly. We find the property, check its title and occupants line by line, and take you to a clean closing before a notary. After you buy, we look after it for you.
Independent title and occupancy check
Bank payment only, no cash
Law 187 article by article
Due diligence · Miramar, 3-bed houseSample
- Title deed and Property RegisterClear
- Cadastral certificateRequested
- Who lives there todayVacant
- State subsidy or pre-emptionNone
- Title history since 1959Lawyer review
38 photos · 6 Nov 2026Ref. MIR-014
What changed
For the first time, the law names foreign buyers.
Law 187 of 2026, the Housing Law, was published in the Official Gazette on 14 October 2026 and took effect on 21 October. It replaces the 1988 housing law.
Bank payment, clean seller
The price is paid through banking instruments, never in cash. The seller must have paid off the home, paid the tax and registered it.
A tax base you can check
Transfer tax is calculated on the agreed price, as long as it is at least the official cadastral value of the property.
Services
One local team from first search to the day you get the keys.
We act for the buyer. The seller has their own interests; you need someone on the ground who has only yours.
Buyer representation
We run the whole purchase for you, with a power of attorney if you prefer not to travel for every step.
- Search and shortlist that match your brief
- Viewings filmed and photographed for you
- Full due diligence report before any offer
- Price negotiation against cadastral value
- Contract terms reviewed by our partner lawyer
- Notary closing and bank payment coordinated
Due diligence only
Already found a property? We check title, register, cadastre, debts, occupants and any State restrictions.
Market reports
Asking prices by neighbourhood and type, from listings we track every day across Havana.
Renovation
Budgets, licensed builders and the works licence, with photo updates from the site every week.
Property care after you buy
Monthly visits with dated photos, bills and taxes paid from your account, and a representative as the law requires.
Long-term letting
Tenant search, written lease and monthly checks. Rent goes straight to your account.
Selling a home you own in Cuba
Many sellers are Cubans living abroad. We represent them too, which is how good homes reach our catalogue before they are listed everywhere.
How a purchase works
Six steps from brief to keys.
A typical purchase takes 8 to 14 weeks once the right property is found, depending mostly on paperwork the seller has to complete.
1
Brief
Area, size, budget, roof terrace, garage, use. We turn it into a saved search.
2
Shortlist
Filmed viewings of the best matches, with our notes on condition and price.
3
Due diligence
Title, register, cadastre, debts, occupants and State rights, in one written report.
4
Offer and contract
Price, conditions and dates agreed in writing and reviewed by the lawyer.
5
Notary closing
Public deed in the home's province, bank payment and tax settled.
6
Register and keys
Registration in the Central Register of Real Property, then handover and care.
The law, in plain English
What Law 187 means for a foreign buyer.
We work from the official Spanish text and keep our own English translation of all 190 articles. These are the ones that shape a purchase.
| Article | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 3 and 89.1 | "Natural persons" normally means Cuban citizens and permanent residents, but the sale rules expressly include foreign individuals and companies. | You can buy as a non-resident foreigner or through a company. |
| 89.3 and 43.2 | A foreign buyer has the same rights and obligations as any owner under this Law. | Maintenance, taxes and registration apply to you too. |
| 90 | Payment through banking instruments, no cash. The seller must have paid off the home, paid the tax and registered it. | Your money moves only through banks, and we check the seller's side before you pay. |
| 4.1 | Individuals may own up to two homes, plus a declared rest or summer home. | We check how many you would hold before you sign. |
| 53 to 57 | Homes allocated by the State with a subsidy can carry State pre-emption rights or repayment duties for 15 years. | These must appear on the title. We look for them. |
| 59 and 66.1 | A sale that harms protected occupants, such as close family with nowhere else to live, can be declared void. | We confirm who lives in the home and on what basis. |
| 72 | Owners may lease the whole home, rooms or spaces under a written contract. | Long-term letting is possible; licences and taxes apply. |
| 22 and 139 | Structural works need a licence. Owners must maintain the home, and appoint a representative when absent. | We handle the licence and act as your representative. |
| 144 | The tax base is the price, if it is at least the cadastral value. | Declaring a low price does not lower the tax. |
Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba, Ordinary Edition No. 86, 14 October 2026. General information only; each case is reviewed by our partner lawyer.
Before you buy
What every foreign buyer should know.
We would rather lose a client than sell a purchase that goes wrong. Read these first.
US citizens and residents
US sanctions generally prohibit US persons from buying property in Cuba. If that applies to you, get US legal advice first. We do not take on purchases that would break them.
Title history
Some properties changed hands after 1959 under confiscation laws. We trace the history so you know what you are buying and can decide with your own advisers.
Ownership is not residency
Buying a home does not give you residency in Cuba. Residency has its own rules and procedures.
Renting is a licensed activity
Owning a home and running a rental business are different things. Holiday rental needs its own licence; we explain what is open to you before you buy for income.
Money in and out
All payments go through banks. Moving funds into Cuba, and income out of it, follows banking and foreign-exchange rules that we review case by case.
What we do not do
We do not give legal advice; a lawyer from a Cuban collective law firm does. We never hold your purchase money.
Fees
Clear fees, agreed in writing.
You pay us by bank transfer, with a receipt. Notary fees and transfer tax are separate and paid to the State; we give you the exact figures for each property.
Due diligence
250+ USD, one-off
For a property you already found
- Title, register and cadastral check
- Occupants and protected persons
- Debts, subsidies and State rights
- Condition survey with photos
Buyer representation
3 % at closing
Search, checks, negotiation and closing
- Saved search and weekly shortlist
- Filmed viewings
- Full due diligence included
- Notary closing and registration
Property care
25–45 USD a month
After you buy, while you are away
- Monthly visit with dated photos
- Your legal representative in Cuba
- Taxes and bills paid from your account
- Repairs quoted before they start
Fees are an opening proposal for 2026–2027 and are confirmed in each contract.
Property catalogue · coming soon
See the right homes before they are listed twice.
We track the main Havana listing sites every day and filter them against your brief. The best options, checked by us, join a catalogue alongside homes we represent directly.
TypeBedroomsNeighbourhoodRoof terraceGaragePriceCondition
2-bed apartment in Vedado or PlayaDaily alerttype=apartment · beds=2 · area=Vedado|Playa
Miramar house, 2+ beds, roof terraceDaily alerttype=house · beds≥2 · area=Miramar · terrace=yes
Colonial house to restore, Old HavanaWeekly reporttype=house · condition=to restore · area=Habana Vieja
Sample searches. Each one produces its own report with asking prices by area.
Questions
What foreign buyers ask us first.
Can a foreigner really buy a home in Cuba?
Yes. Article 89.1 of Law 187 allows sales between natural and legal persons, "Cuban or foreign", formalized before a notary. Article 3 confirms that this rule reaches foreigners without permanent residence.
Do I have to be in Cuba to buy?
Not for every step. Viewings can be filmed, and you can give us or the lawyer a power of attorney. Many buyers travel once, for the final viewing or the closing.
Can I buy through a company?
The law allows sales to legal persons, Cuban or foreign. Non-State economic entities may acquire up to two homes. We review the right structure with the lawyer for your case.
How is the price paid?
Only through banking instruments or other non-cash means, as Article 90 requires. We coordinate the payment so it matches the signing before the notary.
What taxes are there?
Transfer tax is calculated on the price, as long as it is at least the official cadastral value. The seller must have paid their tax before the sale. We give you the exact figures for each property.
Can I rent the home out?
Owners may lease a whole home, rooms or spaces under a written contract (Article 72). Holiday rental is a separately licensed activity. Tell us your plan and we will explain what is open to you before you buy.
What if someone lives in the house?
That is the first thing we check. Some occupants, such as close family with nowhere else to live, are protected by Article 66, and a sale that harms them can be void. We only recommend homes that will be handed over empty or with a clear arrangement.
Does buying give me residency?
No. Law 187 does not link ownership to residency. Residency follows its own rules.
Talk to us
Tell us what you are looking for. We reply within a day.
Message us on WhatsApp. A ten-minute call is enough to set up your first saved search.
+53 5 4363935
We work in English and Spanish.