Buying the required Puerto Rico home under Act 60 Chapter 2

At a glance

Applies to

Individual Resident Investor, or Chapter 2

Purchase deadline

Within two years after obtaining the decree

Required use

Primary residence

Seller

Unrelated owner

Ongoing duty

Maintain ownership during the decree

Annual duty

Attest compliance in the annual report

Ownership rules

Depend on application date

Identify the correct ownership rule

Under the current consolidated Act 60 text, the Chapter 2 recipient must purchase qualifying Puerto Rico real property within two years after obtaining the decree and use it as a primary residence.

Applications filed before January 1, 2027 retain the prior property rules even if approval comes later. DDEC says an eligible Puerto Rico legal entity may still be available as an ownership vehicle in applicable cases.

For applications filed on or after January 1, 2027, DDEC says the applicant must prove full ownership or title, with the property registered or pending registration in the Puerto Rico Property Registry. Permitted title is limited to the individual, the individual jointly with a spouse, or a qualifying grantor trust.

Search beyond one listing site

Puerto Rico inventory is spread across national portals, ClasificadosOnline, Facebook groups, brokerage sites, and private broker networks.

Work with a licensed local real-estate professional who understands the target neighborhoods and can identify duplicate, stale, or poorly documented listings. Treat social-media and classified listings as leads that still require full title and property diligence.

Complete title and property diligence

• Property Registry ownership and liens through the notary or KARIBE records
• CRIM account, assessed property, owner information, and outstanding debt
• Survey, boundaries, access, and parking rights
• Permits and whether additions match the recorded property
• Flood, coastal, wind, and other insurability concerns
• Condominium declaration, bylaws, assessments, insurance, and litigation
• Physical inspection, utilities, and deferred maintenance
• Whether the proposed use can serve as the decree holder's primary residence

Close, record, and preserve proof

1. 1

   Execute the public deed

   Close the purchase through the required Puerto Rico public deed in the ownership structure approved for the decree cohort.

2. 2

   File with the Property Registry

   Keep the filing receipt and later registry evidence. A filed deed and a completed registry entry are not the same stage.

3. 3

   Update property records

   Complete the required CRIM ownership updates and retain account, debt, and payment records.

4. 4

   Report compliance annually

   Give the deed and registry proof to the Act 60 compliance preparer and continue attesting ownership and primary-residence compliance in the annual process.

Common questions

Which Act 60 recipients have to buy a home?

The rule discussed here applies to Individual Resident Investor, or Chapter 2, decree holders. It should not be described as a requirement for every Act 60 business or decree category.

When is the Chapter 2 home-purchase deadline?

The current statute says within two years after obtaining the decree. Confirm the exact date and required evidence with the professional preparing the annual compliance report.

Can an LLC own the Chapter 2 residence?

It depends on the filing cohort and approved structure. DDEC says qualifying pre-2027 applications may retain prior entity-ownership treatment, while applications filed on or after January 1, 2027 have narrower individual, spouse, or qualifying grantor-trust rules. Get written advice before contracting.

Does any Puerto Rico property satisfy the rule?

No. The statute describes property acquired from an unrelated owner and used as the recipient's primary residence. The ownership, registry, timing, and annual-report evidence also matter.

Can I sell the home after satisfying the purchase deadline?

The statute requires maintaining ownership during the decree. Do not sell, transfer, or retitle the qualifying property without first confirming how replacement property and reporting would affect compliance.

Sources and verification

Rules, prices, locations, and provider coverage can change. These links are the primary or first-party pages checked for this guide.

• Puerto Rico Incentives Code, consolidated English version — Chapter 2 purchase, primary-residence, ownership, and reporting duties
• DDEC Informative Bulletin 2026-004 — Act 38 transition and ownership rules by application date
• Puerto Rico Property Registry and KARIBE information — Official registry purpose and public-record access
• CRIM property portal — Property account, ownership, debt, and certification services
• CFPB home-closing guide — Consumer closing, inspection, title, insurance, and wire-fraud checks