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Topic
The island's rules: CRIM, Vivienda, AFV and what changes if you move to Florida. It covers the notary, titles and inheritance, and hurricane insurance.
Stage 1 of 4
Finding a place, signing with confidence and knowing what a landlord can and cannot ask you.
2 guides in this stage
Featured guide 12 minute read
What Puerto Rico's Civil Code says about leases, what each side must do, and how eviction (desahucio) works in court, step by step.
The most important thing
If the lease does not state a term, it is understood to be one year; when it ends, it continues the same until one side says it wants to end it.
Verified on October 31, 2026
The data behind these guides
The guides on Puerto Rico cite these figures. They update when their sources publish new ones; what you see here is current.
See all the dataSources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024) · HUD (2026 data)
Stage 2 of 4
From the first paper to the day you get the keys: who is involved, what you sign and what each step costs.
3 guides in this stage
Featured guide Essential guide 13 minute read
How buying a home works in Puerto Rico: the notary who is a lawyer, the public deed, the Property Registry, FHA, VA and conventional loans, AFV and CRIM.
The most important thing
Puerto Rico's notary is a lawyer who drafts the deed and attests to it, but is not your lawyer: the notary represents the public faith.
Verified on October 17, 2026
Home-buying help in Puerto Rico: AFV and Vivienda programs The home-buying help Puerto Rico's AFV and Department of Housing publish: Pronto pa' tu casa, Vivienda Joven, HOME and more, and how to apply. 12 min read Verified on October 31, 2026 
The notary in Puerto Rico: who they are, what they charge In Puerto Rico the notary is a lawyer. Who can be one, what they do in a home sale, what the law lets them charge and how to check they are authorized. 10 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 Stage 3 of 4
The payments, taxes, insurance and decisions that come after you buy.
5 guides in this stage
Featured guide 12 minute read
If you live in the states and inherit a Puerto Rico home: which law applies, papers signed elsewhere, Hacienda's release, CRIM and taxes if you sell.
The most important thing
The Puerto Rico home follows island law, and the forced-share rules apply even if your relative lived in the states.
Verified on October 31, 2026
Puerto Rico's residence exoneration and other CRIM exemptions Puerto Rico's principal-residence exoneration and CRIM exemptions for owners: veterans, homes under construction, displaced families, historic zones. 12 min read Verified on October 31, 2026 
Titles and inheritance in Puerto Rico: the family home What happens to a home in Puerto Rico when its owner dies: who inherits, the declaration of heirs, the Property Registry and why a clear title matters. 11 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
Insurance and hurricanes in Puerto Rico: deductibles, claims Home insurance in Puerto Rico: what it covers, the windstorm deductible, separate flood coverage, your rights and how to file a claim after a hurricane. 10 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 
CRIM and property tax in Puerto Rico What CRIM is, how property tax is figured and paid in Puerto Rico, the exemption for your residence, certifications and how to ask for a review. 12 min read Verified on October 17, 2026 Tools
The calculators these guides use. Each one leaves you with a result you can use today.
How much is left for housing each month.
What you get → what is left
The documents you'll be asked for.
What you get → your document list
Your monthly payment with taxes and insurance.
What you get → monthly payment
The cash you need on closing day.
What you get → cash to close
Stage 4 of 4
What to do first if you cannot pay, if you face eviction or if a disaster damaged your home.
1 guide in this stage
Featured guide 12 minute read
FEMA help to repair your home in Puerto Rico, how to prove it is yours, SBA disaster loans and the Department of Housing programs still open.
The most important thing
File with your insurance first; FEMA helps with what insurance does not cover, and does not replace insurance.
Verified on October 31, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers taken from the guides on this topic; each one links the guide that explains it with its sources.
Yes. Under the Notarial Act, only attorneys authorized by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico can be notaries. But in the sale the notary is not the lawyer of either party: the notary represents the public faith and acts impartially.
Read the full guideIf there is a presidential disaster declaration, at DisasterAssistance.gov, with the FEMA app, at 1-800-621-3362 or at a Disaster Recovery Center. Have your Social Security number, insurance information, a description of the damage, your income and a bank account ready.
Read the full guideNot to be valid. The Civil Code says a lease needs no special formality, except to record it in the Registry, and that it must be in writing if it is for more than six years. Still, a written lease helps you prove what you agreed.
Read the full guideAVP has the public housing application for the available units in the residenciales online, at prphaenlinea.avp.pr.gov. It also posts the form in Spanish and English, the document list and the Personal Statement every applicant must complete.
Read the full guideThe full path with its steps in order, the calculators these guides use, and the agencies their rules come from.
Every rule, number and date in these guides comes from what these agencies publish. Each guide links the exact page.
and 12 more official sources
How we make the guidesSwitch topics without leaving the library.
