Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Condominiums

Condominiums

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Flats and offices are owned under Ley 5038 and Ley 108-05: each unit has its own title and a share of common parts, and the land is common. A consortium of owners with legal personality runs the building through an administrator, and unpaid dues carry a privilege ranking ahead of all others. Rules bind buyers only once registered.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar for 29 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Priority of unpaid dues	Preferred over all other claims on the unit Ley 5038 art. 18, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
When a condominium exists	On entry in the Registro de Títulos Ley 108-05 art. 101, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. A condominium gives exclusive ownership of parts with functional independence and access, plus undivided co ownership of common parts. The land is essentially common.Ley 108-05 de Registro Inmobiliario, as amended by Ley 51-07, art. 100 and paragraph I, 2005-03-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Common parts cannot be sold or charged separately, and a sale of a unit carries them even if the contract does not say so.Ley 108-05 de Registro Inmobiliario, as amended by Ley 51-07, art. 100 paragraph II, 2005-03-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. The condominium arises when entered in the Registro de Títulos. Each owner gets a certificate showing the unit, the share and the votes, and a certificate for the land goes to the consortium with a registry block.Ley 108-05 de Registro Inmobiliario, as amended by Ley 51-07, art. 100 paragraphs VII and VIII; art. 101, 2005-03-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Each owner may sell, mortgage or lease the unit without consent of the others.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 6, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Owners contribute to common costs in proportion, and the percentage in the registered rules changes only by unanimity.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 4, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. All owners form a consortium with legal personality, acting through an administrator. If there is none, any owner may ask the Juez de Paz to name one.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 9 and art. 13, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Construction of new floors or works affecting the building, and changes to common parts, need all owners unless the rules say otherwise.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 8, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Resolutions pass by majority of votes in a duly called assembly. Votes follow each owner's share and change only unanimously. Rule changes need the qualified majority in art. 12.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 12, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Unpaid dues are secured by a privilege over the unit and its common share, preferred over all others.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 18, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. Documents and accounts of unpaid dues are an enforceable title.Ley 108-05 de Registro Inmobiliario, as amended by Ley 51-07, art. 100 paragraph IX, 2005-03-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. The Tribunal de Jurisdicción Original hears matters under the condominium law on registered rights.Ley 108-05 de Registro Inmobiliario, as amended by Ley 51-07, art. 102, 2005-03-23 official text · verified 2026-10-30

12. Registration requires rules stating the units, votes, percentages, basis of the administrator's pay and use of each part.Ley 5038 sobre Condominios, art. 21, 1958-11-21 official text · verified 2026-10-30

13. Certificates of a condominium carry a note on title, and each unit is handled individually in the registry. A condominium ends by the steps in the regulation.Resolución 788-2022, Reglamento General de Registro de Títulos, art. 78, art. 119 to art. 131, 2022-10-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

14. A tenant takes part in assemblies with voice and must follow the rules.Ley 85-25 sobre Alquileres de Bienes Inmuebles y Desahucios, art. 24 numeral 8, 2025-08-15 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

An owner on a 4% share in a building with a RD$3,000,000 (about US$49,260.52) yearly budget pays RD$120,000 (about US$1,970.42) a year, or RD$10,000 (about US$164.20) a month. Unpaid, the debt ranks ahead of all other claims on the wording of art. 18, so a buyer or lender should ask for a dues clearance.

Step by step

Get the registered rules and the last assembly minutes.
Ask for a dues certificate from the administrator.
Check that the certificate is for a unit, not a constancia.
Confirm insurance decisions under art. 11.
Ask about pending special assessments.

Common traps

Rules not filed at the registry do not bind a buyer under art. 10.
Ley 5038 art. 17 speaks of the Tribunal de Tierras; Ley 108-05 art. 102 gives the Tribunal de Jurisdicción Original.
The text of art. 12 on the qualified majority is badly printed in the DGII copy, so read the registered rules and the original gazette for a contested vote.
Condominiums cannot be formed on land under constancias anotadas.

Sources

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