The Waiting Game: Property Rights in Roatan Island

Why registration drags for months — sometimes years — and what reforms could finally fix it.

The ongoing delays in registering and issuing property titles in Roatan have become a serious concern — affecting both local residents and foreign investors who depend on clear ownership documentation to protect their assets and move forward with development. While national reforms were meant to modernize Honduras’s property registry, the Bay Islands have been left behind. In some cases, buyers wait months or even years after closing before their property appears in the official registry.

At the heart of the problem lies bureaucratic inefficiency, outdated systems, and political neglect.

ARC+ has conducted an investigation into this problematic. Before we get into the locals accounts, let's first take a look at how the system works.

The Administrative Gridlock

1. A Cadastre That Doesn’t Match the Registry — Roatan properties must go through the national SURE system, which cross-checks the legal registry against the physical cadastre. If a property’s coordinates or size don’t align perfectly, the file freezes until a 'rectificación' is approved — often delayed by limited staff and technical capacity.

2. Extra Environmental and Coastal Reviews — Because so many parcels sit near the shoreline or mangroves, property files require additional environmental and municipal clearances. These safeguards are important, but without digital coordination between agencies, they’ve become one of the island’s main bottlenecks.

3. ZOLITUR’s Layer of Bureaucracy — The Zona Libre Turística (ZOLITUR) regime adds more paperwork for developments that fall within its jurisdiction. Projects often need separate solvencies and approvals before the registry can begin — another delay mainland buyers rarely face.

4. Small Office, Massive Backlog — The Roatan Property Registry operates with limited staff while handling one of Honduras’s busiest real-estate markets. Short workdays, zero customer care and logistical interruptions routinely push cases back by weeks. These all seem like excuses without merit.

5. Political Inaction — Despite repeated public frustration, Bay Islands lawmakers have proposed no meaningful reforms to streamline the titling process. With only one representative in Congress, the department’s voice has been weak — and its citizens left waiting.

Will Mejía Jr., owner and realtor at One Stop Roatan Real Estate

The ongoing delays in issuing property titles in Roatan have become a serious concern, affecting both local residents and foreign investors. At the heart of the issue is the Roatan Municipal Hall — currently the only institution responsible for delaying the entire process.

Will explains, “as more properties are divided into smaller lots, the cadastral department is forced to keep up with mapping and surveying a growing number of parcels. This is a time-consuming task made worse by limited personnel and outdated systems.”

Inheritance claims also contribute heavily to the backlog. These cases are notoriously slow due to legal complexities, a lack of properly trained staff, and minimal access to technology. Corruption only adds fuel to the fire, with decision-makers often prioritizing high-value or politically connected cases while ordinary ones are pushed aside. Another often-overlooked factor is the role of major legal firms. Instead of actively pushing the process forward, many simply wait passively for things to move — knowing their clients will have to accept the delays. Their lack of pressure or engagement enables the stagnation and, in some cases, benefits them financially through prolonged representation.

"This is where a skilled realtor and an experienced legal team come together — a critical combination for ensuring a successful and timely transaction in Roatan, especially when it comes to securing clear title."

Property Owners won't go on Record

Several property owners in Roatan report having waited years to receive the legal title to properties they purchased — a process that, according to official guidelines, should take only a few months. We spoke with individuals currently caught in this bureaucratic delay, all of whom requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from municipal authorities and employees within the Cadastre office.

Property Owner 1:

One property owner explained that after purchasing a home, the next step is to visit the Cadastre office at the municipality and pay for an official inspection, which is required before the property can be registered under the new owner’s name. In this case, the inspection fee was paid around in mid 2024, and the visit was supposedly scheduled soon after. However, more than a year later, the inspection has still not been conducted. When the owner followed up, Cadastre officials responded that there was “nothing pending” for that property — despite documented proof of payment. In early 2025, after repeated follow-ups, municipal staff attributed the delay to heavy rainfall between November 2024 and March 2025, claiming the weather had prevented inspections. They promised the inspection would take place “within three weeks,” but after that deadline passed, they continued to postpone it every few weeks with no clear explanation or progress.

The property’s seller confirmed that other buyers who purchased land months after this case — one three months later, another six months later — had already received their documents and completed the process. According to the seller, delays like these are often tied to corruption inside the Cadastre administration, where some employees allegedly accept bribes or “under the table” payments to expedite cases. When that happens, legitimate property transfers that follow the formal route are pushed to the back of the line indefinitely.

Property Owner 2:

Another property owner faced duplicate tax charges. This individual, for example, had already paid the required taxes in the mainland, where they reside, but was forced to pay again in Roatan before municipal staff would continue processing the file. Legal advice later confirmed that this double payment was not legally required, yet it was effectively imposed to avoid further obstruction. Out of frustration, one of the affected buyers posted publicly on social media, asking how long it typically takes to receive a property title in Roatán. The post quickly gained traction, sparking a debate in the comments. Several local people shared similar experiences, reporting waits of up to four years. Several commenters also alleged that the only way to move forward is to offer money directly to certain employees, suggesting that corruption and favoritism have become embedded in the system.

Property Owner 3:

Another foreign property owner shared that he purchased a home in Roatan nearly three years ago, yet his inspection has never been conducted, and the title remains outside his name. Despite having paid in full for the property and its corresponding taxes, the process has stalled indefinitely. Now wanting to sell, he finds himself unable to do so because the property cannot be legally transferred. Repeated visits to the municipal offices have yielded no concrete answers or solutions — officials simply tell him to keep waiting.

What Real Reform Could Look Like for Roatan's Municipal Hall

• Digitization of cadastral and registry data, with transparent online tracking.

• Increased staffing and training at the municipal and registry levels.

• Mandatory processing timelines with accountability for delays.

• Simplified coastal-clearance requirements for low-impact lots.

• Regular public reporting of backlogs and aging files.