How to check a property in Bali before you buy?

In Bali this matters more than in the markets you are used to: land comes in different forms of title, some plots cannot be built on at all, and a building without permits can be sealed off or demolished — even if it was built long ago.

Let's walk through one running example. You've found your dream villa in Canggu, and the seller is pushing you to place a deposit "before someone else grabs it." That is exactly the moment the BDA rule kicks in: verification first, money second. What follows are four questions that close off most of the risk, and for each one it's clear where to look for the answer.

In Indonesia every plot is recorded in the state land registry maintained by the national land agency. The PPAT notary runs an official certificate check (cek sertifikat) and confirms four things: the certificate is genuine and valid, the owner on the documents is your seller, the plot has no mortgage on it (land is often pledged to a bank) and no seizure or dispute, and the boundaries and area in the document match what is actually on the ground.

It sounds like a formality, but this is exactly where deals fall apart most often: the fence isn't on the boundary, the seller turns out to be one of several heirs, or there is an outstanding loan on the plot. Without an official extract you won't see any of this.

on the documents: the registry — BPN (Badan Pertanahan Nasional); the check — cek sertifikat; land mortgage — Hak Tanggungan

Every scrap of land in Bali falls under a spatial plan with a designation: tourism, housing, agriculture, "green zone." Buying a beautiful plot and only then finding out it's agricultural or protected land wipes out the entire development scenario.

This is checked against the region's zoning plan: for a plot you look at its permitted designation, what share of the plot may be covered by buildings and how many storeys are allowed. Bali has a strict height limit — no building taller than ~15 metres (roughly the height of a coconut palm, about four storeys). This isn't a recommendation but a law, and it is not up for negotiation.

on the documents: the master plan — RTRW; the detailed zoning plan — RDTR; the plot's building-coverage ratio — KDB

Check 4 · Occupancy

Can the finished building be legally used?

The permit to build and the right to use are two different documents. Once construction is complete, the building is checked for compliance with the design and safety codes and issued a certificate of fitness for use (SLF). Without it, a finished building cannot formally be commissioned or legally used — and for an investor that means legal renting out and a smooth resale are in question.

In practice the SLF is the final checkbox — the one people often forget to check after focusing on the title and the construction permit. For a new or recently completed property, ask for the SLF just as insistently as the PBG.

on the documents: certificate of fitness for use — SLF (Sertifikat Laik Fungsi)

The official land check and the deal itself in Indonesia are handled by the PPAT notary: only they have access to the registry to check the certificate and the right to register the transfer of title. Zoning and permits (PBG/SLF) are checked by the same notary together with an independent lawyer and a technical specialist on the project. The key word is independent: a lawyer and notary on the buyer's side, not "the one the seller recommended."

BDA's role here is to pull this verification into a single system: we coordinate the PPAT notary, lawyers and contractors and check the property before you put down any money. We work with trusted lawyers so that the verification stays independent.