If you have purchased a property in Ecuador, it is essential to understand that the process is not fully completed once the deed is registered at the Property Registry. Many owners are unaware — or simply forget — that there is an additional and indispensable step: updating the ownership name at the municipal level.
This municipal name change is not just a formality. It is a legal requirement that ensures your rights as the true owner of the property.
Why this step is important:
1. Having the property registered under your name within the municipality allows you to act as the owner for sales, donations, and legal transfers.
2. It enables you to obtain municipal permits for construction, remodeling, or land use.
3. It allows you to pay property taxes under your own name and maintain a clean legal record.
4. It gives you access to senior citizen tax discounts.
5. This tax payment must be in your name because you are the legal owner of the property. If it is not, it could lead to legal and administrative problems in the future.
Requirements for the municipal name change:
1. Copy of the public deed of sale of your property.
2. Proof of payment of the municipal property tax (predial tax).
3. Third-party authorization form, if you are sending someone else to complete the process on your behalf.
4. A form that must be completed when the property was acquired under a marital partnership or any type of co-ownership, to determine under whose name the property should be registered.
All documentation must be submitted in person, in physical form, at the municipal offices.
If you need assistance filling out the forms, gathering the required documents, or attending the municipality, please contact us.
Attorney-Sabrina Candela, Email: candelacerras@gmail.com – Phone number: 093 906 2758
City: Cuenca
