To check an off-plan project in Indonesia, match what the developer tells you against the official record before each payment. Start with the 3 official registers listed below, then ask the questions that the 112 projects we track in Indonesia most often leave open.
The check most often missing in Indonesia: permit or licence number (not public for 111 of 112 projects).
- Official registers
- What projects here leave out
- Questions to ask the developer
- What our live lookup reads
- The law, quoted
- Free check
- Questions and answers
Step 1: official registers in Indonesia#
OSS (NIB business licence) (Indonesia)
- What it proves
- The NIB (business identification number) registers a company and its business lines. Environmental approval is also handled through the risk-based licensing system.
- What it does not prove
- A NIB is not a building permit and says nothing about the land. Many projects show a NIB as if it were a permit.
- How to search
- Ask for the NIB and company deed, check the company and its business lines on OSS, and ask separately for the environmental approval.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) oss.go.id
From our register guide.
SIMBG (PBG building approval and SLF) (Indonesia)
- What it proves
- PBG (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung) is the building approval that replaced the IMB in 2021. The SLF (Sertifikat Laik Fungsi) certifies a finished building is fit for use. Both are issued through SIMBG.
- What it does not prove
- Land rights, or that the building on site matches the approved drawings.
- How to search
- Ask for the PBG number and document, and have it confirmed in SIMBG or at the local government licensing office. After completion, ask for the SLF.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) simbg.pu.go.id
From our register guide.
ATR/BPN land certificates (Indonesia)
- What it proves
- The certificate type (Hak Milik, HGB, Hak Pakai), the holder and any encumbrances, held by the BPN land office.
- What it does not prove
- Zoning, or that a lease offered to you is registered.
- How to search
- Have a notary check the certificate at the local BPN office, or check its data in the official Sentuh Tanahku app.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) www.atrbpn.go.id
From our register guide.
Step 2: what off-plan projects in Indonesia leave out#
Share of the 112 tracked projects that make each check public, and how many are confirmed by an official register or independent source.
| Check | Public | Not public | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit or licence number | 1 (1%) | 111 | 0 |
| Deposit protection | 15 (13%) | 97 | 0 |
| Construction progress | 36 (32%) | 76 | 7 |
| Site or floor plans | 51 (46%) | 61 | 0 |
| Developer track record | 59 (53%) | 53 | 8 |
| No guaranteed-return language | 100 (89%) | 12 | 0 |
Step 3: questions to ask the developer#
The questions our research agent raised most often for projects in Indonesia, with how many projects they apply to. Each one points at a gap in what the developer publishes.
- No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (99 of 112 projects)
- No deposit protection published: will your payments go into an escrow or trust account in your name? (97 of 112 projects)
- Completion advertised for 2027: does progress on site match? (87 of 112 projects)
- Leasehold: is the lease registered, and is the base term the one advertised? (68 of 112 projects)
- An extension is promised: is it a binding clause with a fixed price, or only a promise? (61 of 112 projects)
- Advertised rental yield of 12% or more: does real occupancy nearby support it? (38 of 112 projects)
- A building permit is claimed: does it exist in the official system and match this plot? (13 of 112 projects)
- "Guaranteed" returns: who guarantees them, and what happens if they can't pay? (12 of 112 projects)
Send them in writing: ask the developer with our template.
What our live lookup reads in Indonesia#
Indonesia (Bali, Lombok). Online means our lookup queries the official source itself; manual means a person checks it.
Checked by hand
- Land parcel map: BHUMI, ATR/BPN (viewer only, no public API)
- Zoning plan (RDTR): GISTARU RDTR interactive map, Ministry of ATR/BPN
- Building approval (PBG): SIMBG, Ministry of Public Works (login)
- Company licence (NIB): OSS RBA
Needs a site visit
- Land certificate original at the BPN office or with a notary (PPAT)
- Plot location and zoning on the ground
- Works and the actual developer on site
The law, quoted#
9 rules from official sources. Read them with the quoted text.
- A foreigner can own a house in Indonesia only on Hak Pakai (right of use) land (Government Regulation (PP) No. 18 of 2021 on Management Rights, Land Rights, Strata Units and Land Registration, Article 71(1)(a))
- The foreign buyer needs an immigration document (Government Regulation (PP) No. 18 of 2021 on Management Rights, Land Rights, Strata Units and Land Registration, Article 69(1))
- Hak Pakai on State or Management Rights land runs 30 years, then 20, then 30 (Government Regulation (PP) No. 18 of 2021 on Management Rights, Land Rights, Strata Units and Land Registration, Article 52(1))
- Foreign ownership has limits: minimum price, plot size, number of units, residential use (Government Regulation (PP) No. 18 of 2021 on Management Rights, Land Rights, Strata Units and Land Registration, Article 72)
- Only Indonesian citizens can hold Hak Milik (freehold) (Law No. 5 of 1960 on Basic Agrarian Principles (UUPA), Article 21(1))
- Arrangements that pass freehold to a foreigner, directly or indirectly, are void (Law No. 5 of 1960 on Basic Agrarian Principles (UUPA), Article 26(2))
Step 4: run a free check#
Paste the project page into the free desk review: our agent reads it, quotes every claim and looks it up in the registers above where it can. Then see all projects we track in Indonesia.
Questions and answers#
What should I check before buying off-plan in Indonesia?
The permit or licence number, deposit protection, construction progress, plans, the developer's track record and any guaranteed-return promise. In Indonesia the check most often missing is permit or licence number (111 of 112 tracked projects do not publish it).
Is there an official register to check an off-plan project in Indonesia?
Yes: OSS (NIB business licence); SIMBG (PBG building approval and SLF); ATR/BPN land certificates.
What do developers in Indonesia most often leave unanswered?
No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (99 of 112 projects).
Are you the developer, or did we get something wrong? Send documents and we add your reply or correct the record: right of reply · corrections. Every figure here is computed from the open dataset (/data/bali-cases.json, CC BY 4.0) and changes when the data changes.