Garantía / Vicios Ocultos (Warranty / Hidden Defects)gah-rahn-TEE-ah / VEE-see-ohs oh-KOOL-tohs
Garantía / vicios ocultos refers to the seller or developer warranty obligation to remedy construction defects not apparent at handover, governed by Federal Civil Code Articles 2142-2143 for resale properties and Federal Consumer Protection Law Article 73 Quáter for new construction.
By Daniel Ortega · Last reviewed 11 November 2026
How it works
<p>When a foreign buyer purchases new construction from a Mexican developer, <cite index="23-3,26-1">Federal Consumer Protection Law Article 73 Quáter requires a minimum warranty of 5 years for structural issues, 3 years for waterproofing and 1 year for other elements, counted from entrega real</cite>. <cite index="25-4">The developer must repair defects at no cost to the buyer during the warranty period</cite>. <cite index="28-6">Repair time does not count toward the warranty period; the clock restarts for repaired items</cite>. For resale properties sold by individual owners (not developers), <cite index="12-1">Federal Civil Code Articles 2142 and 2143 impose saneamiento obligations on the seller for hidden defects that make the property unfit for ordinary use</cite>. The buyer must prove the defect existed at sale and was not visible. Warranty terms for resale depend on the purchase contract and negotiation; <cite index="28-7">warranties are void if the buyer modifies or remodels the property</cite>. Remedies include rescission, price reduction or damages. Foreign buyers should negotiate detailed warranty language in the contrato de compraventa and document property condition at entrega with photos and a walk-through checklist.</p>