If you have bought property here, are considering it, or know someone who is, this story is worth reading.

Quintana Roo has tightened oversight of real estate services, and Puerto Morelos has become a focal point of enforcement.

The Problem Is Real, and It's Local

Quintana Roo has been reforming its Law on the Provision of Real Estate Services, giving SEDETUS, the Secretariat of Sustainable Urban Territorial Development, powers to sanction agents operating without permits.

Authorities identified 30 irregular developments along the Ruta de los Cenotes in Puerto Morelos and had closed 10 by early May 2026.

The developments lacked environmental-impact studies and had carried out unauthorized land clearing.

The State Is Stepping Up Enforcement

State reporting and local coverage indicate that SEDETUS had acted against 116 irregular real-estate developments across Quintana Roo by early 2026.

SEDETUS also created a public registry to identify unregistered advisers and agents with reported irregularities.

How to Check Before You Buy

SEDETUS created a free public microsite where users can check whether a development appears on the state's irregular-developments registry: desarrollo.sedetus.gob.mx/consultaDesarrollos.

You can also verify whether an agent is registered through the SEDETUS advisers portal at asesores.sedetus.gob.mx.

Before signing a presale contract, buyers should ask for the municipal construction permit, environmental authorizations, land-use documentation, condominium registration when applicable, and confirmation that the adhesion contract is registered with PROFECO.

The Bottom Line

Puerto Morelos's growth has attracted legitimate developers and projects operating outside the rules.

Check the registry, verify the agent, and ask for the documents before signing anything.