The investor's knowledge base
Written from the deals we run: no “guaranteed 20%”, no fine print. Pick a topic or search by keyword.
Four stages of a deal. Each has three articles to begin with and the full list for that stage.
New, plus what we updated with dated facts.
A map of the whole journey of buying a villa in Bali: the first questions and 2–6 weeks of choosing, seven checks before the deposit, the three deal documents, construction in three stages paid 30/30/30/10 against acts, handover on SLF and BAST with 5/2/1 warranties, and launching a legal rental. Every step links to a detailed guide.
Since May 2026 new PT PMAs in Bali are not registered under KBLI 68111, so a foreign-owned company can no longer act as a developer. We rebuilt the model: the land goes in your name, the construction budget goes to the contractor, and DOMA works as the coordinator under contract. Three documents instead of one, plus the questions to ask any seller.
Since 1 August 2026 platforms have been removing properties without NIB, KBLI and NKU from a Ministry of Tourism list — around 1,600 in the first wave, Bali among five priority destinations. How the mechanism works, what platforms check, how to restore a listing and what changes in the income model.
Bali's water demand is 4.06 billion m³ a year against 2.07 billion m³ available; the south floods, the highlands slide, the north and east dry out. The risk map by regency from the Bali Net Zero coalition, what it means for plot choice, villa engineering and insurance — and seven questions to ask before the deal.
PMK 90/2025: the government bears 100% of VAT on the first Rp 2 billion of a new home priced up to Rp 5 billion, handed over in 2026. Foreigners with a KITAS or KITAP qualify, but leasehold and PT PMA purchases are excluded. The conditions, the benefit of up to Rp 220 million, and the typical Bali buyer's mistake.
The calendar of obligations for a Bali villa owner: PBB land and building tax, rental income tax, monthly and annual returns, quarterly LKPM filing for a PT PMA, groundwater reporting and insurance. Dates, rates and late penalties in one place.
Do Indonesian banks lend to foreigners buying a villa in Bali: the KITAS requirement, minimum property value, LTV up to 60%, income thresholds. Why almost every purchase is still cash, and which alternatives work — developer instalments and borrowing against property at home.
An Australian tax resident must declare worldwide income, rental income from a Bali villa included. How the foreign income tax offset works, what happens on sale, how to convert income into AUD, and why the Indonesian side is only half the calculation.
The ROI calculator uses your occupancy and rate; the configurator builds a villa and a budget in ten minutes.
How a leasehold villa is priced against its remaining term, why the discount grows non-linearly, and how an assignment of lease rights is executed in Bali: landowner consent, the notarial deed, the 2.5% final tax, and the contract clauses that block a sale.
Since 1 January 2026 accommodation businesses in Bali must sort waste and drop single-use plastics. What Governor's Circular No. 9 of 2025 requires, what the sanctions are — up to licence revocation — and how to comply at a villa without overspending.
What to check on handover day in Bali: eight groups of inspections from roof and waterproofing to pool and electrics, which documents to collect, how to record a snag list, and why signing the acceptance act before defects are fixed is an expensive mistake.
Sanur is the only Bali zone with a positive absorption balance (+2.7pp) and an 84.6% occupancy forecast for 2027. We unpack why — zero new hotel rooms and a 41.26-hectare health SEZ anchored by a 255-bed hospital — and who Sanur is wrong for.
Building height in Bali is capped at 15 metres by Perda 16/2009, article 95(2)(b). We unpack where the rule comes from, which exemptions exist, what it means for a villa buyer, and what the proposed differential height zoning of up to 45 metres would change.
Short answers to the 15 questions buyers ask: ownership and leasehold, how the deal works, taxes and costs, realistic yields, visas, and what changed in Bali law in 2026.
Daily digests on regulation, tourism and the market, plus a weekly PDF issue.
Open the journalA checklist for auditing Bali villa yield claims: real 2026 occupancy and rate benchmarks, five checks you can run in 15 minutes, red flags in sales decks, and a calculation template.
Late villa handover in Bali: where the deadline and penalty sit in the contract, why wanprestasi is not force majeure, the escalation path from formal demand to court, and how to cut the risk up front.
Why nominee land ownership in Bali is void by law, what Perda 4/2026 added, how the Coretax system now sees transactions and rental income, and which legal structures remain in 2026.
No island-wide ban on villa construction exists. What six regencies agreed to from 2026, why the south was not stopped, the official land data, and how to check a specific plot.
What you actually need to enter Bali in 2026: passport, e-Arrival Card, electronic customs declaration, the Rp150,000 Love Bali levy, visas and e-VOA — plus biometric extension rules and a checklist for a viewing or closing trip.
A reference guide to Bali villa running costs: staff and 2026 minimum wages, electricity and water, pool and garden, PBB and rental tax, insurance, repair reserve and management fees, with annual budgets.
Median villa and land prices across Bali in 2026, a breakdown of build costs, off-plan versus completed villas, and the one-off costs on top of the sticker price.
How legal due diligence on a Bali villa works in 2026: land certificate and encumbrances via the notary and BPN, zoning and setbacks, KKPR/PBG/SLF permits, the leasehold contract, payment structure. Timelines, cost and red flags.
On 7 August 2026 Bali scrapped its metro plans in favour of a $123M ART tram. We map every major infrastructure project on the island — airports, the Benoa marina, transit — and how infrastructure announcements actually move property prices.
Commercial tourist activity is legalised not by changing the zone, but by a KKPR confirming a specific commercial KBLI code on those coordinates. We break down the ITBX matrix, Article 96 of Perda Bali 2/2023, and what changed in 2026.
We compare a Bali villa with a Gold Coast house for the Australian investor in 2026: entry price (AUD 1.17M vs USD 250K), yield (7–13% vs 4–5%), how an Australian legally holds (leasehold, Hak Pakai, PT PMA), the 20% non-resident tax and the credit under the Indonesia–Australia treaty, and moving AUD into rupiah.
How to legally rent out a Bali villa in 2026: the 7 permits a foreign owner needs (PT PMA, NIB, KBLI 55193, PBG, SLF, NPWPD), the 31 March 2026 delisting deadline for Airbnb and Booking, fines and deportation for illegal rentals, and an honest yield calculation.
From 2026, converting a Bali rice field into a villa is a criminal offence, not a fine. We unpack Perda No. 4/2026: what is banned, up to 5 years in prison and fines up to 1 billion rupiah, the crackdown on nominee structures with confiscation risk, frozen conversion permits and a moratorium across 6 regencies. How to check a plot's zone before you pay a deposit.
Where a Bali villa gets its water, how a well differs from PDAM and tanker delivery, what the SIPA permit required from 2026 is and the fine for going without it. Water shortage by district, maintenance costs and how to check the water supply before buying a villa.
Since May 2026 Bali has stopped registering new foreign PT PMA companies under 18 KBLI codes — among them 68111 “real estate” and the accommodation codes. We break down what exactly was closed, who it affects, why the “villa + your own PMA” scheme no longer works, and which two legal entry routes are left for an investor.
What to check on a Bali property developer before wiring a deposit in 2026: the legal entity and NIB, land title and zoning, the KKPR/PBG/SLF permits, a track record of completed villas, a milestone-based payment schedule and the PPJB contract. Red flags and a clear investor checklist.
Is a Bali leasehold inheritable, and how do you pass a villa to your children in 2026? What actually transfers to heirs, the inheritance clause a PPAT notarial deed needs, Hak Sewa vs Hak Pakai vs PT PMA, the BPHTB transfer duty of up to 5%, an Indonesian will, and the common mistakes.
A foreign investor pays tax on Bali rental income where they are resident, not only in Indonesia. How Indonesia's 10% final tax, double-tax treaties and foreign tax credits work — plus the PT PMA / CFC catch — for buyers in Australia, the US, the UK, Europe, Singapore and the UAE.
How the money actually reaches a Bali developer in 2026: pay in Indonesian rupiah to a PT/PT PMA account, why you can't pay in crypto directly, what to fix in the contract, and how much to budget for fees.
Which currency to hold and pay in for a Bali villa in 2026. Why a falling rupiah doesn't hurt a buyer whose price is fixed in dollars, where your real FX risk actually sits, and how to hedge it.
Three favourite markets of villa investors compared: entry ticket, yields, ownership form, seasonality and exit — without cheerleading.
Which visa fits a villa owner: visit visas, multiple-entry, investor KITAS and second-home options — costs, terms and practical routes.
Two ways to hold a Bali villa: a personal leasehold or a foreign-owned PMA company. Costs, obligations, taxes and who each structure suits.
Who the PPAT notary is, what happens at signing, which documents are exchanged and how a remote buyer completes the deal safely.
Property damage, guest liability and loss-of-income cover for a Bali rental villa: what to insure, what it costs and what owners usually skip.
When and how to resell a leasehold villa in Bali: what buyers pay for, how the remaining term prices in, and how to prepare the asset for exit.
How a rental villa behaves next to stocks, bonds and deposits: yield, volatility, currency, correlation — and honest position sizing.
How owners grow from a single villa to several: reinvesting cash flow, early access to new projects, and the compounding math of a villa portfolio.
Which smart-home systems earn their keep in a tropical rental villa: remote locks, climate, leak control, energy — and the simple smart-home bundles in the DOMA configurator.
Why rental villas need hotel-grade furniture, what tropical climate does to cheap fit-outs, and how furniture sourcing changes the economics.
How interior design moves the nightly rate, rating and occupancy: photogenic scenes, guest-scenario zoning, tropical materials and the Tanah/Alam/Svarga levels.
What a rental villa's pool should be: skimmer vs infinity, sizes, heating, monthly upkeep costs and the effect on the nightly rate.
Why a rental villa needs a designed garden: privacy, photogenics, microclimate. The G1–G5 landscaping packages in the DOMA configurator.
A guide to the DOMA configurator: four living scenarios, six villa systems, execution levels and an instant budget estimate sent to WhatsApp.
Why the rating is a rental villa's most liquid asset: how algorithms rank listings, what Guest Favourite changes, and the system behind a stable 4.8+.
How dynamic pricing works for a rental villa: seasons, events, booking window, tools — and what a flat year-round price leaves on the table.
Five guest segments of an Ubud villa: nomads, couples, families, retreat travellers and long stays — what each values and how to build for them.
Comparing rental strategies for a Bali villa: nightly, monthly and hybrid — revenue, wear, operations, and when to switch modes.
What living in Ubud is really like: climate, rhythm, community, food, connectivity — and the honest minuses. For those choosing a villa to live in, not only to rent.
A practical guide to Ubud's infrastructure: medicine, education, coworking, sport, transport and connectivity — and what sits around the villas we sell.
The full remote purchase process: choosing a unit, document checks, contract, stage payments during construction, acceptance and handover to management.
A breakdown of Bali villa economics: occupancy, nightly rate, management costs, net yield and capital growth to completion.
Two strongest villa markets in Bali compared: entry price, land cost, guest profile, seasonality and yields — and who each location really suits.
A full P&L of a rental villa in Bali: rate, occupancy, platform fees, management, tax, running costs — with a worked example you can recalculate.
What a management company actually does, what it costs, the KPIs that matter and the questions that expose a weak operator before you sign.
The seven most expensive mistakes buyers make in Bali — from green-zone land to verbal extensions — and the simple checks that prevent each one.
What leasehold is, how it differs from freehold, what terms and extensions are realistic, what must be in the contract and which risks to check before buying.
Green, yellow, pink and orange zones — what can be built in each, what a buyer risks on wrongly zoned land, and how to verify zoning before the deal.
What KKPR, PBG and SLF mean, in what order they are issued, and which documents a developer must show you before you pay anything.
How interest-free stage payments work when buying off-plan in Bali: 30% down, act-based instalments, final payment at acceptance — and why it protects the buyer.
Which taxes a foreign villa owner pays in Indonesia: rental income tax, land & building tax, transfer costs — with realistic numbers.
The construction timeline of a Bali villa stage by stage: foundation, structure, roof, finishes, fit-out — and what the buyer receives at each milestone.
Land and villa prices, nightly rate and occupancy, unit types, who each area suits and the 2026 rules. No brands, every figure has a source.
Open the map →Tell us what you want to buy and why. We answer with facts about a specific property, not decks with “guaranteed yields”.