The property market in Centro Habana

Centro Habana is the most densely populated municipality in Cuba and the one holding the capital’s oldest and most battered housing stock. Two-, three- and four-storey buildings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries dominate, many of them originally designed as generous single homes and now split into several units, when they have not become tenements.

For a buyer that means two things at once. First, the price per square metre is markedly lower than in Vedado or Playa, in a location that could not be more central: the Malecón, La Rampa and Habana Vieja are all within walking distance. Second, the structural risk is the highest in the city, and it is not theoretical — partial collapses are a real feature of this municipality, especially after heavy rain.

The Malecón strip deserves a separate note. Being close to the sea adds appeal and also salt, humidity and accelerated corrosion of reinforcing steel. A building two blocks from the water ages very differently from one ten blocks away.

This is an area where paying for a proper inspection is worth it. The difference between a sound, well-kept apartment and a visually similar one with a compromised structure does not show up in photographs, and you pay for it in full after the purchase.

Neighbourhoods and areas

• Cayo Hueso
• Colón
• Los Sitios
• Dragones
• Pueblo Nuevo
• Malecón

What to check before buying here

• check_circleStructure first: active cracks, timber floor structures, shoring, and the state of the party walls.
• check_circleIf the home comes from a subdivision, confirm it was legalised and that the technical description reflects it.
• check_circleProximity to the sea: check corrosion on balconies, lintels and railings, and the condition of exterior joinery.
• check_circleUtilities: the real water schedule, whether there is a tank or private cistern, and the state of the building’s wiring.

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