Long term rentals in Costa Rica are the natural next step for foreigners who want more than a vacation: digital nomads staying for a season, retirees testing a town before they buy, and families relocating for school or work. Renting first lets you learn a region through a full dry season and a full green season before you commit to anything permanent.

A Long Term Rental Is the Right Choice When

• You plan to stay at least one month, and ideally three months or more.
• You want a real kitchen, a workspace, and a neighborhood instead of a hotel room.
• You are considering buying property and want to live in the area before you decide.
• You are applying for, or already hold, a digital nomad stay or residency.

A Vacation Rental Is the Better Choice When

• Your stay is shorter than a month, or your dates are still moving.
• You want cleaning, utilities, and internet included in one price with no contract.
• You are still deciding between two or three towns and want to try each one.

Many foreigners do both: a few weeks in vacation rentals to compare areas, then long term rentals in Costa Rica once they know where they want to live.

Costa Rica packs very different climates and lifestyles into a small country. The right region for long term rentals in Costa Rica depends on how you work, how much heat you enjoy, and how often you need an airport, a hospital, or a big supermarket.

Regions for long term rentals in Costa Rica

For long term rentals in Costa Rica, seasons matter as much as regions. The green season runs roughly from May to November on the Pacific side, and the Costa Rica Tourism Board’s climate guide notes that September and October are usually the wettest months there. If you can, visit your chosen town in both seasons before you sign a lease.

Long term rentals in Costa Rica range from a furnished studio for a single remote worker to a family house with a pool and a garden. The main choice is between a furnished monthly rental and a traditional lease.

Furnished Monthly Rentals

Furnished monthly rentals are the most flexible long term rentals in Costa Rica: homes and condos rented by the month, usually fully furnished and often with internet and some utilities included. They are the easiest option for stays of one to six months, need little paperwork, and suit digital nomads and people testing a town. Expect higher monthly prices in the high season (December to April) in beach towns.

Traditional Leases

A lease (contrato de arrendamiento) is the standard option for stays of a year or more. It gives you legal protection under Costa Rica’s rental law, usually at a lower monthly price than a furnished monthly rental. Utilities are typically paid by the tenant.

Furnished or Unfurnished

In beach towns, most long term rentals in Costa Rica are furnished. In the Central Valley, unfurnished homes and apartments are more common and cheaper per month. For stays under a year, furnished usually works out better; for longer stays, unfurnished plus your own furniture can pay off.

Property Types

• Condos in gated communities: security, shared pools, and maintenance handled by the building. Ask what the condo fees cover and who pays them.
• Houses: more space and privacy, plus gardens and pools that need a gardener or pool service.
• Apartments: common in the Central Valley, often close to shops and public transport.
• Coliving and rooms: the most affordable choice for solo remote workers who want a community.

The law behind long term rentals in Costa Rica protects tenants more than many foreigners expect. Leases are governed by the General Law of Urban and Suburban Leases (Ley 7527), which sets rules that apply even if the contract says otherwise.

The Three Year Minimum

The law sets a minimum lease term of three years for housing. A lease signed for 12 months is treated as a three year lease, which protects the tenant from being asked to leave early as long as the rent is paid and the contract is respected. Stays of up to 30 days in vacation homes fall outside this law, which is one reason furnished monthly rentals work differently from leases.

Rent Increases: Dollars vs Colones

• Rent in US dollars: the amount stays fixed for the whole term of the lease, with no annual increase.
• Rent in colones: the landlord can raise the rent once a year, limited by inflation over the previous 12 months.
• Paying a dollar lease in colones: the tenant can pay in colones at the Central Bank’s selling exchange rate on the day of payment.

Deposits and Advance Rent

The customary security deposit is one month of rent, and a landlord cannot require more than one month of rent in advance for housing. Pets often mean an extra deposit. Get the deposit terms in writing, including when and how it is returned.

Taxes on Rent

Residential rent is exempt from Costa Rica’s 13% value added tax (IVA) when the monthly rent is at or below 1.5 times the official base salary. Above that threshold, the 13% applies to the full rent. Property taxes are the landlord’s obligation, not the tenant’s.

Your Contract

Contracts are usually written in Spanish. Ask for an English translation, read it before you sign, and have a Costa Rican lawyer review any lease of a year or more. Make sure the contract states the rent, currency, deposit, what is included, who pays each utility, how repairs work, and how either side can end the lease early.

The monthly rent is only part of what you will pay. Budget for these items before you compare long term rentals in Costa Rica.

• Rent. Varies widely by region, season, furnishing, and whether you rent by the month or sign a lease.
• Security deposit. Usually one month of rent, returned at the end if the home is in good condition.
• Electricity. The biggest variable in hot beach towns, where air conditioning runs most of the day. Ask the landlord for recent bills.
• Water. Supplied by the national water utility or a local community water association, depending on the area.
• Internet. Fiber is common in the Central Valley and many beach towns; rural homes may rely on wireless or satellite service.
• Cooking gas. Many homes use gas tanks for the stove, refilled or swapped as needed.
• Condo fees. Check whether they are included in the rent or charged separately.
• Services. Gardening, pool care, and cleaning are common extras for houses.
• IVA. 13% on the full rent when it exceeds the legal threshold described above.

A lease does not give you the right to stay in Costa Rica. Your legal stay depends on your immigration status, so plan it alongside your search for long term rentals in Costa Rica.

Tourist Stay

Many nationalities, including visitors from the United States and Canada, can enter as tourists for up to 180 days, but immigration decides the exact number of days stamped in your passport. Your foreign driver’s license is valid for the same period.

Digital Nomad Stay

Costa Rica’s remote worker stay (Estancia para Trabajadores y Prestadores Remotos de Servicios) allows foreigners who earn at least $3,000 a month from abroad, or $4,000 a month when applying with family, to live in Costa Rica for one year, renewable once. It requires health insurance, forbids working for Costa Rican employers, and exempts foreign income from Costa Rican income tax. It pairs naturally with long term rentals in Costa Rica of six to twelve months.

Residency

For longer moves, Costa Rica offers residency categories for retirees (pensionado), people with stable passive income (rentista), and investors (inversionista), among others. Requirements change, so confirm the current rules with the General Directorate of Migration or an immigration lawyer before you apply.

These are the problems foreigners run into most often with long term rentals in Costa Rica, and every one of them is avoidable.

1. Paying a deposit before seeing the home. Visit in person or on a live video call, and confirm the person you pay has the right to rent the property.
2. Wiring money to a stranger. Listings that push for fast wire transfers or crypto payments are a classic scam.
3. Signing a lease in a language you cannot read. Get a translation and a lawyer’s review for any long lease.
4. Assuming a 12 month lease ends at 12 months. Under the law, housing leases run for a minimum of three years, which affects how both sides can end the contract.
5. Not testing the internet. Run a speed test at the home before you sign, especially if you work remotely.
6. Ignoring the access road. A lovely hillside house can be hard to reach in the green season without a 4×4.
7. Underestimating electricity. Air conditioning in a hot beach town can add a large amount to your monthly budget.
8. Skipping the move in inventory. Photograph every room, appliance, and existing mark, and attach the list to the contract.
9. Forgetting humidity. Ask how the home handles mold, and keep air moving in closets and bathrooms.
10. Choosing a town you have only seen in the dry season. Rain, heat, and tourist traffic change a place from month to month.
11. Relying on verbal promises. Anything about repairs, pets, utilities, or included services belongs in the written contract.
12. Treating a lease as immigration status. Your right to stay comes from your visa or residency, not from your rental.

Use this checklist before you commit to any of the long term rentals in Costa Rica you are considering.

1. Choose a region that fits your climate, work, and healthcare needs, and visit in both seasons if you can.
2. Decide between a furnished monthly rental and a traditional lease.
3. Plan your legal stay: tourist entry, digital nomad stay, or residency.
4. Compare total monthly cost, including utilities, internet, and services.
5. See the home in person or on a live video call, and test the internet speed.
6. Check the access road and ask whether you will need a 4×4.
7. Get the contract, the currency, the deposit terms, and the inventory in writing.
8. Have a lawyer review any lease of a year or more.

Our team helps digital nomads, retirees, and relocating families find long term rentals in Costa Rica with trusted local owners and property managers. If you will need a car during your stay, read Car Rentals in Costa Rica: The Definitive Guide for Foreigners, and see our transportation options for airport transfers on moving day.

Find your long term rental

The rules below apply to every foreigner looking at long term rentals in Costa Rica, whatever the region or the budget.

Housing Leases Last at Least Three Years

A residential lease is treated as a three year contract even if it says 12 months, as long as the tenant pays and respects the contract.

Dollar Rents Stay Fixed

Rent agreed in US dollars cannot be raised during the lease term. Rent in colones can rise once a year, limited by inflation.

One Month Deposit Is the Custom

The usual security deposit is one month of rent, and landlords cannot require more than one month of rent in advance.

High Rents Pay IVA

Residential rent above 1.5 times the official base salary carries 13% IVA on the full amount; rent at or below that level is exempt.

Vacation Stays Follow Different Rules

Stays of up to 30 days in vacation homes fall outside the rental law, so monthly vacation rentals and leases work differently.

A Lease Is Not a Visa

Your right to live in Costa Rica comes from your tourist stay, digital nomad stay, or residency, never from your rental contract.

Property Taxes Belong to the Owner

Property taxes are the landlord’s obligation, and a clause shifting them to a residential tenant has no legal effect.

Everything Important Goes in Writing

Rent, currency, deposit, utilities, repairs, pets, and early exit terms all belong in the signed contract.