Commercial Leases in Costa Rica: Compliance Guide

Disclaimer: This guide provides general legal information for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws change frequently. Always consult with a qualified attorney in Costa Rica for advice specific to your situation. Last verified: March 2026.

In Costa Rica, the same General Law of Urban and Suburban Leases (Law No. 7527) covers, with exclusive exceptions, both housing and business activities, industrial operations, professional offices, large commercial formats, and independent local shops.

Leases for commercial enterprise purposes largely maintain the normative freedoms dictated against the individual 3-year residential contracts, with nuances focused on the profit-making nature of a business activity. However, the spirit is generally to provide flexibility through the autonomy of negotiation and inter-party clauses of the legal document.

Flexibility of Commercial Leases

Unlike housing, the code tends to respect negotiation much more in commercial matters. While in residential contracts, increases are entirely governed by INEC's CPI regimes if stipulated in the national currency (or barred from increases if negotiated in USD), there are freer clauses and stipulations in commercial contracts for updating future prices and different forced terms, using formulas agreed upon beforehand, given the assumption of "commercial sector risk" over the civil need for housing.

Explore our specific commercial compliance guides for Costa Rica:

• Security Deposits
• Eviction Process
• Required Disclosures
• Rent Increases
• Lease Requirements
• Maintenance Obligations
• Late Fees