Lease Agreement Requirements in Costa Rica

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.

Formal Lease Requirements

In Costa Rica, the law strongly recommends that the rental contract be in writing, signed at least by the landlord and tenant (and any guarantors), and ideally have signatures authenticated by a lawyer or notary public. This drastically facilitates future judicial processes if they become necessary. However, Law 7527 legally recognizes verbal contracts.

Key Clauses (Legally Recommended)

To protect the landlord, the document should clearly state:

• Identification of the parties (IDs, passports).
• Detailed description of the property and any included furniture or inventory, preferably with photographs attached.
• Rent amount, the currency (colones or dollars), and place or method of payment.
• Contract duration (remembering that the residential legal minimum favors the tenant with 3 years).
• Clear provisions on who covers taxes, HOA fees, or basic utilities (normally, the law assigns these payments to the tenant unless agreed otherwise).

The Legal Minimum Term

According to the General Law of Urban and Suburban Leases, any rental contract for housing purposes cannot be for less than 3 years. Any agreement for a shorter duration sees the term clause automatically voided in favor of being extended to a full 3 years if requested by the tenant.

The law does, however, grant the landlord the right to "recover" the property after one year of the contract has lapsed, by providing advance notice and proving they require the property to live in themselves or for first-degree collateral relatives, under strict judicial conditions.