How to hand back a rented home when the lease ends

9 November 2026 12 min read

Apartment living room in Heredia with a window onto a wet street and coffee-covered hills behind — Illustrative image

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Handing back a rented home when the lease ends is simpler when it is prepared in advance: checking the condition of the home, repairing what falls to you, documenting everything with photos and a handover record, closing the utilities and requesting the guarantee in writing. This guide explains each step in Costa Rica, for the tenant who wants to leave without claims and for the owner who wants to receive the home without disputes.

What should you check in the home before handing it back?

Start a few weeks before the move-out date and walk through the home as if you were receiving it for the first time. Go room by room and look at what an owner looks at: walls and ceilings, floors, doors and locks, windows and screens, taps, showers and toilets, the water tank or heater, sockets, switches and light bulbs. In the Central Valley and in rainy areas, after the wet months it is worth looking for damp stains, blocked gutters and leaks you may not have noticed in daily use.

Also check everything that came with the home and that appears, or should appear, in the move-in inventory: stove, refrigerator, washing machine, furniture, curtains, lamps, gate remotes and sets of keys. Clearly separate what is yours from what belongs to the owner, because taking an inventory item by mistake is one of the most common claims at move-out. Write down in a list what works, what fails and what is missing, with a photo of each item; that list will be the basis of the handover record.

Interior: walls, ceilings, floors, doors, locks and windows.
Bathrooms and kitchen: taps, drains, showers, toilets, sink and range hood.
Electricity and water: sockets, switches, light bulbs, water heater and meters.
Exterior: gutters, garden, carport, gate and its remotes.
Inventory: appliances, furniture, curtains and all the keys.

Cleaning also counts. An empty, swept home, with clean bathrooms and kitchen and no rubbish in the yard, is inspected faster and leaves less room for argument. If you are still looking for where to live next, browsing homes for rent in Costa Rica early helps you match your moving date with the handover date, so you do not clean or repair in a rush and do not pay for two homes at once for longer than necessary.

Normal wear or damage: what do you have to repair before leaving?

The first question is which rules apply. Under articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Ley General de Arrendamientos Urbanos y Suburbanos (Law 7527), that law governs every lease of real property, oral or written; it is a public-order law and the rights it gives tenants cannot be waived, so a clause that contradicts its mandatory rules is treated as unwritten. That is why it is worth reading the contract together with the law, not the contract alone.

On the tenant's side, articles 47 and 50 of Law 7527 provide that the tenant must keep the property in good condition, is liable for damage caused by his own fault or negligence or that of the people who live with him or visit him, and must repair the damage caused by people who live in or visit the property. In practice, before leaving the prudent course is to fix what broke through a knock, carelessness or misuse: a cracked pane, a forced door, a damaged lock or a stain that cleaning will not remove.

On the owner's side, articles 33 and 34 of that law provide that the landlord must carry out, without raising the rent for it, the repairs needed to keep the property in good condition, including wear from use or the passage of time unless otherwise agreed, except where the damage is the tenant's fault or the law or the contract assigns that repair to the tenant. Paint that dulls over the years is usually seen as normal use; the guide on the rental agreement in Costa Rica: what it must say, what is void helps you read yours.

How do you document the handover and compare it with the move-in inventory?

The most useful proof is the one made on the day of the handover, with the home empty and clean. Take photos and a continuous video of each room, with the date visible in the file, and follow the same order and the same framing you used when you received the home. Photograph up close what the owner might question: wall corners, floors, bathrooms, appliances and meters. Keep the files in two places and send them to the owner through a channel that leaves a record, such as email or a message.

To compare, put the move-in inventory beside you and go through it line by line. Mark each item with one of four situations: same as when received, worn by use, damaged and repaired, or missing. If there was no inventory at move-in, gather what you have from that time: the moving-day photos, the messages in which you reported faults and the repair receipts. It does not replace a signed inventory, but it helps show what the home was like when you arrived.

What to document when handing back the home and why

What to document	How to do it	What it is for
Condition of each room	Dated photos and video, in the order of the move-in inventory	Show how the home was left
Repairs made	Receipts and before-and-after photos	Prove the damage was repaired
Inventory	Move-in list marked item by item	Compare move-in and move-out
Water and electricity meters	Photo of the reading on handover day	Close the consumption you owe
Keys and remotes	Count written in the record	Leave proof of the handover
Pending agreements	Written in the record with who and when	Avoid later claims

With all of that, the handover record is drawn up: a simple document with the date, the names of the parties, the address of the home, the condition of each room, the meter readings, the keys handed over and any pending items, with who resolves them and by when. The tenant and the owner, or whoever represents the owner, sign it, and each keeps a copy. A signed record with no remarks is, in practice, the best way to close the relationship without doubts.

How do you close utilities, arrange the inspection and hand over the keys?

Leaving starts with notice. Under article 72 of Law 7527, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the tenant may end the lease by giving the landlord 3 months' notice, without changing the other obligations the lease created. If what is approaching is the end of the term, bear in mind that article 71 of that law provides that if the landlord does not notify the tenant, at least 3 months before the term ends, that the lease will not be renewed, it is extended for a new 3-year period on the same terms. Give notice in writing and keep the proof.

With the date set, sort out the utilities. Photograph the water and electricity meters on handover day, ask each provider for the last bill or the final reading and pay it, or write in the record who will pay it when it arrives. Cancel or transfer to your new address the internet, cable television and phone, and return any equipment that belongs to the company. If the utilities are in the owner's name, agree in writing how the last period is settled and keep the payment receipts.

Propose to the owner in writing a date and time for the final inspection, with the home already empty and clean.
Walk through the home with the owner or the owner's representative, with the move-in inventory and its photos at hand.
Write in the record what is fine, what is wear from use and what remains pending, with who handles it and by when.
Take the meter readings together and write them in the record.
Hand over all the keys, gate remotes and access cards, and note how many you hand over and which doors they open.
Both of you sign the record and you keep your copy; if it is not signed, send a message that same day with the photos and the list of what was handed over.

Handing over the keys is the moment that ends your use of the home, so it deserves its own proof. Do not leave them with a neighbour, in the mailbox or with a security guard without a document or a message from the owner authorising it. If the owner does not show up for the agreed inspection, send a written proposal for a new date and keep that record; if the situation drags on, it is advisable to consult a lawyer before deciding what to do with the keys.

What does the guarantee cover and how do you request its return?

Article 59 of Law 7527 provides that any guarantee attached to a lease, whatever its nature, answers for the rent and for every other obligation arising from the law or the contract, unless expressly agreed otherwise. In other words, the deposit does not cover only the rent: it can also answer for other tenant obligations, such as repairing the damage for which the tenant is liable under the law. That is why the condition of the home and paid-up bills weigh so much in getting it back.

Request the return in writing, with the signed handover record, the photos, the receipts for the last bills and the details of the account where you want to receive the money. If the contract sets a deadline for returning it, cite it; if it does not, the practical course is to agree a date in the record. Also ask that any deduction be itemised, with the reason and cost of each repair. The guide on how to handle the return of the deposit at the end of the rental goes deeper into that step.

If you disagree with a deduction, reply in writing and point by point, with the move-out photos and, if it exists, the move-in inventory. Many disagreements are resolved this way, with evidence on the table and without raising the tone. If there is no agreement, keep the whole conversation and consult a lawyer before giving up on the matter or signing a document stating that nothing is pending.

What we would do

We would start the inspection weeks in advance and, before the final visit, repair what falls to the tenant.
We would sign a handover record with photos, meter readings and the key count, even if the relationship with the owner is good, and we would request the guarantee in writing that same day.
If the next rental has to cost less, we would compare cheap homes for rent in Costa Rica early and ask for a move-in inventory with photos from day one.
If the move is to buy, we would review homes for sale in Costa Rica and home prices in Costa Rica before setting the handover date.
With a tight purchase budget, we would also look at cheap homes for sale in Costa Rica before ruling out buying.

Frequently asked questions

What checklist should you follow to hand back the home with nothing pending?

The one this guide summarises: inspect the home room by room, repair what was damaged through the fault or carelessness of those who live in or visit it, clean it, compare its condition with the move-in inventory, photograph the meters, close or transfer the utilities, do the final inspection with the owner, hand over all keys and remotes, sign the record and request the guarantee in writing. If you tick off each point before handover day, the final visit is usually short and free of surprises.

Can the tenant leave before the lease ends?

As explained above, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the tenant may end the lease by giving the landlord 3 months' notice, and that does not change the other obligations the lease created. The prudent course is to give notice in writing, keep the proof and prepare the handover with the same documentation as when leaving at the end of the term: photos, record and keys.

What if no inventory was signed at move-in?

Gather what you have from that time: the moving-day photos, the messages in which you reported faults and the repair receipts. It does not replace a signed inventory, but it helps show what the home was like when you arrived. Document the move-out more carefully, with photos, video and a signed record, and if a disagreement about damage arises, consult a lawyer.

Who pays the last water and electricity bills?

Law 7527 lets the parties decide; if they agreed nothing, the tenant pays the utilities generated by the use of the home, except the basic water charge, which falls on the owner. Photograph the meters on handover day, pay or put in writing in the record who will pay the last bill and keep the receipts. If there is disagreement, consult a lawyer or a notary.

This guide summarises common practice in Costa Rica for handing back a rented home when the lease ends and the provisions of Law 7527 it cites. It does not replace the advice of a lawyer or a notary, especially if there is a disagreement about damage, the guarantee or the move-out date.