Utilities included in rent: who pays for what

When you browse homes for rent in Costa Rica, the amount in the listing is rarely everything you will pay each month. This guide explains which utilities the price may include —water, power, internet, cable and the condominium fee—, whose name they usually stay in, how to compare the real cost of two options and what to put in writing so the bills bring no surprises. It serves both those who rent and those who put their house up for rent.

Which utilities can the price of a rental include?

In Costa Rica there is no standard package: each rental includes what the owner and the tenant agree on. Most commonly the price covers only the use of the house and the tenant pays water, electricity and internet separately. In apartments and houses inside a condominium the maintenance fee is often included, and in furnished or seasonal rentals everything is sometimes included, even cable and internet.

Each utility has its provider depending on the area. Water is billed by AyA, the municipality or the local ASADA; electricity by ICE, CNFL, a municipal company or a cooperative, depending on the canton. Internet and cable depend on coverage in each neighbourhood. Knowing who provides each service tells you how it is paid, how a balance is checked and what procedure is needed to change the account holder. The table sums up what is worth asking.

A listing may say «utilities included» and mean only water. Always ask which ones, by name: water, power, internet, cable, condominium fee, gas, garbage collection and private security, if any. If the owner includes a service, also ask whether it has a consumption cap and what happens when it is exceeded, because that is the most frequent source of disagreements at the end of the month.

Whose name do water, power and internet stay in?

In practice, water and electricity usually stay in the owner's name, because the meter belongs to the house and does not change with each tenant. The tenant pays the bills while living there. It is a convenient arrangement, but it carries a risk for both sides: if a bill goes unpaid, the disconnection and the debt show up on the owner's account, and whoever lives in the house is left without water or power until it is sorted out.

That is why it is worth agreeing on how payment is shown. The simplest way is for the tenant to send the receipt each month, or for the owner to be able to check the balance with the service number on the provider's platform. Some owners prefer to pay the bills themselves and charge them together with the rent; in that case, ask for a copy of each bill so you know exactly what you are paying.

Internet and cable work differently. The tenant usually contracts them in his own name, with his ID or passport, and the contract with the provider often has a minimum term. Before signing it, compare that term with the length of your lease: if you leave earlier, the cancellation penalty will be yours. If the service is already installed in the owner's name, make clear who pays the monthly fee and who is responsible for the modem and other equipment.

Who pays the condominium fee when the house is rented?

The law is clear about who answers to the condominium. Under article 13 of the Condominium Property Law (Law 7933), every condominium owner must pay the costs of administering, maintaining and operating the common property and services, and giving up the use of the common areas does not release him from paying the maintenance fees. The obligation that article sets therefore falls on the owner of the unit.

In practice, rentals handle the fee in two ways: some owners include it in the price and others charge it separately to the tenant. The prudent course is for the contract to say which one applies, the current amount and what happens if the assembly changes it. It also helps to know that, under article 20 of that law, unpaid fees, with their fines and interest, form a mortgage-type lien on the unit, ranking behind only the property tax lien. Asking for proof that the unit is paid up keeps you from moving into a house with debts pending with the management.

Also ask for a copy of the condominium bylaws. Under articles 27, 33 and 34 of Law 7933, those bylaws cover, among other things, the fees, the use of common areas and penalties: there you will see what the fee covers, such as security, gardens or garbage collection, and which rules of use apply in the common areas.

If you later consider buying a unit instead of renting it, among the homes for sale in Costa Rica, keep in mind article 21 of that same law: anyone selling must give the notary a certificate from the administrator that the fees are paid up; if they are in arrears, the buyer becomes jointly liable for the certified amount, though he may recover from the seller what he has to pay for it.

Utilities included or separate: how do you compare the real cost?

Two houses with the same rent can cost very different amounts each month. One that includes water, internet and the condominium fee may come out cheaper than another with a lower price and every bill separate. The only way to compare them is to add, for each one, the rent plus an honest estimate of each utility that is not included. If the amount is your starting point, the guide on how much it costs to rent a house in Costa Rica sets out the other costs of moving in.

1. 1
   Ask the owner for the water and power bills of recent months, or at least those of two different months.
2. 2
   Adjust that consumption to your household: how many people live there, whether you use air conditioning, a water heater or a dryer.
3. 3
   Get a quote for the internet you need at that exact address, because coverage changes from one street to the next.
4. 4
   Add the condominium fee if it is not included and ask when it last went up.
5. 5
   Compare the monthly total of each option, not the price in the listing.

Climate changes the math. In Guanacaste, Puntarenas or Limón, air conditioning may be the heaviest item on the power bill; in the higher parts of the Central Valley, such as Cartago or the upper areas of Heredia, the water heater or electric shower weighs more. A house with utilities included shifts that risk to the owner, who for that reason usually charges a higher price or sets a consumption cap.

If you are looking for low-cost options, cheap homes for rent in Costa Rica usually have the utilities separate, so apply the same sum before deciding: a low price with high bills can end up costing the same as a pricier house with everything included.

What should the contract say about utilities and how they are split?

The contract is where almost every surprise gets settled. 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 the utilities clause should organise the payments without trying to take away rights that law gives the tenant. What is worth writing down, utility by utility:

• Which utilities the price includes, by name: water, power, internet, cable, condominium fee, gas or garbage collection.
• Which utilities the tenant pays separately and whose name each one is in.
• If an included utility has a consumption cap, what it is and how the excess is charged.
• How it is shown each month that the bills are paid.
• The water and power meter readings on handover day, signed by both parties.
• What happens to the condominium fee if the assembly changes it and who pays late-payment fines.

For the rest of the contract —term, deposit, increases and grounds for termination— the guide rental agreement in Costa Rica: what it must say, what is void reviews each clause. If the house is rented by word of mouth, it is still wise to put in writing, at least by message or email, which utilities the price includes: Law 7527 also governs oral leases, but proving what was agreed is much easier with a text.

What we would do before signing

• Ask in writing for the list of included utilities before visiting the house again.
• Request the latest water and power bills and, if there is a condominium, a certificate from the administrator that the fees are paid up.
• Sign a handover record with the meter readings and a photo of each meter.
• Contract internet in your own name only if the minimum term matches the length of the lease.
• If you are weighing renting against buying, set home prices in Costa Rica against the real monthly cost of renting, with utilities added.

Frequently asked questions

How do you check that the bills are paid up before moving in?

Ask the owner for the latest paid water and power bills and check the balance with the service number on the provider's platform. If the house is in a condominium, request a certificate from the administrator that the unit is paid up: as explained above, unpaid fees form a lien on the unit. If anything shows as pending, the prudent course is for the owner to pay it before handover and for the record to say so.

How do you close or transfer the utilities when the lease ends?

Before leaving, take the final meter readings with the owner and agree on who pays the last bill, which usually arrives after handover. If you contracted internet or cable in your name, cancel it or move it to your new address and return the modem and equipment to the provider. If a utility is in your name and the owner prefers to keep it, the change of account holder is handled with the provider; noting it in the move-out record prevents later charges.

What happens if the contract says nothing about utilities?

Law 7527 does settle that case: unless the parties agreed otherwise, the tenant pays for water, electricity and the other utilities generated by the use of the home, except the basic water charge, which falls on the owner. Even so, the prudent course is to put it in writing with a signed addendum or, at least, with a message in which both parties confirm the agreement. If there is already a dispute over bills, consult a lawyer before you stop paying or withhold the deposit.

This guide sums up common practice in Costa Rica regarding utilities in a rental and the legal facts it cites, with the information available in November 2026. It does not replace the advice of a lawyer or a notary, who can review your contract and your specific case.