You’ll have to stay somewhere during your search for the home of your dreams, and whether that turns out to be a hotel, a weekly rental, or a monthly rental, it takes some work to find it. This section will give you some advice on how to do that – where to look and what to watch out for (for a full explanation of how renting works, see the Chapter XI on legal issues). Obviously it’s a good idea to rent somewhere before you buy, particularly for the people who are going to be relocating permanently, but anyone searching for a good deal on Costa Rican property will make a prolonged stay at some point.

To start your search for a rental property, check most of the same places online as you would searching for property to buy. If you must arrange a rental sight unseen prior to your arrival to the country, opt for a short-term apartotel – a cross between an apartment and a hotel room, that’s equipped like the latter, but rents at rates closer to the former. That will give you a month or two to get your bearings and find a place you’ll be sure to like. Once you get to Costa Rica, start asking around in the area where you would like to live. While there is lots of good stuff in the published classified ads, there’s a lot more available that never gets published.

Rentals in Costa Rica are a little different than rentals in developed countries. For example, “unfurnished” means without anything: Not even kitchen appliances. “Hot water” might mean a contraption bolted on to the shower head to heat the water with electric coils as it runs through. On the plus side, most apartments and houses in Costa Rica have a so-called cuarto de pilas, or a laundry room. Others have maid’s quarters, which basically gives you an extra guest bedroom with its own bathroom.

Finally, be sure to get your rental contract translated.