Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Condominiums in Costa Rica: Ley 7933 regime, common areas, dues and assemblies

Condominiums in Costa Rica: Ley 7933 regime, common areas, dues and assemblies

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Apartments, lots, offices and resort units are usually held as fincas filiales under Ley 7933, created by public deed with a condominium regulation and registered in the Registro Inmobiliario. Owners share common areas in proportion to their unit and must pay common expenses; unpaid dues are a mortgage on the unit ranking right after property tax. Key decisions need unanimity or two thirds of value, and since 2025 assemblies can meet virtually.

USD figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Rank of unpaid condominium dues lien	Second, after property tax textLey 7933 art. 20, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Majority to amend condominium regulation	Two thirds of value textLey 7933 art. 27, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Virtual owners' assemblies allowed	Yes, since 2025 textLey 7933 art. 24 (Ley 10746), as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. The regime can apply to floors, units, parking spaces and lots in vertical or horizontal developments, residential, commercial, tourist, industrial or agricultural, on owned land or concessions.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 1, 1999-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. The owner declares the regime by public deed describing the master property, each unit and common areas, includes the condominium regulation, and registers it with approved plans in the Registro Inmobiliario; projected condominiums need an INVU, Ministry of Health and municipal approved draft.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 2 to 5, 1999-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Registering a property into the condominium regime pays a registry fee of 0.1% of the condominium value stated in the deed.
Cost to do it: 0.1% of the condominium value.
Example: ₡2,000,000,000 project: ₡2,000,000. / About US$4,397.34.Ley 4564, Aranceles del Registro Nacional, art. 2(c)(2), 1970-04-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Common areas belong to all owners in proportion to their unit's area and cannot be sold, mortgaged or attached separately from the unit.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 9 and 12, 1999-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Owners must pay administration, maintenance and operating costs even if they do not use the common areas.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 13, 1999-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. The unit secures the owner's money obligations to the condominium; unpaid dues, fines and interest are a mortgage lien preceded only by property tax, and a CPA's certificate is an executory mortgage title.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 20, 2002-05-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. On sale the seller must give the notary the administrator's certificate that dues are paid; if in arrears the buyer becomes jointly liable.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 21, 1999-10-28 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Assemblies can be in person or virtual; quorum is two thirds of value on first call and any number on second; votes are proportional to unit value; owners with one third of value can call an assembly.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 24 and 25, 2025-08-26 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 10746 of 26 August 2025 allowed virtual assemblies and restated quorum rules.

9. Unanimity is needed to change the general use, end the regime or sell or mortgage the whole condominium; two thirds of value to change a unit's use, build new floors, change common areas or amend the deed or regulation; when one owner holds 50% or more, half of the remaining votes are also needed.Ley 7933, Ley Reguladora de la Propiedad en Condominio, art. 27, 2022-05-05 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 10229 of 5 May 2022 added the extra majority when one owner holds at least half the value.

Worked example

A developer holding 55% of value in a resort condominium wants to amend the regulation to allow short term rentals. Two thirds of value is required and, because one owner holds more than half, the developer also needs 50% of the remaining owners' votes.

Step by step

Read the registered condominium regulation for use limits, rental rules and fee formulas.
Get the administrator's dues certificate before closing.
Check the minutes books and budget for special assessments.
Confirm that the unit's share of common areas is stated in the deed.

Common traps

Rental and short stay rules live in the condominium regulation; a buy to let plan can be blocked by it.
Buying a unit with arrears makes the buyer jointly liable.
Condominiums on maritime zone concessions inherit concession limits and terms.

Sources

← Beachfront land in Costa Rica: the maritime terrestrial zone and municipal concessionsResidential and commercial leases in Costa Rica: three year minimum, rent increases and eviction →

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