Renting a home in Nicaragua: lease, currency, deposit and the law

The law

• Tenancy Law 118 (1991) covers low-value homes and excludes commercial premises and holiday rentals; we could not confirm how its 1990 thresholds apply today. Other leases fall under the Civil Code.
• Under that law the tenant can end the lease with 30 days’ written notice, utilities are paid by the tenant unless agreed otherwise, and the landlord may not cut them off.
• A lease can be registered if made as a public deed; the fee is 1% of the total agreed rent (minimum C$150, maximum C$30,000).
• We found no rule on security deposits: agree the amount and when it is returned in writing.

Dollars or córdobas?

Since 2025 the Central Bank has required prices of goods and services offered in Nicaragua to be shown in córdobas. In practice, many rentals are advertised in dollars (all 18 RE/MAX Nicaragua rental listings we checked on 13 Nov 2026 were). The Central Bank law allows maintenance-of-value clauses tied to the dollar at the official rate (C$36.6243 per dollar in 2026).

What to put in writing

• Amount, currency, payment method and any maintenance-of-value clause.
• Deposit: amount and return conditions.
• Who pays water, electricity, internet, security and maintenance.
• An inventory with photos if furnished.
• Term, renewal and notice to end.