Who manages Airbnb and villa rentals in Santa Teresa, Mal Pais and Playa Hermosa in 2026, what the 20 to 30 percent commission covers, what occupancy and nightly rates really look like by season, and the ICT registration, 13 percent VAT and new 12.75 percent withholding every owner has to deal with.
A full-service manager in Santa Teresa charges 20% to 30% of gross bookings and handles listings, guest messages, cleaning, maintenance and pricing. Selva Property Management & Concierge is the pick for a single villa you want run properly; Stay Hosting for a Mal Pais or Santa Teresa home that needs a booking engine as well as a manager; PURE Vacation Homes if the house is architect-designed and you want it sold as luxury. Expect 45% to 60% occupancy on a well-run property and 13% VAT plus a 12.75% withholding on the income.
The short version
Santa Teresa is Costa Rica's most expensive beach market by listing price and one of its strongest for nightly rates, with quality villas earning $300 to $600 a night in high season, per the 2026 regional data at buildtropical.com. It is also seasonal, spread out, and hard on houses, which is why owners who live abroad pay a local manager a quarter of the take. The managers fall into three groups. Full-service companies (Selva, Stay Hosting, Sundays, Santa Teresa Holidays) run any home on the owner's own Airbnb and Vrbo accounts or their own. Curated collections (PURE, Cala, LandC) take a small number of high-end villas into a branded portfolio with concierge service. Owner-operators (Pacific Azure in Mal Pais, Taru in Montezuma) run their own homes and are the benchmark for what a well-managed listing looks like here.
Whoever you hire, the legal frame is the same in 2026: register the rental with the ICT under Law 9742, charge guests 13% VAT on stays under 30 nights, issue electronic invoices, and accept that from this year the platforms withhold 12.75% of gross rental income for Hacienda. The real estate agents guide covers buying the property; this one covers running it.
Selva Property Management & Concierge
Selva Property Management & Concierge is run by Stefanie from an office in Las Brisas, San Isidro, on the hill above Santa Teresa, open 9am to 5pm daily with WhatsApp on +506 8736 6751. It covers Manzanillo, Hermosa, Santa Teresa, Carmen and Mal Pais, has more than 20 years of hospitality experience behind it, and works in English, Spanish, Portuguese and German, per selvapropertymanagement.squarespace.com. The service list is the full one: platform setup and optimisation, a personalised booking website, reservations and guest communication, welcome and itinerary planning, housekeeping and maintenance coordination, staff and salary management, utilities, expense management and monthly reporting, plus a launch package for new rentals that covers equipping the house, pricing strategy and staff training.
The 18 Google reviews sit at 5.0 and the owner testimonials on the site name the villas (Casa Nasalasa, Casa Biba, Mikaya Luxury Villas) and describe a manager who "elevates our Airbnb to a 5-star experience". Who it suits: absentee owners of one to three homes who want a single accountable person. The caveat is scale: a small team that manages hands-on cannot take every house, so ask early about capacity for the December season, and ask for the commission in writing, since the site does not publish it.
Stay Hosting
Stay Hosting operates from Colibri Surf House on the Mal Pais side and runs a direct-booking site at stay-hosting.com describing "locally operated stays, professionally coordinated through a trusted network of providers", in English and Spanish. It lists managed villas and boutique stays across Santa Teresa and Mal Pais, which means an owner gets a second sales channel beside Airbnb and Vrbo, and it holds 11 Google reviews at 4.6. Who it suits: owners who want their home marketed under a local brand with direct bookings, and who like the idea of a manager that also fills gaps through its provider network. The caveat is that the direct-booking model works best for houses that photograph well and sleep four or more; a studio will still live or die on Airbnb.
Sundays Property Management
Sundays Property Management, Coworking & Vacation Rental is in the Sfera building, 200 metres northwest of The Bakery, open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, trading as The Better Life Company with a coworking space attached. It manages vacation rentals and monthly rentals, which makes it useful for owners who want to switch a home between short stays in high season and a digital nomad lease from May to November. Who it suits: owners of apartments and smaller houses near the centre, and anyone who wants a manager who also knows the monthly rental market. The caveat is a young company with three Google reviews at 5.0, so ask for owner references and a sample monthly statement.
PURE Vacation Homes
PURE Vacation Homes is the luxury collection, with an office on Calle Buenos Aires open weekdays 9am to 3pm. Its portfolio at pure.cr is a curated set of beachfront residences and ocean-view villas for 2 to 16 guests by architects Benjamin Saxe, Salvador Schenone and DBIO, including Villa Lasai, Tenowi Villa, Casa Dalila and The Beach House, sold with a personal concierge from arrival to departure. It carries Airbnb Luxe status and a 2026 Booking.com Traveller Review Award, which matter because Luxe listings command the top of the nightly rate band. Who it suits: owners of a design-led villa worth $1.5 million or more who want it positioned at $500 to $1,500 a night. The caveat is selectivity; PURE takes homes that fit the brand, and a standard three-bedroom with a plunge pool is better served by Selva or Stay Hosting.
Santa Teresa Holidays
Santa Teresa Holidays is a boutique manager with, by its own account at santateresaholidays.com, more than 11 years managing rentals in this town. It promises end-to-end management, transparent owner reporting, Santa Teresa-specific Airbnb expertise, vacation rental marketing, cleaning and maintenance, and guest concierge, and it takes enquiries on WhatsApp. Who it suits: owners who want a manager that has been through several high seasons here. The caveat is that it is not in our directory yet and publishes neither commission nor portfolio size, so ask for both.
The villa collections and owner-operators
Cala Luxury vacation Homes is a beach villa and bungalow complex 1 km east of Hotel Nautilus that rents its own units and answers 24 hours; LandC Luxury Vacations, Las Casas Tierra y el Mar, is a pair of luxury houses on Justin's Road in Mal Pais; Pacific Azure is a Superhost operation on Calle Lailas in Mal Pais with 103 Google reviews at 4.7 and homes that advertise 100 Mbps Wi-Fi, screened windows and blackout shades; and Taru Vacation Rentals is a six-dwelling wellness property above Montezuma with 29 Google reviews at 4.9 and hundreds more on Airbnb. None of these is a manager you hire for your own house. They are worth studying because they show what the market rewards: fast Wi-Fi, blackout bedrooms, a pool, a real welcome, and instant-book listings with hundreds of reviews. If you own a similar villa in Mal Pais, Pacific Azure and LandC are also the neighbours to ask who cleans and maintains for them.
What a manager charges and what you get
| Service level | Commission | Included | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full service (Selva, Stay Hosting, Sundays, Santa Teresa Holidays) | 20% to 30% of gross bookings | Listings and photos, dynamic pricing, guest messaging 24/7, check-in, cleaning coordination, minor maintenance, supplies, monthly statements | Cleaning fees (charged to guests), major repairs, deep cleans, pool and garden contracts, airport transfers |
| Luxury collection (PURE) | Usually 25% to 35%, or a net rate agreement | Everything above plus concierge, brand marketing, Luxe positioning | Staff, chef, extras billed to guests |
| Caretaker only | $300 to $600 a month | Presence, security, pool and garden, letting in tradesmen | You run the listing and guests yourself |
| Long-term rental management | 8% to 12% of rent | Tenant finding, rent collection, inspections | Repairs |
The Costa Rican range is the highest in Latin America because most rentals here are standalone houses with pools and gardens rather than condos, per the 2026 comparison at compassabroad.ca; buildtropical.com puts the standard short-term fee at 15% to 25% nationally and 18% to 22% in mature markets. Santa Teresa managers sit at the top of that because the town is spread over 10 kilometres of road. Ask whether the percentage is taken before or after Airbnb's 3% host fee and the 13% VAT, and whether cleaning fees pass through untouched. A 20% fee on a $60,000 gross year is $12,000; the difference between 20% and 28% on the same house is $4,800.
Occupancy and rates by season
Costa Rica's national Airbnb occupancy is about 32% and mainstream beach towns run 35% to 45%, per the early-2026 analysis at thelatinvestor.com. A well-run two or three bedroom house with a pool in Santa Teresa can reach 50% to 60% for the year, with average daily rates of $300 to $400 for a good home and $300 to $600 for a luxury one, which puts gross revenue at roughly $55,000 to $85,000 and net, after a 20% to 25% manager, utilities, insurance, maintenance and tax, at $30,000 to $50,000.
The shape of the year matters more than the average. December to April is 70% to 90% occupancy at peak rates, with Christmas, New Year and Easter booked months ahead. May, June and November are shoulder months at 40% to 55%. July and August get a second bump from European and Israeli travellers. September and October, right now, are the floor: 20% to 35% occupancy, rates cut by a third, and many owners switch to a monthly tenant or close for maintenance, as the rainy season guide explains. Managers who promise 70% year-round are describing the top decile in December, and your house will average lower.
Licensing and tax
ICT registration. Law 9742 brought non-traditional lodging (Airbnb, Vrbo and direct-booked houses) under the Costa Rican Tourism Board's register. Registration is free, done online, and now cross-checked with platform data; unregistered rentals risk fines and platform delisting, per expatpropertiescr.com. A manager should do this for you and show you the registration number.
13% VAT. Stays under 30 nights carry Costa Rica's 13% IVA, the same as a hotel. The guest pays it, you collect and remit it monthly, and you must issue an electronic invoice (factura electrónica) for every stay even when Airbnb collected the money. Price your listing with the 13% built in or you pay it out of your own pocket, as accountingcostarica.com puts it.
12.75% on gross income. From 2026, short-term rental income is treated as real estate capital income taxed at 15% on 85% of gross, which works out to 12.75% of every payout, and the platforms withhold it at source before paying the owner. Owners can instead opt into the ordinary income tax regime and deduct real expenses, including the management fee, which usually wins for a house with a full-time manager. Get a local accountant; the starting a business in Santa Teresa guide explains how a Costa Rican corporation and the CCSS registration fit around a rental.
Municipal patent and insurance. Cobano's municipality issues business licences (patentes) for commercially operated rentals, and liability cover for guests is a separate policy; ask the manager and your accountant whether your setup needs both.
Practical notes
Interview three managers and ask each the same six questions: commission and what it excludes, how many homes they run and where, who does the cleaning and what it costs, how they set prices, how fast they answer guests at 11pm, and what a monthly statement looks like. Then ask for two owner references and call them.
Check the contract for exclusivity, the notice period (30 to 60 days is normal), who owns the Airbnb listing and reviews if you leave, and whether owner stays are free.
Budget for the house as well as the fee. Salt air, humidity and dust mean a maintenance reserve of about 1.5% of the property value a year, a pool contract, a gardener, and a full repaint every three to four years.
Water and power outages happen in green season. A manager with a generator contact and a water truck number is worth a point of commission. For what it costs to live here yourself while you set it up, see cost of living in Santa Teresa; for the monthly rental market your house may join in the low season, see monthly rentals in Santa Teresa. Every manager, cleaner and maintenance contractor on the coast is listed at the /directory/services hub.
FAQ
How much does property management cost in Santa Teresa?
20% to 30% of gross bookings for full service, which is the top of the Costa Rican range because homes here are standalone villas spread along 10 kilometres of road. A caretaker alone is $300 to $600 a month, and long-term rental management is 8% to 12% of rent. Ask whether the percentage is taken before or after platform fees and VAT.
What occupancy can I expect from an Airbnb in Santa Teresa?
45% to 60% for the year on a well-run house with a pool, against a national average near 32%. December to April runs 70% to 90% at peak rates, July and August get a second bump, and September and October fall to 20% to 35%. Nightly rates for quality homes are $300 to $600 in high season.
Do I need to register my Santa Teresa rental with the ICT?
Yes. Law 9742 requires every non-traditional lodging, including Airbnb and Vrbo homes, to register with the Costa Rican Tourism Board. Registration is free and online, platforms now share data with the authorities, and unregistered rentals face fines and delisting. A manager should handle it and give you the number.
Is there VAT on short-term rentals in Costa Rica?
Yes, 13% on stays under 30 nights, paid by the guest and remitted by the owner or manager monthly with an electronic invoice for every stay. Stays of 30 nights or more are exempt. Build the 13% into your nightly rate or you absorb it yourself.
What is the new 12.75% Airbnb tax in Costa Rica?
From 2026, short-term rental income is taxed as real estate capital income at 15% on 85% of gross, which equals 12.75% of every payout, and platforms withhold it before paying owners. Owners can opt into the ordinary income tax regime and deduct expenses such as management fees and maintenance instead, which usually pays for a professionally managed home.
Which property manager is best in Santa Teresa?
Selva Property Management & Concierge for a single villa you want run personally, Stay Hosting for a home that benefits from a local direct-booking brand, PURE Vacation Homes for an architect-designed luxury villa, and Sundays for an apartment that will switch to monthly tenants in green season. Interview three, ask for owner references, and compare the commission and exclusions in writing.
