Authorities want better enforcement for condos, homes used as vacation rentals

April 4^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com)  The Ministry of Finance and the Costa Rican Tourism Institute are joining forces to detect those that offer lodging outside of the law.

This comes after the director of the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels, Flora Ayub, reported that Chamber members suffered unfair competition from condos being rented to tourists as vacation rentals, but without charging and paying the necessary social taxes to do so.

Tourism Minister, Allan Flores, said yesterday that they were working together with Hacienda tax authorities to establish a decree to force those offering such lodging into compliance.

Authorities say that just last year they detected 50 establishments that were operating outside the law in Manuel Antonio, Quepos and Jaco, including apartments, homes, condos, and other accomodations, and were possibly evading sales, income, and other taxes.