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Panama · Vivienda y mudanza

Alquilar en Panama

Partially verified Última verificación June 15, 2026 Reviewed by Henry van de Vorming

Panama, and especially Panama City, has an accessible rental market for incoming nomads: foreigners can sign a residential lease on a passport, without residency status, and have the same renting rights as nationals. Standard unfurnished leases run about one year (the usual minimum for a residential lease, negotiable upward), but furnished apartments aimed at expats and shorter terms are widely available in neighborhoods like Costa del Este, Punta Pacifica, Marbella/Avenida Balboa and El Cangrejo. The single biggest nomad-specific catch is the short-term rental rule: in the District of Panama, rentals under 45 days are prohibited without a tourism-lodging permit from the ATP (Ley 80 de 2012, Art. 21; fines of B/.5,000-B/.50,000), pushing most furnished/Airbnb stays toward monthly-or-longer terms. The 45-day rule applies across the district, including the historic Casco Antiguo (Casco Viejo); that zone is not blanket-exempt, but as a designated tourism area it is where ATP lodging permits that legalize shorter stays are more readily obtained. Contracts are legally valid only in Spanish (the Spanish version controls), and the security deposit (typically one month's rent) is, by law, consigned to the Ministry of Housing (MIVIOT) rather than held by the landlord.

Lo básico del alquiler

Contrato habitual
1 año
Fianza
1 mes(es) de renta
Amueblado
Amueblado + sin amueblar
Mercado de media estancia
Mercado de media estancia fuerte
Registro de domicilio
No obligatorio

Comisión de agencia: Realtor commission on a rental is customarily one month's rent and is paid by the landlord, so tenants who go through an agency usually pay no agency fee. There is no legal cap on agency fees and no statutory ban on charging tenants. ACOBIR (the Panamanian real-estate association) operates a multiple listing service, MLS Acobir, though it is not used universally, so listings remain fragmented across portals and agencies and brokers may split commissions. Renting directly from an owner avoids the cost entirely. Using a broker who is licensed and an ACOBIR member is recommended for verification.

Tus derechos como inquilino

Residential tenancies are governed by Law 93 of 1973 (building on the Civil Code), administered by the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (MIVIOT), and foreigners have the same rights as nationals. The security deposit must be consigned to MIVIOT and can be applied only to unpaid rent or tenant-caused damage; it is returned at the end of the lease absent a valid claim. Tenants may terminate a lease with 30 days' written notice. Registering the contract with MIVIOT gives both sides dispute protection. The strongest statutory protections (e.g. controlled rent increases) apply specifically to low-rent housing of about USD 150/month or less, so high-end leases - which most expat rentals are - are largely freely negotiated.

Conviene saber

  • Foreigners can rent on a passport with the same rights as nationals - no residency or visa status required to sign a lease
  • Panama uses the US dollar, so rents are quoted in USD with no FX risk or conversion for many nomads
  • Security deposit is legally consigned to the Ministry of Housing (MIVIOT), not held by the landlord, reducing deposit-return disputes
  • Agency commission (about one month's rent) is customarily paid by the landlord, so tenants typically pay no agency fee
  • Furnished, expat-ready apartments and monthly stays are widely available in central Panama City neighborhoods

A tener en cuenta

  • The 45-day minimum-stay rule in the District of Panama (Ley 80 de 2012) bans sub-45-day rentals without an ATP tourism-lodging permit; it applies district-wide, including Casco Antiguo, so true short-stay options are limited unless the host holds a permit
  • Lease contracts are legally valid only in Spanish (the Spanish version controls) - get a reliable translation before signing
  • Standard unfurnished leases default to about one year; shorter terms are negotiable but less standardized
  • Landlords often ask foreigners for proof of income, references, or extra months upfront in lieu of a local credit history
  • There is no legal cap on agency fees and listing coverage is fragmented (ACOBIR's MLS is not used by everyone), so listings and broker practices vary - verifying a broker via ACOBIR is advisable

Dónde buscar

Encuentra24CompreoalquileGogetitAirbnb (monthly/30+ day stays)Local agencies / ACOBIR-member brokers

Las plataformas se enumeran solo a título orientativo — no las respaldamos ni las clasificamos.

Alquilar en Panama: preguntas frecuentes

Alquilar en Panama: preguntas frecuentes

¿Cuánta fianza necesito para alquilar en Panama?

Los propietarios suelen pedir alrededor de 1 mes de renta como fianza, además del primer mes por adelantado, más cualquier comisión de agencia (realtor commission on a rental is customarily one month's rent and is paid by the landlord, so tenants who go through an agency usually pay no agency fee. there is no legal cap on agency fees and no statutory ban on charging tenants. acobir (the panamanian real-estate association) operates a multiple listing service, mls acobir, though it is not used universally, so listings remain fragmented across portals and agencies and brokers may split commissions. renting directly from an owner avoids the cost entirely. using a broker who is licensed and an acobir member is recommended for verification.). Cuenta con esa suma como un pago único antes de llegar.

¿Tengo que registrar mi domicilio en Panama?

El registro de domicilio no es un requisito general para los residentes de corta estancia aquí, pero comprueba si tu visado concreto o un banco necesitan un justificante de domicilio.

¿Puedo encontrar alquileres amueblados o de corta estancia en Panama?

Amueblado + sin amueblar y el mercado de media estancia en el que se apoyan los nómadas es mercado de media estancia fuerte. Empieza tu búsqueda en Encuentra24, Compreoalquile, Gogetit.

Fuentes