If I rent a house or apartment in Panama, do I need to hire an attorney?

It is not required to hire an attorney when renting a house or apartment in Panama but you may choose to hire an attorney when signing an agreement for peace of mind, to guarantee your terms are met, and to be sure you added all the necessary clauses to protect you as a renter. Laws can vary from country to country. 

 

I have rented several homes in Panama and I have never hired an attorney for either one and have been lucky thus far. The process...

It is not required to hire an attorney when renting a house or apartment in Panama but you may choose to hire an attorney when signing an agreement for peace of mind, to guarantee your terms are met, and to be sure you added all the necessary clauses to protect you as a renter. Laws can vary from country to country. 

 

I have rented several homes in Panama and I have never hired an attorney for either one and have been lucky thus far. The process is similar to the U.S. You negotiate the terms and sign a typical lease that is commonly printed in Spanish and English.

I definitely suggest that you hire an attorney if you are purchasing a house or apartment in Panama. For renting, you wouldn’t need an attorney unless you would need somebody to review the documents that are generally in Spanish. Most contracts are translated to English but the contract that is actually signed and is legally enforceable is the Spanish version of the contract.
 
So if you have issues with the language, I suggest you have somebody that you trust read that...

I definitely suggest that you hire an attorney if you are purchasing a house or apartment in Panama. For renting, you wouldn’t need an attorney unless you would need somebody to review the documents that are generally in Spanish. Most contracts are translated to English but the contract that is actually signed and is legally enforceable is the Spanish version of the contract.
 
So if you have issues with the language, I suggest you have somebody that you trust read that contract for you so that there is no discrepancy between the English version and the Spanish version.  

 

(US university graduate and half Panamanian real estate consultant, Ryan Vidal  of Punta Pacifico Realty, San Francisco, Panama City, Panama, pictured.)