Two seasons — plan for both
High season (mid-Dec–April): premium rates, strong occupancy. Green season (May–Nov): rain, fewer tourists, softer ADR — Sept/Oct are the floor.
Blended year or bust. Peak-only math is fiction.
Price dynamically, don't just discount
Drop rates in the trough on purpose. Empty at peak ADR loses to booked at a lower night.
Cut minimum stays in slow months. Capture weekends you’d otherwise miss.
Change the guest, not just the price
Court monthlies: remote workers, snowbirds, surfers (swell is good in green season). Weekly/monthly discounts land them.
Fast wifi + a desk + a monthly rate turns dead weeks into low-churn income.
Run the return calculator
Net after fees and VAT — not the loud gross number.
Model green-season occupancy in the calculatorFrequently asked questions
When is the low season in Costa Rica?
The green (low) season runs May through November, coinciding with the rainy season. September and October are typically the slowest months, while mid-December through April is high season.
How do I keep my Costa Rica rental booked in the off season?
Use dynamic pricing to lower rates intelligently, reduce minimum stays, and target longer-stay guests — digital nomads, monthly snowbirds, and surfers — with weekly and monthly discounts plus fast internet and a workspace.
Is green season bad for Airbnb in Costa Rica?
Softer, not dead. Rain, good surf, remote workers, budget travelers. Operators who reprice and court monthlies keep occupancy. Peak-only hosts go dark.
Should I offer monthly rentals in Costa Rica?
In the green season, yes — monthly stays from remote workers and snowbirds convert otherwise-empty weeks into steady revenue, with lower turnover, cleaning, and management effort than nightly bookings.
Written by Patrick Beland
STR expert and investor — software developer, house flipper, former realtor in Canada, and short-term rental investor across Canada and Costa Rica, now based in Playas del Coco. I write from my own books, not a brochure. About
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