Guides
Real estate guides
How to buy, sell, rent and finance a property in Ecuador, explained step by step with the law and each city's official procedures.
24 guides
Buying, selling and renting
- How to buy a property in EcuadorThe whole path of a home purchase in Ecuador: which certificates to ask for, the promise of sale, municipal transfer taxes, the deed at the notary and the inscription in the Property Registry.Read the guide
- How to sell a property in EcuadorWhich documents to prepare before listing, how to set the price, which taxes the sale triggers (plusvalía, alcabala, income tax) and how it closes at the notary and the Property Registry.Read the guide
- How to rent in Ecuador: a guide for tenants and landlordsThe basics of the Tenancy Law (Ley de Inquilinato): verbal or written leases, notary registration, the two-year minimum term, the rent cap, grounds for termination, notice and what happens if the property is sold.Read the guide
- Mortgages in Ecuador: BIESS and banksWhat a mortgage loan is, who can borrow from BIESS and on which published terms, how it works with a bank or credit union, and the steps from pre-qualification to recording the mortgage.Read the guide
- Buying off-plan (pre-construction) in EcuadorHow buying a home under construction works: the promise of sale, payments as the works progress, the real-estate trust, the risks and the checklist of what to verify before you sign.Read the guide
- Buying property in Ecuador as a foreignerWhat the law says about foreigners buying a house, an apartment or land in Ecuador: the same rights, the zones where you cannot buy, how to sign from abroad with a power of attorney and how a purchase relates to the investor visa.Read the guide
- Vacation rentals: rules and registrationWhat you need to offer your house or apartment to tourists by the night in Ecuador: the Tourism Registry, the municipal licence (LUAF), the guest register, personal data and what changes in Quito, Cuenca and Salinas.Read the guide
- Rental contracts in Ecuador: what to sign and how a lease endsThe lease under the Tenancy Law (Ley de Inquilinato): when it must be written and registered before a notary, the minimum term, rent increases, the deposit, grounds for termination and eviction notice, with a checklist of clauses to review before signing.Read the guide
- Mortgages: BIESS vs. private banksHow to choose between a BIESS mortgage and one from a bank, mutual society or credit union: who can apply for each, how to apply, what to compare (effective rate, term, insurance, costs) and where the official simulators and rates are.Read the guide
- Property tax and alcabala in Ecuador, canton by cantonHow property tax (predial), the transfer tax (alcabala) and the tax on gains from selling a property work under the COOTAD: who pays, when, how the appraisal is set, and where to check and pay in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Salinas and Manta.Read the guide
Reference
- Ecuador real-estate glossaryThe words of buying, selling or renting in Ecuador explained in a line: escritura, minuta, promesa de compraventa, alcabala, plusvalía, avalúo catastral, certificado de gravámenes, Registro de la Propiedad, predial and more.Read the guide
- Price per m² in Ecuador 2026What sellers ask per square metre in each canton of Ecuador, with figures computed every month from the platform's live listings, and how to read them against the closing price and the cadastral appraisal.Read the guide
By city: buying and moving
- Buying a property in QuitoWhat is specific to buying in the Metropolitan District of Quito: the encumbrance certificate from the DMQ Property Registry, the Informe de Regulación Metropolitana (IRM) and the district's parishes.Read the guide
- Buying a property in GuayaquilWhat is specific to buying in Guayaquil: the Municipality's Certificado de Avalúos y Registro de Predio Urbano, the Guayaquil Property Registry's certificates and the canton's parishes.Read the guide
- Buying a property in CuencaWhat is specific to buying in Cuenca: the certificates of the Dirección General de Avalúos y Catastros, the Cuenca canton Property Registry and the urban and rural parishes.Read the guide
- Buying a property in MantaWhat is specific to buying in Manta: the Property Registry's solvency certificate on the Municipality's Citizen Portal, the municipal certificates and the canton's parishes.Read the guide
- Buying a property in SalinasWhat is specific to buying in Salinas (Santa Elena): the Property Registry and the online property look-up of the Municipality of Salinas, and the canton's parishes.Read the guide
- Buying a property in SamborondónWhat is specific to buying in Samborondón: the Municipality's online certificates (ownership history, encumbrances, appraisal, land use) and the parishes of La Puntilla, Samborondón and Tarifa.Read the guide
- Moving to Cuenca: a practical guideWhat to know before moving to Cuenca: urban and rural parishes, the Historic Centre, healthcare and online municipal services, visas for foreigners, and why to rent first before buying.Read the guide
- Moving to Salinas: a practical guideWhat to know before moving to Salinas, in Santa Elena: parishes and beaches, living year-round in a resort town, healthcare and services, visas for foreigners, and why to rent first before buying.Read the guide
Neighbourhoods
- Living in Cumbayá (Quito)Cumbayá, a rural parish of the Metropolitan District of Quito in the Tumbaco valley: getting there on the Ruta Viva, the El Chaquiñán linear park and what to check before buying or renting.Read the guide
- Living by La Carolina (Quito)The area around La Carolina park in Quito's hipercentro: the 61.35-hectare metropolitan park, the Iñaquito and La Carolina Metro stations, and what to check before buying or renting.Read the guide
- Living in Samborondón: La Puntilla and the vía a SamborondónLa Puntilla, an urban parish of the Samborondón canton across from Guayaquil: where it is, which municipality runs it, the Samborondón avenue and what to check before buying or renting.Read the guide
- Living (or holidaying) in SalinasSalinas, the "Capital del Sol" of Santa Elena province: beaches, La Chocolatera, whale season, sailing and surfing, and what to check before buying or renting a beach apartment.Read the guide