Ulvia and I own a condo in Salinas, Ecuador, and we spend part of every year here. If you are coming to rent, I would not sign a long lease after a weekend walk on the beach. Stay in the neighborhood first, then look at buildings with a clearer head.
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This page is how I would search for a rental, what I would check in a building, and the paperwork that usually comes with a lease. It is not legal advice, and it is not a buying guide. Before you sign anything, have a local lawyer read the contract.
If you are still on the road from Guayaquil, start with Arriving in Salinas, Ecuador. Groceries, getting around, a clinic, and ATMs are in Your first 30 days in Salinas, Ecuador.
Where I would look first
The area I would point a newcomer to is the malecón and San Lorenzo. That stretch puts you close to the beach, the restaurants, and a walkable daily routine.
Salinas has calmer pockets and busier ones. San Lorenzo is livelier. Chipipe, just along the bay, is quieter and more family-oriented. Either can work. What matters is that you can walk to the malecón, that a taxi can find the gate, and that the building feels like a place you would come home to at night.
The municipality of Salinas calls the town the main beach resort on mainland Ecuador, about 140 kilometers from Guayaquil. Weekends are often busier because people come out from the city. That is one reason I would stay more than a couple of nights before I chose a unit.
Stay a while, then look locally
My advice is to stay on Airbnb first, then look locally. A short stay lets you test the noise, the water pressure, the elevator, and how the block feels after dark.
Once you are here, two of the most useful channels are Facebook expat groups and the people who already work in the buildings. Guards and administrators often know which units are about to come free, sometimes before anything is posted online. Be polite, be clear about your dates, and do not treat a hallway conversation as a contract.
I would not decide from photos alone. Walk the unit in daylight, and again in the evening if you can.
A short stay while you search
Ulvia and I co-host our condo, La Siesta, Piso 6A, in Salinas, on Airbnb. If it is available for your dates, you are welcome to use it as a base while you look. I own it, so I want that to be clear. [LINK: La Siesta Airbnb listing]
If our place is not open, or you would rather compare a few buildings, a short hotel or apartment stay in Salinas, Ecuador, is a practical way to start.
[AFFILIATE: Booking.com Salinas stays]
What to check in the building
The unit matters, but the building often matters more. These are the things I would check before I got attached to a view.
The monthly condo fee, or alícuota, and who pays it. In Ecuador, condo owners contribute to the building’s common expenses — security, elevators, cleaning, pumps, and the like — in proportion to their unit. In a rental, that fee may stay with the owner or be passed through to you. Ask for the current monthly amount, what it covers, whether special assessments are pending, and who pays it. Get that in writing in the lease. I am not quoting typical fees here, because they vary by building.
Water pressure and the cistern. Go to the bathroom and the kitchen and actually run the taps, especially if the unit is on a higher floor. Ask how the building stores water, whether there is a cistern and a pump, and what happens when municipal pressure drops. Confirm drinking-water arrangements with the host or landlord; I covered our own habits in Your first 30 days in Salinas, Ecuador.
A backup generator. Power on the peninsula is not always uninterrupted. In 2024, Ecuador ran scheduled nationwide rationing during a severe drought, and those cuts reached Salinas and the rest of Santa Elena. The province has also had local outages when transmission equipment failed, including a stretch in early 2026 before service was restored. Ask whether the building has a generator, what it actually powers — elevators, water pumps, common lights, or only a guard post — and how often it is tested.
Security and guards. Many beachfront buildings have a gate and a guard. Visit at more than one time of day. Ask how entry works for residents, guests, and deliveries, and whether someone is on duty overnight.
Ocean view versus street noise. A direct view of the bay is lovely, and it can also mean more wind, more weekend activity on the malecón, and more noise at night. Spend an evening in the unit if the owner will allow it. A slightly quieter place a block off the malecón can be the better one to sleep in.
Also ask about house rules, pets, parking, and how the administrator prefers to be contacted. If the unit is furnished, walk through an inventory and take photos on the day you receive the keys. Ecuador’s tenancy law says a furnished rental contract should include a written inventory and valuation of the furniture.
Leases, deposits, and the paperwork
Ecuador has used the U.S. dollar since January 9, 2000, so rents are quoted and paid in dollars. You do not change money to sign a lease.
Have the agreement in writing, in Spanish, even though the law also recognizes verbal contracts. A handshake or a WhatsApp thread is a hard thing to prove later. I would not sign a Spanish-language lease I did not fully understand. Pay a local lawyer to review it. This page is not a substitute for that.
Under the Ley de Inquilinato, if the monthly rent is more than one unified basic wage — $482 a month in 2026, a figure that is set each year — the contract must be in writing, and the landlord is supposed to register it with a notary within 30 days of signing.
A security deposit, or garantía, is common, but the current law does not require one. In practice, landlords and tenants often agree on one or two months’ rent. If you pay a deposit, the contract should say how much it is, when it can be used, and how and when it will be returned. Keep a receipt.
One more legal point that surprises people: in many written residential leases, the tenant has a right to a minimum term of two years, with exceptions, including certain short or temporary stays. If you only want a place for a few months, do not assume a one-year clause, or a handshake about leaving early, will work the way it would at home. Ask a local lawyer how the rule applies to your dates and your contract.
The National Assembly has been considering reforms to this law. Until a change is published, the current rules are the ones that matter.
High season and timing
Salinas, Ecuador, is a year-round town, but it is not equally busy every month. The warmer stretch from about December through April is high season on this coast, with more visitors and tighter lodging. There is another busy period when schools in the Sierra are on vacation, typically around July and August. National holidays, long weekends, and visitors from Guayaquil can fill buildings even outside those months.
If you are hoping to rent for a season, start looking before the crowd arrives. I will not invent rental prices here; they move with the calendar and the building. Weather and packing are in Your first 30 days in Salinas, Ecuador, and a later guide will go deeper on the seasons.
FAQ
Where would you tell a newcomer to look?
The malecón and San Lorenzo. Chipipe is a calmer stretch of the same bay. Live there a few weeks before you commit to a longer lease.
How do I find a rental in Salinas, Ecuador?
Stay on Airbnb first, then look locally. Use Facebook expat groups, and ask building guards and administrators about units that may be coming available.
What should I check in a building?
The monthly alícuota and who pays it, water pressure and the cistern, whether there is a backup generator and what it powers, security and guards, and whether the view is worth the noise.
Is a written contract required?
I would always want one, in Spanish, reviewed by a local lawyer. The law also recognizes verbal contracts, but if the monthly rent is above one unified basic wage ($482 in 2026), the contract must be in writing and the landlord should register it with a notary within 30 days.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
The current tenancy law does not require a garantía, but many landlords ask for one, often one or two months’ rent. Put the amount and the return conditions in the contract, and keep a receipt. This is not legal advice.
When is high season?
Roughly December through April, and again during Sierra school vacations around July and August. Weekends and holidays can be busy in any month.
Sources
Ley de Inquilinato, official text hosted by gob.ec (written and verbal contracts, Art. 27; two-year minimum term and exceptions, Art. 28; written contract and notarial registration when rent exceeds one unified basic wage, Art. 29; furnished inventory, Art. 24): https://www.gob.ec/sites/default/files/regulations/2025-10/LEY_DE_INQUILINATO.pdf
Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, official text hosted by gob.ec (owners contribute to common expenses in proportion to their unit, Art. 5): https://www.gob.ec/sites/default/files/regulations/2024-11/LEY_DE_PROPIEDAD_HORIZONTAL.pdf
Ministerio del Trabajo, Acuerdo Ministerial MDT-2025-195 (unified basic wage for 2026 set at $482 a month, effective January 1, 2026): https://www.trabajo.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2026/01/ACUERDO-MINISTERIAL-MDT-2025-195.pdf
Primicias, keys to the Ley de Inquilinato (verbal or written contracts, notarial registration above one basic wage, deposits not required by law, common practice of one or two months’ rent): https://www.primicias.ec/economia/ley-inquilinato-arrendador-inquilino-ecuador-127061/
El Comercio, what the Ley de Inquilinato says about evictions, deposits, and contracts: https://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/ecuador/que-dice-ley-inquilinato-ecuador-desalojos-garantias-contratos/
Lupa, fact-check that the current Ley de Inquilinato does not require a rental deposit: https://lupa.com.ec/verificaciones/ley-inquilinato-garantia-arrendar/
Central Bank of Ecuador, institutional history (dollarization, January 9, 2000): https://www.bce.fin.ec/en/central-bank-of-ecuador/history/
Municipality of Salinas, “Qué hacer y visitar” (main mainland beach resort, 140 kilometers from Guayaquil, tourism calendar): https://www.salinas.gob.ec/index.php/turismo/que-hacer-y-visitar
Anywhere, Salinas travel guide (December–April as the busiest season): https://www.anywhere.com/ecuador/destinations/salinas
TopTravel, Salinas and the Pacific route (December–April warmer season; July and August as high season during Sierra school vacations): https://toptravel.ec/destinos/ecuador/salinas/
Teleamazonas, reporting the Ministry of Education calendar for the Sierra-Amazonía 2025–2026 school year (classes end June 26, 2026): https://www.teleamazonas.com/actualidad/noticias/sociedad/clases-vacaciones-regimen-sierra-amazonia-2026/
El Universo, CNEL power-rationing schedules in Santa Elena, including Salinas, November 3, 2024, during the national drought crisis: https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecuador/horarios-de-cortes-de-luz-en-santa-elena-este-domingo-3-de-noviembre-segun-cnel-nota/
Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, press bulletin No. 233 (March 27, 2026): electric service in Santa Elena normalized after work on the provincial transmission substation: https://www.ambienteyenergia.gob.ec/gobierno-nacional-normaliza-el-servicio-electrico-en-santa-elena-y-cubre-el-100-de-la-demanda-tras-intervencion-en-subestacion-de-transmision/