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Finding a Long Term Rental in Playa del Carmen
By Editor | August 8, 2007
Are you going to rent or buy in Playa del Carmen? This will be one of the first questions you will have to answer when you make the decision to move to Playa. Of course, your financial resources will be a major factor in that decision. For some of us, buying is simply not a good option. However, no matter your financial strength, it might be wise to live here for six months or a year before you make the decision to buy. God forbid, but you may simply hate it here.
I strongly recommend that you come to Playa before renting. While you can find photos and descriptions on the Internet, there are many factors to consider that will require your presence. Number one is location. When leasing, location is just as important as it is when buying. You will find pictures of lovely condos on the Internet, but you will want to observe the location firsthand. What if the condo is at the end of an unpaved road that turns into a muddy mess when it rains? What if there is new construction next door that generates annoying construction noise 10 to 12 hours a day? Perhaps the condo or apartment that looks so great on the Internet has common areas that are not maintained. What about security? What about access to cable and high speed Internet? These are the kind of things you’ll want to check out first hand.
Here are my suggestions for finding a long term rental in Playa del Carmen.
1) A month or two before you arrive, begin to monitor the rental ads online at www.Andale.com.mx. They’re in Spanish. You can use an online translator to help in your understanding, but if your Spanish is weak you may still find it difficult. Nevertheless, you will get some idea of availability and price.
2) A couple weeks before arriving, make contact with the advertisers of properties that interest you. Explain exactly what you’re looking for, when you want to move in, and how long you want to lease for. I recommend that you make contact by email if possible. It will be easier to keep your options sorted out.
3) Make a post on yucatan.craigslist.org detailing what you’re looking for. This is not a very active resource at the time of this writing, but you never know what may come from your post. It’s free, and only takes a moment.
4) Prior to your arrival, make appointments to see any properties that are interesting to you. This will give you a quick introduction to the type of properties available and their location - but don’t skip the next step.
5) Once you decide on the area of Playa where you want to live, put on your walking shoes and look for ‘Se Renta’ signs on doors, gates, and balconies. This is important because many properties in Playa are not advertised in any other way. You are also more likely to find a place that you can rent directly, without a property manager or agent, and therefore save yourself some money. Also check the bulletin board at Walmart.
6) Double check any statements regarding the availability of phone service, cable, and Internet. By double checking, I mean go to Cablemas and TelMex to check availability of service at the specific address. Failure to do this may lead to an unpleasant suprise. Of course, if the home, apartment, or condo is occupied, you might be able to check the service personally if currently installed. It’s also very important to find out what’s included and what is not. All inclusive leases will seem very high, but electricity can easily run $300.00 a month. If electricity is included, the a higher rent may be justified. Propane gas and water will not be a big factor in your cost of living here.
7) Consider the noise environment. Apartments along 5th Avenue can be quite noisy. Complexes that rent primarily to tourists on a weekly basis can be noisy. Consider traffic noise if the property is along a major street or avenue.
8) Do you have a language barrier with your landlord or property manager? If you can’t communicate well with your landlord, then any problems that may arise during your lease will be difficult to resolve.
9) Negotiate your lease. It was our experience in almost every case that the rent went up if we showed any interest in the property. Usually it was a maintenance or security fee that was not included in the original price quotation. I recommend that you ask for a detailed breakdown of the rent before you look at the property. Additionally, if you’re serious about a property, I would try to negotiate a lower price. It never hurts to ask. We were able to negotiate a $100.00 USD reduction in our monthly rent in return for a one year lease.
10) You’ll no doubt meet locals who have the ideal place for you or will want to assist you in finding a place. That can be helpful, but be careful and don’t be hustled. One man saw us copying the phone number from a ’Se Renta’ sign. He introduced himself and wanted to assist us with the property as if that was his business. He quoted us a price that turned out to be $200.00 USD higher than the price the owner quoted us. On another ocassion, a waiter at a restaurant offered to show us an apartment in his complex when he learned we were looking for place to live. The apartment turned out to be quite nice, fairly priced, well maintained, and one we seriously considered. You never know, but be cautious about turning your search over to a well intentioned third party who may not really know the market or be in the business.
Long term rentals are available in Playa del Carmen. (You might want to check here - great folks.) Don’t feel pressured to rent something long term over the Internet because it may not be available when you arrive. If you’re arriving in the summer months, it’s a renter’s market. Even during the high season, there will be properties available for long term lease.
Good luck with your search!
Topics: Housing |
3 Responses to “Finding a Long Term Rental in Playa del Carmen”
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August 25th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Hi there, we are moving to Playa September 5th from Florida. I am wondering what to do about our phone service - the easiet and most affordable way to call the US. Cell phones, landlines, both? Thanks for your help!
August 28th, 2007 at 10:22 am
[...] writing in response to Kathy’s comment about phone service. We made a couple of mistakes here, so it’s a very good [...]
September 18th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Hi there! Thank you so much for your helpful information on the phone situation. We got Vonage before we left the US and it works great here. So we officially moved here last week! We have been here for 12 whole days and we are loving every minute of it. We live on Calle 30th inbetween 5th and 10th. I have shared your blog site as well as your info. on the phones to our friends and everyone really appreciates it! My husband and I would love to meet you guys for a drink one night if possible. Just to say thanks in person. =) my email is kathycondrey@gmail.com - shoot me an email and hopefully we can meet up at some point. Thanks again for all of your help! -Kathy and Taylor