One bedroom and studio apartments in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for rent three blocks from the beach. The apartments are located on Calle 44 btw 10 Ave & 15 Ave.  All utilities and cable TV and Wireless Internet are included. You can also access the rooftop terrace and lounge with sea views of the Carribean.

Available short term for $30.00 USD per day, $500.00 per week, or rent by the month for $850.00USD.

Contact: Melissa Meno at  984 745 02 74 English/Espanol
Email: croccondos@gmail.com

Property management is provided by Vimex Condos who have a friendly bilingual staff ready to assist you. Please contact them through their website for more information.

This off the beaten tourist path location translates into lower prices and a variety of Mexican art and deco items that’s distinctively different from what you will find on 5th Ave. You can visit their blog here.

Rinconada del Sol is located in Centro Playa del Carmen. It may be the perfect location, only a block from Mega with the Perlas Mall next door. Walmart is four blocks away, 5th Ave is three blocks, the beach five.

Vacation rentals available now, and three to six month rentals are available May 1, 2008. Three month rental is $1300 per month plus electricity. Six month rental is $1200 per month plus electricity. Email janaita@yahoo.com for more information.

Fifth Avenue and the beach will be 15 or 20 minute walk down Constituyentes or 14th.   It would be easy to live at Torres del Carmen without a vehicle assuming your were not commuting to work some distance. Taxis  are plentiful at Mega and up and down Constituyentes as well as 30th Avenue. You’ll also find the local buses and collectivos on 30th.

Note: If you’re looking for a place with friendly, fair and professional property management who speak English, we highly recommend Vimex Condos . We were lucky to find a long term rental through Vimex.

• Location, location, location. How close will you be to where you want to be? Most of us would love to live beachfront, but find that cost prohibitive.
• If you don’t have an ocean view, is it worth the extra money to live a block or two block from the beach instead of five or six.
• How much construction is around your location? Are you going to listen to construction noise from 7am to 7pm everyday.
• How are the roads? Will the roads turn to mud and puddles during the rainy season? Will dust be a problem when the roads are dry?
• Will you need a car to get around town? How far is it to shopping, restaurants, bars, and the beach.
• How is the maintenance of the common areas? Sometimes an individual apartment is well maintained and furnished, but the common areas are not well maintained.
• Is there a pool? If so, is the pool clean? Is there pool furniture, and if so, is it clean and in good condition.
• Where will you dump your trash and is the trash area reasonably maintained?
• Who is responsible for the propane gas, electricity, and water bills?
• Who pays for maintenance and security?
• Is Telmex phone service available? Confirm with an active dial tone or check directly with Tel-Mex.
• Is Telmex DSL Internet available? Again confirm - don’t assume anything with regard to cable, Internet, or telephone.
• Is Cablemas available?
• Is Cablemas Internet available? Cable TV maybe available and Internet NOT be available.
• If you must use Playa Wireless Internet, who pays for the special wireless equipment?
• Is satelite television available? Who provides service – Sky?
• Who will you call if there is a problem with the apartment? Does the contact speak your language and keep office hours? Is there a 24 hour contact.
• Who pays to ‘board up’ for hurricanes. Who makes it happen?
• If the apartment is furnished, is it adequate for your needs?
• Are there adequate kitchen cabinets and bedroom closets? Storage can be skimpy in some units.
• Can you paint the interior if you desire?
• If furnished, is the mattress and box spring satisfactory?
• Is there hot water?
• Is the refrigerator large enough?
• Do you have a washer and dryer? (Not that common.) If not, how far to the nearest lavanderia?
• Do the drains flow properly and do the toilets flush properly? Check them.
• How’s the water pressure in the showers?
• What is the source of the water? Is it municipal water or water from a cistern? If the water is from a cistern, how often is it filled.
• Are there enough electrical outlets where you need them? Is there an outlet in the bathrooms. Can you work around any shortage?
• Do the lights and outlets all work?
• Is the contract notorized or not? Notorized contracts can cost you an extra $200 to initiate and are more easily enforced in the courts. Many landlords provide a more friendly rental agreement.
• Is there a provision in your lease agreement to terminate the lease early if it becomes necessary. Generally this provision will require an appropriate notice and sacrifice of your deposit.
• Is the deposit more than one months rent?
• Will the lease term get you through the high season or will you be left negotiating a new lease when rental properties are most in demand?
• Is the property managed by a reputable management company who speaks your language?
• Is there security? For first floor units, are there burglar bars on the windows?
• Is there a dead bolt on the front door?
• Is there a full time maintenance person?
• How convenient is it to get your house water? The five gallon bottles weigh about 30 pounds…is there someone to haul these for you or will you have to do it yourself.
• Is there an elevator? Very convenient if you’re on an upper floor with a load of groceries from Sam’s Club.
• Is there hand rails on the stairs? If hand rails are important to you be observant. Many places do not have hand rails.
• Is there adequate covered or uncovered parking for your car, scooter, and/or bikes?
• Is there a speed bump - topes – outside your window? Speed bumps create lots of traffic noise when cars and particularly trucks accelerate after crossing.
• Is your balcony or patio face the street or face a garden area?
• How private are your window exposures?
• Are your pets allowed? What about barking dogs? Quiet today doesn’t mean it will be quiet tomorrow, but you might want to check to see if there are dogs visible from your door or balcony. If so, they’ll most likely bark at some point. Does it bother you?
• Is the neighborhood suitable for you?
• Are there clubs, restaurants, bars, or tourist traffic that might create more noise than you’re prepared to deal with?
• If the condo is in Playacar, will you have satisfactory beach access?

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!