Pro#1: Renting keeps your options open.
As what you’ve seen from the previous chapter, there are lots of places in Mexico you can choose from. Your area of choice highly depends on your purpose, and the basic amenities you think that place can provide. However, as what the old adage says, you’ll never know unless you try.
You thought you want something but turns out you don’t, renting will give you the option of quitting before committing!
The main advantage of renting a place is that you don’t really need to commit yet to a certain neighborhood or house or whatnot. You can keep your options open before you finally decide what kind of place you would want to settle in for the long term.
Pro#2: Renting is flexible
In terms of financing your rent, this method gives you a very flexible option. You can rent for as short as a few weeks to a few months just to see what it will be like in that particular place or area, and you can also rent for the long term (5 years). You can also sublet your chosen apartment or house if say you’re going away for an indefinite period of time. Win – win!
Pro#3: Renting only requires a minimum investment
Obviously, you do not need to go through the hassle of arranging real estate matters like property taxes, and won’t need to pay a huge mortgage as compared to when you’re buying your own property. You just need to pay a deposit for the first month of your stay (depends on the conditions of your landlord), and from there pay rent every month or whatever you and your landlord agreed to.
The rental prices on average costs around $350 to $1,200/ month depending on how large the house is, the location (obviously if the house is in a remote place or far from the city center, it’ll be much cheaper – unless it’s in front of a beach or around famous tourist spots), and the season (rental prices are at its peak around Nov – Apr; July – Aug).
Con#1: Housing arrangement/style/structure
Of course, you can’t rent a place that you exactly like, and to your specifications. One way or another, there’ll be something that you may not like in your chosen home but that’s how it goes; you didn’t build it in the first place. Most of the homes and apartments for rent are already fully furnished, the interior design may not be to your liking, and the choices could be limited depending on the area you want to be accommodated in.
Con#2: Landlords and Leaking Roofs
You might get to deal with Mexican landlords that are hard to talk to or come to an agreement to, which is why a rental contract or a written agreement is probably best so that you’ll have something to show as proof that you agreed with the terms and conditions. According to most expats, the people managing the places are sometimes hard to talk to and even find! Make sure to get a receipt every time you pay your rent, and keep it.
When it comes to maintenance, make sure that the house is in good, if not best condition; otherwise you’ll have difficulty managing it. It’s also ideal that you talk to the previous renters if you can or the neighbors around just to learn a thing or two about what happened to the previous renter and why he/she moved out so that you’ll have an idea of how the landlord manages the renters/house.
Good-humored, practical,and insightful, Downey’s travel books offer useful information in an easily accessible format. 