Finding The Best Rentals in Mexico

Mexico has seen an extreme boom in the number of people relocating from Canada and the U.S. in recent years.

Mainly after the pandemic because there was a surge in the number of people who either became remote workers or decided life was too short and retired earlier.

Now, what does this have to do with finding the best rentals? Let me explain

Search Where The Locals Search

Time and time again, I’ve seen the rising costs of rentals advertised online. And it begs the question, “who are they advertising these rentals to?”

They’re not for locals- they are targeting foreigners. Foreigners whose dollars afford them a higher cost of living in Mexico. Your dollars have significantly more purchasing power in Mexico. But that doesn’t mean that just because you can afford it, you’re not overpaying.

This is why I want to share how to find the best rentals in Mexico.

If you’re looking for inexpensive rentals, you won’t find them on the various expat groups. These groups are not meant for locals. They are meant to give English speakers a platform to share information.

You have to search like a local would search. That includes learning some common keywords when you start your search.

Keywords such as:

Rentas baratas (name of city)
Rentas económicas (name of city)
Departamento barato (name of city)
Casas baratas en renta (name of city)

And I also want to point out that it doesn’t matter if you’re living in Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Ajijic, Los Cabos, or any of the popular places in Mexico. You can find affordable rentals in those cities, too!

But if you’re looking online and you’re only finding the most expensive rentals, you might not be looking in the right places or with the right keywords. You have to search how a local would search.

Where Can You Find Affordable Rentals?

Word of mouth is the best way to find affordable rentals in Mexico. Plenty of great rentals in Mexico are NOT advertised online.

Although we also recommend Facebook groups and Facebook marketplace. However, remember that you’ll likely need to know Spanish to speak with whoever is advertising a rental. Or at least know someone who can translate for you.

If you don’t know anyone, this is when having a realtor help you find a nice rental in Mexico.

Word of Mouth

One of the best ways to find a house or apartment that suits your needs and budget will always be good old word of mouth. But how will you get your word of mouth out if you are new in town and don’t know anyone? And you’re going to need a place to rest while you find a good long term rental right?

To do this, we recommend renting a a place for a month or so. That way you can use it as a temporary base so you can start your house-hunting process in whichever city you’re planning on moving to.

Boots on the ground is the best way to find the neighborhood you’ll like, and the best rental for you in any city of Mexico.

To find short-term rentals, which is anything less than 6 months, we recommend using Airbnb.com.

With Airbnb, you get to see previous guest reviews and pictures of the home, and you have some level of insurance through Airbnb. In case the house was a complete misrepresentation of the listing, Airbnb will help you find different lodging for the same price paid.

One pro tip about Airbnb- many of the landlords on Airbnb have to mark up their rentals because of the high fees that Airbnb charges. So we recommend renting a place you like for a week or two to give you time to assess the neighborhood, house, etc, and ensure you really like it. 

If you do, you can try to negotiate off the platform with the landlord and see if they would be willing to rent it for a few months for a lower monthly fee. This is usually a win-win for you and the landlord. The benefit of Airbnb is that all homes are furnished, so you don’t have to worry about buying furniture or other necessities to be comfortable. Utilities are usually covered in the rental rate.

Some people have also found short-term rentals through the Facebook marketplace. Usually, they are listed as long-term rentals, but there are landlords willing to rent their homes month to month while you scout the area. If you end up loving the place, then your landlord will likely accept renting it long-term. Just make sure you check to see if it is furnished. 

Now, once you find temporary housing, we recommend that you cruise around your preferred neighborhoods looking for “Se Renta” signs, write down the number, and send either a WhatsApp message or give them a call.  

Now, here the catch is that, obviously, you’ll need some level of Spanish to ask questions, negotiate, and set up an appointment to see the place. 

It can be challenging if you don’t know anyone in town who can help you with this. 

So, this brings me to working with a good realtor. 

Hiring A Reputable Realtor

By now, you’ve probably deduced that to find the best deals and best houses, you’ll need to be somehow fluent in Spanish… or at least be acquainted with someone who is.

If you’re not fluent in Spanish and do not have Mexican friends or friends in town who speak Espanol, then we suggest you hire professionals to help you with this process.

You might think: “I can do this all by myself,” and you’re right! You can. However, you’re in a new country, and there will be a language barrier, as well as contracts are written in a different language. Now, if you live in an expat community like Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende, Ajijic, Chapala, or the like, chances are the contracts will be written in Spanish and English. But make no mistake, in Mexico, a contract in Spanish is the only legal one. 

That is why we recommend hiring a trustworthy realtor. Realtors are experts in whichever areas they service. They know whether a specific neighborhood floods or has internet issues, among other insights. Not to mention, they know the city they sell real estate in and can give you guidance on which neighborhoods might be right for you. 

So, in essence, the right realtor will help you save a ton of time!

They also help you to ensure you understand your contract and, in some cases, will help translate it for you. Your realtor helps you negotiate any pricing or any things that may be included in the rental. However, you also have to be cautious because not all realtors are excellent. 

Some only consider their commission instead of your best interest. And some aren’t very responsive or knowledgeable enough to help you understand your contract.

So hiring a reputable realtor who is trustworthy and knowledgeable is key!

It will make sure that your move to a new place is as smooth as possible. 

Now, we’ve done all this homework for you and have vetted dozens of realtors across Mexico. We have done the work of checking their social reputation, their experience, and whether they offer rentals and not only homes for sale. 

We do this to help you out because you don’t know what you don’t know. We have realtor recommendations all over Mexico for trustworthy realtors who speak English and Spanish. 

We have recommendations in over 25 cities across Mexico and counting. We don’t get any kickbacks or commissions from our recommended contacts, so that way, you know I won’t only cherry-pick the realtors that pay us to refer them to you.

If you’re interested in our directory of vetted contacts, check out our COMPLETE Mexico Relocation Guide. When you buy the guide, you get instant access to the online course on moving to Mexico and our directory of vetted contacts. Because we consistently update the guide, you can rest assured that I am always keeping up with the quality of the recommendations.

Ok, now let’s get into some of the questions you should be asking before renting!

Handy Cheat Sheet For Renting in Mexico

Expectation vs. Reality

You may also need to be realistic with your expectations.

If you need to live facing in an ocean-front, modern high rise- you’ll pay more. Or, if you want to live in one of the trendiest neighborhoods of any city, there will be more competition, and it will be harder to find the most inexpensive rentals.

To give you an idea, I went to a Facebook Group for locals in San Miguel de Allende where you can find rentals in ALL budgets. I found this rental in “Los Frailes,” which is a very nice neighborhood of San Miguel de Allende.

The house is a 2 bedroom 1 bath. Has a patio. And is unfurnished.

Rents for $7,000 MXN a month. That’s about $350 USD or $470 CAD

And that’s not uncommon to see in many local Facebook groups.
disclaimer- I don’t know the landlord- so please understand this is an example only

You Really Can Live A Better Life for Less in Mexico

So, I hope this helps you get creative. And see how living like a local will reward you.

And if you’re not looking for budget rentals, this will also help you find the nicest place for your money. Maybe even elevate your lifestyle without breaking the bank.

Either way, learning some Spanish and learning a few other tips will help you be ahead of the game.