There are 2 types of housing rentals in Mexico: daily and long-term. Moreover, a long-term lease is considered to be for 1 year or more, although you are quite capable of finding options for 6 months. You are unlikely to be able to rent housing at a good price for less than 6 months. When renting for a long period of time, the landlord will ask you to sign a rental agreement (Contrato de Arrendamiento). In addition, he may ask for additional papers and guarantees.
The new landlord has the opportunity to ask the contacts of several of the tenant's acquaintances or former landlords to find out more about the tenant, and in addition accept letters of recommendation from them. However, not all landlords pay attention to letters of recommendation, most likely because these recommendations do not have any legal force.
Insurance
Sometimes the landlord may request insurance on the contract, especially if the tenant is also Mexican. In most cases, the terms of such insurance will protect the lessor, in other words, if the terms of the contract are violated, the insurance company will handle the settlement. The requirement to insure the contract may be useful, since it will save you from searching for a guarantor. The cost of insurance depends on many factors and will most often add a few or even five thousand pesos to your rental costs.
When you read the regulations about the guarantor, about the Póliza jurídica and about the various checks, you were probably horrified. For a person who has just arrived in Mexico and is looking for housing, meeting these requirements may seem impossible. Then you find out that most expats rent in Mexico without a guarantor. We can give you some advice. Proceed from the fact thatthe rental market in Mexico is oversaturated with offers, and it is always possible to find a suitable offer if you look for it.
Chat with the landlord and ask to «ease» criteria. Often, landlords put forward standard requirements that are common in that city or suggested by realtors. After negotiations, they have the opportunity to meet you and waive some of your demands. In particular, instead of a strict and legally binding Póliza jurídica, it is entirely possible to adopt a simple tenant verification, in other words a document that does not carry any legal obligations.
If the landlord does not make concessions, look for another property and another landlord, with different rental standards that do not require a guarantor (Renta sin Aval). Even if it takes more time and your realtor convinces you that you won’t find anything better. At one time, we were faced with the fact that by specifying strict standards in the lease agreement regarding the terms of payment and operation of housing, the landlord sat on our neck, not wanting to cooperate in matters of repairs and settling relations with violent neighbors.
If you have money and the housing certainly suits you, instead of a guarantor and Póliza jurídica, offer the landlord payment not only for the first one, but for several months or six months in advance, plus a deposit. This is a universal way to minimize the requirements for additional rental documents. Of course, you should receive confirmation of payment. During the paid period, no one has the right to evict you.
We talked about how to look for housing in Mexico for long-term rent in thispublications.