Renting a Home in Mexico as a Foreigner: Aval, Deposits and Leases

There are two main markets:

• Short-term furnished rentals, often through booking platforms, priced for visitors. They are flexible but cost much more per month.
• Long-term leases (contrato de arrendamiento), usually for 12 months, often unfurnished or partly furnished. Kitchens may come without appliances, so ask.

Many newcomers stay a month or two in a short-term rental while they look for a long-term home in person. Listings are posted on property websites, on social media groups, and on "Se renta" signs in the street. Local agents may charge the landlord, the tenant or both; ask first.

An aval or fiador is a guarantor who promises to cover unpaid rent or damage. Landlords often require that the aval owns property in the same city or state, free of mortgages or liens, and shows its deed. This is a problem for most foreigners, who do not know anyone local with property.

Common alternatives:

• Passport and residence card. See temporary residency.
• Proof of income: pay slips, bank statements or a pension letter. Some landlords ask for income of about three times the rent.
• References from previous landlords or employers.
• Sometimes your RFC tax ID if the landlord issues electronic invoices. See how to get an RFC.

Never hand over originals; give copies and show originals in person.

Read the contract before you sign, and get a translation if your Spanish is limited. Check:

• Rent, due date and payment method, usually by SPEI transfer to an account in the owner's name. See opening a bank account.
• Deposit amount and the conditions for getting it back.
• Length and renewal, including how much rent can rise at renewal. Some local laws, including Mexico City's, limit increases; check the rules in your state.
• Who pays electricity, water, gas, internet and building maintenance fees (cuota de mantenimiento).
• Repairs: who fixes what, and how fast.
• Early exit: the penalty if you leave before the end.
• Pets and subletting. See moving with pets.
• Invoices: if you need a rent invoice (CFDI), agree on it in the contract.

At move-in, make an inventory with photos and have both sides sign it.

• See the home in person, or have someone you trust visit, before paying anything.
• Confirm the owner. Ask to see the deed (escritura) or a recent property tax (predial) receipt in the owner's name, and check it matches the ID of the person signing.
• Never wire a deposit to hold a place you have not seen, especially to a personal account abroad.
• Be suspicious of prices far below the area. Scammers copy real listings and photos.
• Get receipts for every payment.

For more, see protecting yourself from scams.

• Update INM. Residents must report a change of address to the National Migration Institute within 90 days.
• Proof of address. Banks and government offices ask for a recent utility bill. Ask your landlord to share bills in their name, or put a service in your name. See phone and internet.
• Budget for utilities. Electricity can get expensive in hot regions with heavy air conditioning. See cost of living.
• Disputes. Talk to the landlord first and keep everything in writing. For serious disputes, speak to a local lawyer.