Manila Travel Forum

Hi!

I'm self-employed (I self-publish my photo books) and plan to take long vacation in the Philippines. I'd like to stay there about a year.

Problem is: in order to rent a place, most brokers/agencies ask to pay by signing pre-dated checks and it seems very unlikely, not to say impossible, that I can open a checking account in a local bank as I won't even have alien resident card.

Does anyone know of a hassle-free way to rent a not too expensive (let's say 15/20,000PHP) condo or appartment in metro Manila, preferably Makati?

Thanks for helping me
Larry

Hi Larry!

Yes, most brokers really ask for post-dated checks to assure them that the rent of the place will be paid for.

Just a suggestion, but I know this will be quite expensive, is for you to pay the whole rental amount or you can rent a place where they accept Credit Card payments.

The disadvantage in paying in full would be that in case you do not like to stay in the place you rented, you might find it hard to refund your payment or refund might take a long time to process.

Have a pleasant stay in Manila.

Why don't you put that task off until you reach Manila. Find a hotel in Manila for a few days and talk to some of the expats living there. Ermita has quite a few expats, check out some of the bars and ask the people living there where you can find an apartment and how to do it best.

You could find a place on the net or by mail but after you arrive in MNL you find out that you don't like the area or neighbors or it isn't safe! You're stuck with the contract you signed. Probably better to check some of these places out in person and ask for information from some of the people who live there.

Hal

They dont require a year in advance all the time
I rent a 5 bedroom house for 20k a month in Las Pinas and though it was not that expensive a year in advance Mine was two months rent ..........in advance plus two mnnths rent as a deposit,

however i made sure the two months advance rent was used as advance rent in other words, my rent was not due for two months after i paid that, the landlord tried to say it was due next month I said no way

you can get a lot of leeway on the lease if u shop around and tell them what you want ..........tell the broker that is your terms and to find a flexible landlord for you.........the terms you want

those condos a lot of them are sitting empty , so they are not that strict
but filipinos sometimes can be stubborn on an individual basis, I see one house around the corner the owner wants 35k a month in rent, it has been vacant for two years , the landlord is so stubborn he would prefer no money per month , to lowering the rent,,,,,,,,,,,go figure

they tend to think foreigners are millionaires so expect that .......they will be shocked if you want the rent for less than the advertised price
dont be afraid to ask and say Ok how about this much,,,,,,,,,,,if they have so and so terms say, oh how about 2 months deposit etc, doesnt hurt to ask

lots of vacant condos out there i think

Sir Halberd is right, if you plan to stay here a year, it is best to house hunt when you are already here so you could really see the place and the neihgborhood. Is it important for you to be in the Makati area (business district)? 15-20 there will only give you a studio type condo unit whereas if you can live in other places like Quezon City or Las Pinas, the rent is considerably lower, with the same amount of money giving you a nice house already. When you get here, get hold of a Manila Bulletin sunday edition or a Buy and Sell magazine and look at the "for rent" ads, there are a lot to choose from. Some owners would even prefer to have a foreigner for their houses and would understand you not having a checkbook. The usual terms are two months deposit, one month advance (total of three months rent). As long as you have the cash for the advance, there should be no problem.

Goodluck with your house hunting and welcome to the Philippines!!Have fun!!

Cess

Hi. I just saw your query and you might be interested. I have got a new condo unit at Ayala Ave Makati that you may want to rent out. Please email me at sheila.mesa@gmail.com if you are interested. thanks.