Kuta Travel Forum

I am looking for an apartment in Kuta to rent for 1 month in June. I only want to pay 3 to 4 million a month or about $300 to 400 USD. Last time I was there, there were tons of these ads in the newspapers. But this is quite hard to find online.

I would like to book a place before I leave. 1 or 2 bedrooms. Aircon. Hot and Cold Water. Clean. Any help or leads would be great.

Thank You

Jen

You should easily find something for under 3 million. Have you checked the bali advertiser? They've got real estate ads, but you can also post a personal ad for free. I did just that a few months ago, and got a couple of replies.

Hi,
The reason there arn't so many advertising now is that the Bali Gov has made a new rule about registering villa's and apartments for rent to tourists. The owners have to register that they are using their property for rent, and they have to pay tax on the income, (also they have to pay tax on the value of the property.) before it was easy, but the gov were losing too much revenue to private owners who didn't pay tax.

If the owners are found out that they are renting without being registered then the property will be closed, anyone (tourist) residing at the time will have to leave, as happenned not so long ago to some people from Europe who found themself on the street with nowhere to stay)amd as you also have to register with the police and the immigration authority where you are staying it is easy for them to cross check the registrations.

That's not to say there arn't any that you will get, just that they are not advertising.

It's a good idea from Sybille to place an ad in the Bali Advertiser, but be aware that it is now more risky than before.

how about if you are looking for a kamar kos (room in a boarding house)? that should be ok shouldn't it?

As long as they have registered with the Authority, then everything is Ok (well OK depends on point of view, some places are being closed because they havn't got the proper building permits.

The point is if they are advertising then they have most likely registered, so everything should be OK

I agree with much of what Rahasia offers as good advice. I would only add a clarification, that being that the responsibility to report foreign guests to the local police office is the responsibility of the owner of the facility, and not the guest. This is the same for hotels, bungalows, guest houses, private villas, apartments...whatever. Bring a photo copy of your passport page (photo and certification page) and give it to the check in person. It is their responsibility to register you with the police.

This tax law is nothing new, rather it only recently is being enforced and to the level Rahasia describes.

A 3 million Rp monthly budget is sufficient, especially for only a one or two bedroom apartment. In Ubud, one could rent a house for that amount, but Kuta is more expensive. I would recommend that you stay a night or two in a hotel in Kuta and do your apartment searching while here. That way has obvious benefits all around...viz, checking out the place in person, and being able to negotiate with immediate cash in hand. As Rahasia already mentioned, The Bali Advertiser, a free expat geared newspaper published every other week, is the place to look. Copies can easily be found in most restaurants, and you can check it out on line: http://www.baliadvertiser.biz/

Also, keep in mind that your visa on arrival, VOA is only good for exactly 30 days and your day of arrival is day number one. You must depart no later than the 30th day after arrival and extra days will cost you US $25.00 per day for over-stays. If you even think you might stay longer, then I suggest you get an advance 60 day tourist visa, which is easy to arrange through the Indonesian embassy or consulate nearest to where you live.

Have a great trip, and I hope you get out of Kuta at least once to see “the real Bali.”