Deb S. Says:
I’m interested in becoming a snowbird and spending my cold winter months in beautiful Mexico. I don’t want the hassle of dealing with property and only intend to rent for five to six months each year.
Airbnb and VRBO would be too expensive for this length of stay. How do the locals find rental properties?
IL Mexico Correspondent Bel Woodhouse Says:
Hi Deb,
You have a couple of good options for longer-term rentals in any region of Mexico.
First of all, you need to narrow down where you’re looking to live. Then get on Facebook and join the expat groups in the city or area you’d like to spend time.
These groups are a wealth of information and can answer your questions about rental groups to join, good local real estate agents with cheaper listings, or may even know of properties themselves.
Don’t rule out Airbnb or VRBO. A lot of places offer heavily discounted rates (I’ve seen 30% off) for longer rentals like six months. Do a quick search in your price range and when you find a place you like, ask if they do a monthly discount.
Another option is to book it in the off-season. A lot of places in Mexico have a high season and a low season. Get in contact during the low season and book in advance. They are a lot more likely to offer discounts if you arrive a few weeks earlier than most others and you can snag that property.
Plus once you’ve found a place you like, you can reserve it and book it for the following year so you never have to go through this again.
To summarize those steps, go to our Mexico resource page and scroll down to the bottom for the City and Area Guide—there you’ll find all the information you need to zero in on a location. Then, hop on Facebook expat groups, Airbnb, and VRBO to see what’s available—and don’t be shy to ask for that long-term discount.
Best of luck!
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