Steps it Takes to Rent a House in Lake Chapala & Ajijic

Whether you are ready to rent a house in the Lakeside area or return the house you have already rented, we will show you the steps it takes to get both process done smoothly. Please keep in mind that rental agencies and private owners rent differently, starting with the lease agreement. The steps below are common steps required by many rental agencies in the Lake Chapala area.

Steps it takes to Rent a House in Lake Chapala & Ajijic

Download a printable version of these steps here

Once you have found the home you want to rent there are certain requirements and steps that need to be met and done for proceeding with renting the home you like. Below we are going to list the requirements and standard step by step procedures it takes to get started.

STEP 1: Reserving the house and leaving a deposit

Leaving a deposit: In order for the rental agency to get started with the paperwork and lease agreement, they need to secure the rental by receiving a deposit (which holds the house), that is equal to one month’s rent. Along with the deposit a document is signed between the agency and renter, which gives the renter assurance the property is reserved and the agency assurance that the property is committed. Once the deposit is paid, the home will be taken off the rental market and the process begins. If for any reason the renter after leaving the deposit and signing the deposit form decides he no longer wants to rent the house, they automatically lose the deposit they left and the house is put back on the rental market.

STEP 2: Filling out the information checklist.

Checklist: Once the deposit is left and the house is reserved, you will be sent a checklist that asks basic information needed to fill in the lease agreement (Full name, contact information, reference contacts etc..)

Identifications: Passports or immigration form (Tourist visa, visa permanent or visa temporal) will be required.

References: You will need to provide two references of people who know you. They are usually contacted by email by the rental agency

STEP 3: Filling out the lease agreement.

Once the checklist is completed and emailed back to the agency, the information is used to fill out the lease agreement.

The lease will list all information of both parties, clauses, deposits left, rental amount, rental dates and what each party is responsible for.

In the lease there are 3 initial payments that need to be completed before entering the house: First months rent, Last months rent and Returnable damage deposit. One of which is already left when you leave the deposit to reserve the house and take it off the market, so two more payments equal to one months rent pending before entering.

An annex to the lease agreement which lists the house inventory will be provided by the owner and signed along with the lease agreement. This annex will list all furniture, appliances and items in the house.

Once the lease agreement is filled out with all necessary information, a copy will be sent to the owner and tenant for their review.

If both tenant and owner agree on all the terms, they will be asked to sign the lease at a given date.

STEP 4: Moving in the house and checking inventory

After the lease has been signed, the keys to the home will be delivered on the entry date specified on the lease.

Usually both parties meet at the home where they do a walk through, reviewing the inventory and once complete handing over the keys from owner to tenant.

END – For any questions regarding the renting process, you can send us an email with your specific questions and we will try to answer them as quickly as possible.

Steps to Return a Rental on Lease Expiration or Renew

Download a printable version of these steps here

If you are about to complete the time left on your lease, you should start contacting the owner to request a lease renewal if your desire is to continue renting. If you wish to leave the home once your lease expires, you should contact the owner to coordinate the return. The normal standard for both scenarios is 60 days before you lease expires, this gives the owner time to prepare a new lease or coordinate the return date and check the inventory with the tenant

Below are both set of steps to take when returning a rental to the landlord or when wishing to renew your lease with landlord:

WISH TO RENEW LEASE: Contact Owner 60 Days Before Lease Expires

STEP 1: Contact the agency or landlord at least 60 days prior to lease expiration and let landlord know you wish to RENEW the lease.

STEP 2: The owner will let you know if he agrees to renew and if there will be any changes to the terms of the lease that you both agree on.

STEP 3: If both tenant and owner agree on the new terms of the lease, a new one will be drafted and programmed for signing.

STEP 4: A signing date is set for both owner and tenant to meet and sign the new lease.

NOT RENEWING LEASE: Contact Owner 60 Days Before Lease Expires

STEP 1: Contact the agency or landlord at least 60 days prior to lease expiration and let landlord know if you wish to RETURN the property to him at the end of the lease.

STEP 2: The landlord and tenant will coordinate the details for meeting at the property at the end date of the lease to check the inventory and receive the keys.

STEP 3: Both tenant and landlord will meet at the property at the end date for the lease (or before/after as arranged between both parties) to review the inventory signed by both parties at the beginning of the lease

STEP 4: Once inventory is checked, tenant will hand over the keys and owner will take possession of the house. If any damages or missing items were found during the inventory inspection, owner will deduct repairs/replacements from the security deposit.

STEP 5: Anywhere from 30 – 60 days after returning the property (some utility bills take 60 days to arrive such as CFE electric and TELMEX phone), owner will contact tenant to return remaining security deposit deducting last utility bills that corresponded to the tenant up to the delivery date.

By Ramon Perales, Access Team writer