Looking for a rental house in Jaco

[TeAmo]

Iam looking for a rental house in Jaco. Ive tried other sites but without much luck.

So here goes:

I'm looking for a 3 bedroom house or condo in the Jaco area for a maximum rent of $650.

Or a 4 bedroom house or condo for a maximum rent of $1300.

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks!

 

 

Edited October 18, 2017 by TeAmo

[eleanorcr]

Perhaps you have gotten some answers to your request, but if not, here goes my "free advice."

First off, I think that you are rather ambitious with what you want to rent and what you want to pay.  Of course, it will depend on just where in the Jaco are you are wanting to rent.  But the nicer areas will cost more, I think.  You might consider renting a bit out of town - inland - which should make your goal more possible.  It will also depend on what type of house you are looking for.  A decent "Tico-style" house might be a possibility in a Tico neighborhood.  But a "North American style" house in a more upscale neighborhood would probably be out of reach.  It will also depend on whether you want a long-term (6 months or more) rental and if you need something that is furnished. 

Second, your very best way to go about this is to go to Jaco and rent a room in a B&B or an apt or condo from Air BnB and then look around and ask around.  I'm not talking about going to realtors to ask around; I'm talking about asking taxi drivers, waiters/waitresses, security guard at the bank, people in shops that you come in contact with.  Most of the reasonable rentals are handled this way.  "Word of mouth" is king! You can also just ride around the area and look for signs that say "Se Alquila" or if you see something that is empty, ask the neighbors.  (Sometimes there will be a phone number.... sometimes not.)   The other advantage to this is that you get to actually see the neighborhoods where the rentals are located to make sure that great condo you rented for $800 a month is not above a machine shop.   This assumes, of course, that you speak Spanish.  If not, then you will have to find a Costa Rican friend to help you.

[Epicatt2]

TeAmo,

Eleanor's suggestions above are on-target for how to scope out possible rentals.  She is right about 'Word of Mouth' being 'KING'.  It really is.

One thng she didn't cover is the fact that if you visit the local supermarkets or corner pulperias, or even the little offices where people go to pay their utility bills, etc., you will often find a little bulletin board in there where locals have tacked up notices for their house or apartment that's for rent, along with a telphone number.  That can be a very good source of info for locating a place to rent.

OK — HTH

Paul M.

==

[TeAmo]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Some really good tips.

Earlier this year we stayed a week in Jaco, but there were no plans yet to go and live in the place. Guess I'll have to go back and look for opportunities.

BTW, the 4 bedroom house or condo I mentioned in my first post now has a budget of $1300. (You never know :-).

 

 

[costaricafinca]

Note that long term rentals don't usually include electricity, and living near the beach it could add a lot to your budget, especially if you use A/C.

[eleanorcr]

TeAmo - you might also contact the place in Jaco where you stayed for a week.  They might have some ideas for places you can look at.  But yes, I do think a trip and a few days in Jaco is in order. 

[TeAmo]

On 10/18/2017 at 2:33 PM, costaricafinca said:

Note that long term rentals don't usually include electricity, and living near the beach it could add a lot to your budget, especially if you use A/C.

That's a good point.

But are you saying the electricity is more expensive in Jaco, or is it because of the type of houses there?

On 10/18/2017 at 4:14 PM, eleanorcr said:

TeAmo - you might also contact the place in Jaco where you stayed for a week.  They might have some ideas for places you can look at.  But yes, I do think a trip and a few days in Jaco is in order. 

Yes, great tip. I'm in the process of contacting them.

Thanks, I really appreciate your help,

[costaricafinca]

A/C and dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity and it is more likely to be hot and humid at the beach. Those that I know of,  that live at the beach, usually  have electricity bills in the $200+ range

[TeAmo]

Thank you!

So, electricity is the same price as in the rest of the country, but the appliances used by beach houses are what increases the price?

 

[costaricafinca]

There is different prices for different locations around the county, by different companies, but I don't have any additional information on them.

If you check on your online banking website, under electrical services, it will have the names and you can then, check further.

[eleanorcr]

There may also be rate variations, based on what electrical equipment you have in the house.  It might be that the rate is higher with more "stuff."  Even if the rate is not higher, you can count on a significant electric bill because of the necessity of using AC when you live at the beach.  The heat and humidity are daunting!  Some people use AC only in one room -- such as the bedroom, in order to sleep comfortably at night.  Of course, your use of AC will depend on your tolerance for the heat and humidity.  Ceiling fans and other fans can help, of course. 

 

[induna]

Currently most of the electric companies in Costa Rica have three tiers of pricing. One up to 50kwhrs, another from 50-250kwhrs, and another above 250kwhrs. The more you use, the higher the rate. There is some variation on this scheme, and some areas have smart meters that allow for different prices at different times of the day.

In many parts of the country heat and AC are unnecessary. In my smallish house, we have no AC, no heat, and no hot water other than electric showers. We have a newish, efficient fridge and washer, and we have and use an electric dryer. We use about 180kwhrs a month and pay about 13 mil or so. If you use AC, which you probably will at the beach, you will go way over 250kwhrs and will have a large electric bill. Above 250kwhrs, the rate is around 170 colones per kwhr, or nearly ¢30. This is certainly more than double what you pay in the States. This is why electric bills at the beach are high.

[TeAmo]

Thanks for clearing that up.

I'm still looking and waiting on an email with more info on a house with 3 bedrooms for $900.

They're have been some other options but Jaco centro is an expensive place.

[elviscaprice]

I live in Jaco.  Do as others suggest, look for a place when you get here.  Stay somewhere temporarily, like a cheap motel.  Then go and see those places available longer term.  It's impossible to judge from the internet, otherwise you may be disappointed, I've seen this reaction many times from others.  But good you do have some understanding from the internet.  As far as electricity goes, it is true what others say here.  I don't use AC, most of the year, just a fan, but I'm probably the exception for a gringo.  March thru May can be brutally hot and humid as we pray for the rainy season to kick in.

[Jacobound]

Not sure if you are still monitoring this thread, but your budget is IMO way low for Jaco.

I do not live in CR but hope to move there and have been to Jaco 3 times for vacation and searching for information on renting/buying

It is a very expensive place to rent (due to the demand) and also I think if your rental is built in typical CR fashion and your use of AC is typical of a non native you will also be looking at a 500 dollar plus electric bill.

I have talked to several people who live in Jaco in two bedroom apartments that paid around $1000 rent and $500 a month for electric (when they first moved in they soon decided they could not afford AC and fans would suffice).