Hello! Let me introduce myself. My name is Elaine and my husband Don and I decided to retire in Panama in 2015. Before I begin, I want to stress to you that we will always live in Panama. For us, it is the best place on earth and there are wonderful places to live where you will be so happy and retire in paradise! But this article is letting you know the mistakes we have made, so hopefully we can prevent others from making the same. I have lived in some great places and made a lot of mistakes! Don and I have moved 10 times in 5 years. We are pro’s at moving! So here is my story:
I always prided myself on doing my research. I researched the entire world when it came to deciding where to retire. I researched where other expats lived, the money exchange, the crime, the weather, the language. We picked Panama because it checked out all the boxes and we have never regretted our decision. But one thing I did not research was how to go about renting a place in a foreign country. It’s something so new to most expats. For instance, most of the rental places for expats here are furnished. Completely furnished, with everything you will need just to move in with your clothes. A rental will come with kitchen appliances; pots, pans, silverware, plates, bowls. It will be equipped with towels and bedding. You will have a TV and may have a washer and dryer included. Most of us have owned homes in the countries that we have lived in, or if we have rented, we knew the ins and outs of what to do and not to do. But doing all of that in another country is different. So, I am here to gladly tell you my story. I can help you with your research. Panama is a wonderful country to live in, and renting is definitely the key. You can always buy a house or apartment once you get the lay of the land. But renting is the only way to go when you first arrive. So here are some “dos and don’ts” that I have learned from experience! I will give you a list first, and then explain in the next paragraphs some of our specific experiences!
–ASK AND VERIFY – MAKE A LIST OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU – HOT WATER IN THE KITCHEN, WASHER AND OR DRYER, HOT WATER ON DEMAND. ALSO DECIDE WHAT YOU CONSIDER YOUR “DEAL BREAKERS”. VIEWS, WALKING DISTANCE TO STORES AND RESTAURANTS? YOU NEED TO PERSONALLY CHECK THE HOUSE AND THE SURROUNDINGS OUT FOR YOURSELF!).
–CHECK OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD – (ARE THERE BARKING DOGS AND CHICKENS CLOSE BY? IS THERE TIMES WHERE THE AREA YOU LIVE IN ARE GOING TO BE LOUDER AT TIMES THAN OTHERS?)
–DOES A GARDNER COME WITH THE RENTAL? HOW OFTEN DOES HE COME – (SOME PLACES HAVE SOMEONE COME A FEW TIMES A MONTH, AND SOME COME A FEW TIMES A YEAR.)
–TALK TO NEIGHBORS. SEE HOW THEY LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. GET THEIR ADVICE.
-DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN PANAMA, THE LOCATION OF THE SUNRISE/SUNSET MAY BE VERY IMPORTANT. LIVING ON THE OCEAN IS WONDERFUL, BUT BE AWARE WHERE THE AFTERNOON SUN WILL BE IN YOUR RENTAL. DO YOU WANT THE SUN TO BE BEATING DOWN IN YOUR LIVING ROOM? ARE THERE BLACK OUT CURTAINS THAT YOU CAN SHUT WHEN THE SUN IS AT ITS HOTTEST? WHEN YOUR LIVING ROOM GETS TO BE A SAUNA, WHERE THE SUN IS LOCATED AT WHAT TIME BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
–REALIZE WHEN YOU BUY SOMETHING, YOU WILL HAVE TO MOVE IT. BUYING AN OUTDOOR GRILL IS WONDERFUL. BUT JUST KNOW THAT WHEN YOU HAVE TO MOVE, YOU WILL HAVE TO MOVE YOUR GRILL AS WELL. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH YOU ACCUMULATE.
Don’t Do This!
![fuzzy house panama](https://panamarelocationtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/11-24-012-300x200.jpg)
Now for the story of what Don and I did when we were still in the States. I was scrolling the internet and saw a cute house that was close to the town we wanted to live in. The pictures looked so nice, and the location seemed perfect! It was a fellow expat that owned it, so naturally I trusted him with no questions asked. He wanted first month, last month rent with a security deposit. He was willing to sign a 3-month lease. That appealed to my husband and I. If we didn’t like it, we had 3 months to find another house or apartment! We sent him the money using a wire transfer, and we were set! We sold everything we owned, kept 5 suitcases and a chihuahua to take with us, and off we went to start our new adventure!
Once we got into town and found our “dream home” we quickly realized that the pictures shown on the internet was taken about 10 years ago. The furniture wasn’t even the same. There was no leather recliner chair, no cushy couch, no king size bed. The 600-gallon water tank leaked, so the adorable back patio that were in the pictures was a wet wasteland of standing water. Although the water worked the first day we were there when the landlord showed us around, we realized that it was only because it had recently rained, and the tank had not leaked enough. So, for the most part when we were there, my husband had to walk up a hill to bring us back water for the house that he had bought in a store. The water had also been leaking under the house so we saw fuzzy mold every day near the back door and into the kitchen. (This rental will forever be known as “The Fuzzy House”!) We were shocked when the landlord also told us that our TV service had to be bought by days. We had to go into town to the TV service store, wait in line and buy “cards’ to keep the service on. (For instance, you could buy one day, 3 days, 1 week etc.) And the channels were in Spanish! Side Note: We have since learned that this is the only rental property that used this method of TV service. In the 5 years of renting other places and the countless expat friends that we have had, no one have ever done it this way.
![fuzzy house mold](https://panamarelocationtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/i-Phone-12-08-15-016-225x300.jpg)
The quaint location also turned out that it was right across the street from the fairgrounds. We arrived on November 2nd, so we found out that the fairgrounds had bands that would play very loud music until 5 am the entire time that the celebrations were going on. So, lesson Number One has several things to learn. NEVER rely on the internet. You MUST go and see the rental properties in person. Ask and verify. As they say when you are buying a car, “kick the tires”. Turn on the water to assure there is hot water where they say there is hot water. Many homes in Panama only have hot water in the shower, and not the kitchen. If that is important to you, verify. Love the couch? Sit on it. Sit on the bed, check out the mattress. Make sure there is adequate water supply. Panama has a rainy season and a dry season. It is important to make sure you have a water supply tank for your rental. Many times, at the end of the dry season, certain places will have to rely on the water reserve tank.
Never EVER rent a house without seeing it first!
After a drunk party goer decided to use our front yard to help him relieve all the beer he drank, he got confused and tried to open our door, thinking that is where the party was. We stayed in that house for 2 weeks. We knew that we were going to forfeit the last month’s rent and our security deposit, and the rest of our first month’s rent. But being brand new in an unfamiliar country, we chose to not stay. Once we started to have property managers take us to show us other rentals, we found out that although all the payments we made were very common in the United States, it was unheard of in Panama. In Panama it is customary when you sign a lease, you only pay a security deposit and first month’s rent. Refuse any rental that asks you to pay first, last and security at the same time! Another lesson learned! Turned out after getting to know several expats in the area, that house is known for “newbies” like us! That’s how the owner made his money, capitalizing on new people like us! That’s why he did the TV the way he did it, he is used to the house being vacant!
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
MICRO CLIMATE = DRAMATIC CHANGES
EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH – IT MATTERS
TALK TO THE OWNER DIRECTLY
CAN BE PARADISE
So, in closing, enjoy Panama for all it has to offer. The people living here are some of the kindest, most gentle people in the world, and the beauty of the land is spectacular. Welcome to Panama, paradise on earth!
Thanks for the observations and the great advice!
Thank you Elaine! Taking notes as we get ready to start renting!
Wonderful information and right on the money. The first place I ever lived in Panama was in the 80’s and it was beautiful, right on the bay just outside of Colon. The house was amazing, it was up on stilts, a wonderful breeze blew in from french windows. Then came the rainy season and we discovered that we were in a sort of bowl and the only way to get out of the driveway to the store was by canoe.
Thanks so much, we have friends near Bocas. They are off the grid not for me but, they bought the property without a title, that is not something I would trust. So for so good for them! We are coming in February for a few weeks. Thanks for your priceless info.
I would not buy real estate that was not titled yet.
Wonderful article, thank you!
When is the best time to rent for price and availibility. In the Baru areas!
Do not rent between November and April. That is when the snowbirds come to Panama and landlords/agents jack up their rents. Best time to rent is mid-April to the end of October
I learned things that nowhere this in dept info ever covered and totally unaware of houses location to sun, rain, wind, flooding option to negotiate price and when included what is and is not as I have animals ask ask and assume nothing fantastic info article
Hello Charles, I’m glad you enjoyed the article about renting in Panama!