rentals in Panama Archives | Panama Relocation Tours

Last Updated Aug 10, 2019 - by Panama Relocation Tours

17 Tips for Renting in Panama

Renting a house or apartment in Panama is not like renting a property in North America or Europe. Many of the things you take for granted do not necessarily come with a property in Panama. You do not need a residency visa to rent in Panama. To find a rental, see the links to web sites listed below. However, many of the best rentals are NOT advertised on a web site or with a real estate agent; you will need to drive around looking for Se Aquile (For Rent) signs posted in front of the property.

Are you thinking about moving to Panama? Check out our guide to living in panama and learn more about our relocation tours.

PanamaRelocationTours.com — $700 a month Rental near Boquete

Rental prices depend in the area you select. Panama City, Coronado, Boquete and Boca Chica are some of the most expensive areas for rentals or home purchases. Other areas have more affordable rentals. I know a lady who rents a 1 bedroom house for $80 a month in Las Tablas. A couple has a 4 bedroom 4 bath house in Cerro Punta for $650 a month. A couple who has a nice 2 bedroom house in David for $220 a month. To get a condo in Coronado or a house in a gated community in Boquete you’ll spend closer to $1500 or more per month. If you don’t rent in a gated communities, you can find much better prices. A tour guest recently rented a great 1 bedroom house near Boquete for $425. I paid $600 a month for my 2 bedroom furnished rental when I moved to Panama. The further you are away from the town center (for highlands) or the beach (for coastal areas), the more affordable the prices will be. If you are on a tight budget, understand that some areas in Panama are much more affordable than others.

No matter which area you are considering, if you take your time to look around, and if you are flexible, you can find just what you are looking. The less things you have on your “must have” list, the easier it will be to find a rental. Some landlords will take pets. Some won’t. Some landlords will accept a family with children. Some won’t.

Here are some important things to take in to consideration before renting in Panama:

1. Don’t assume that there will be hot water at the property or that there will be hot water at all faucets. Some houses, especially in warmer areas, do not have a water heater. Some houses only have hot water in the shower, called a suicide shower, but no hot water at the kitchen sink or any other faucets. A suicide shower is an electrical device that hooks in to the shower faucet to heat up the water when it comes out. There are usually wires hanging out.. thus the name suicide shower. You don’t want to touch the wires or you could get an electrical shock. Ask if there is hot water at all faucets. |Most water heaters in Panama are on-demand water heaters which take some getting used to.

2. Just because a property is advertised with “high speed internet” does not mean it has what you would consider “high” speed. It is better to find out who the internet service provider is who services that area. If it is Cable and Wireless, you can get 5 Mb of internet speed for about $40 a month. If it is Cable Onda Satellite, you can get 10 Mb for $99. But, if it is Cable Onda fiber optics, you can get 100 mbps for $40 a month. With Cable Onda fiber optics, you can get up to 600mbps. But if neither of those ISPs is available, you will be lucky to get 5 Mb and forced to pay $100 – $130 for Planet Telecom. Be warned that properties in remote areas will usually not have fiber optics. There are trade-offs!

3. It is important to rent a house which has a reserve water tank. Towards the end of the dry season, in April and May, there may be no, or low, water pressure. Some municipalities (especially the Azuero Pensinula) actually turn off water during part of the week when there is very low water pressure. The reserve water tank is usually a blue or black tank next to to the house, sometimes elevated, which will insure that you have constant water pressure throughout the year.

4. Never rent a house without seeing it first. The photo of the property may look great. But it may not show the neighbor who has 12 roosters who make noise all day long or the 4 barking dogs or the teenagers who have their boom box blaring all weekend. Before you decide to rent, you should visit the neighborhood at various times of the day and on the weekend so you can determine what the noise and traffic level is like.

5. If the property has a metal roof it will sound like a freight train is coming through your house when it rains. You won’t be able to hear the TV or radio or anyone talking to you. It is much better to get a house with clay or cement tile roof.

6. If the road to your house is not paved, you may have a hard time getting to the property in the rainy season. Dirt roads get washed out and/or get ruts so big that you will need a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get to the property.

7. Verify that the house has a washer and dryer. Some houses only come with a washer and a clothes line outside. A propane dryer will keep your utility costs down. A small propane tank is $5.37 and will last about 2 months.

9. Some houses come with a tiny 5’ tall refrigerator which will make it necessary to go to the grocery store every other day. Ask if there is a full size refrigerator.

10. Verify that your rental comes with cable TV if that is important to you. Cable Onda or SKY TV have 200+ channels including movies, CNN, Fox News, Animal Planet, etc. Some of the channels are in English all the time. Others channels have television shows in English some of the time or Spanish, German, or other languages. If Cable TV is not included in your rent, it will cost about $70 a month to get that service. Or, you could subscribe to USTVNow.com for about $10 a month. NetFlix.com, iTunes and Amazon shows are available too. An Amazon Firestick with apps added will give you access to a lot of movies and North American TV shows including sports.

11. If you move to a warmer coastal area you will need air conditioning. Most of the houses will have an air conditioner unit mounted on the wall in the bedroom but there may not be a unit in every room. There will also be a compressor outside. Before you rent, run the unit to see how noisy it is and to verify that it cools the room. Central air conditioning is rare in Panama. Find out which rooms have an air conditioning unit. In the mountain areas it is rare that there will be an air conditioner unit at the property….you won’t need it!

12. Most single family house rentals come with a weekly or bi-monthly gardener. If the gardener service is not included in your rent, you will pay about $25-$30 per day for a gardener. Some rentals also come with weekly maid service. Maid service is also about $25 -$30 a day. Ask what is included.

13. Always get a lease agreement in writing. Get it translated before you sign so you know exactly what you are agreeing to. Make sure the lease spells out what is included with the rent, like electricity, water, Cable TV, internet, gardener, etc. and the length of the lease and how rent will be paid. Many landlords give you their bank account number so you can make a CASH deposit in to the account to pay rent. Most landlords will not take a check or credit cards for rent.

14. Many rental properties come fully furnished with furniture, dishes, silverware, linens, television, etc. Get an inventory list of what comes with the property or create your own list then get your landlord to sign off on it. You may want to take pictures too.

Firnished Rental in Boquete Panama — Furnished Rental in Boquete Panama

15. How far is the property from town? Unless you buy or rent a car, you will need a rental property that is close to town. Close means about 1 mile (if you can walk one mile). You can rent a car for about $600 a month. If the property is not close to town, and you don’t want to rent or buy a car, you could take a taxi or the bus. The hassle factor and expense of taking a taxi or bus needs to be considered before you rent.

16. When renting a condo, find out what amenities are included with your rent. Also find out if there is a backup generator for the elevator and a working emergency call button. If you are living on the 25th floor and there is a power outage, you don’t want to carry groceries up 25 floors. One time we were touring a condo and the elevator stopped working. The emergency call button did not work and cell phones did not work in the elevator. Not good!

17. December through March are high season. It is harder to find a rental property during those months because there is less inventory. We have a lot of “snowbirds” from colder climates who come to Panama during high season. Some landlords jack up (double) the rent prices during high season. If you come down when it is not high season, you will have much more selection and better prices too.

In Panama, it is customary and a good idea to get a short term rental for 1-6 months. Test drive the property before you sign a long term lease.

Normally you will be required to pay 1 month rent as a security deposit plus your first month’s tent. Rarely will a landlord require you to pay more than that to rent a property.

Tenants can legally get out of any lease with a 30 day notice. You may not get your security deposit back unless it is the end of your lease agreement, but you can get out of paying rent after your 30 day notice. This is another good reason to sign a short term lease initially.

Follow these tips when renting in Panama so you have no surprises of conflicts.

This may sound like it is more complicated to rent in Panama cut it is actually easier because so many properties come fully furnished. You only need to bring a suitcase with your clothes when you rent a fully furnished house. If there is anything you need that is not in the rental, you can usually find it in Panama so there is no need to ship anything to Panama.

The best way to find a rental it to talk to people who live in the area. Ask if they know about anything for rent in your price range. Finding rentals before they are advertised is how you find the best deals. Some real estate agents have information about rentals too. Some agents do not handle rentals.

Here are some websites where you can find rentals in Panama

http://www.viviun.com/Rentals/Panama/

http://panama.en.craigslist.org/search/apa?

http://playacommunity.com

http://www.encuentra24.com/panama-en/real-estate-for-rent

http://www.compreoalquile.com/

Also check out the various Facebook Groups for Panama. There are usually rentals posted there.

Last Updated Mar 22, 2019 - by Panama Relocation Tours

Pros and Cons of Living in an Expat Community

An expat community is a town that has a high concentration of expatriates or expats.

Relocating to a Panama will be much easier if you move to a community where there are already many expats. With an established expat community English will be widely spoken at the banks, doctor offices, restaurants and other services like cell phone or internet providers. It will be easier to get things done.

The three main expat communities in Panama are Panama City, Coronado and Boquete. There are about 3,500 expats in Boquete and most of the expats live there full time. Boquete has a population of 30,000 so expats are about 10% of the population.

I’m not sure how many expats live in Coronado, but I see expats every where I go when I’m in Coronado. I’ve been told that approximately 40% of the expats are Canadian, 30% Americas and the rest are primarily European. Many of the expats in Coronado do not live there full time. My guess would be that there are more total expats in Coronado than Boquete but fewer of them live in Coronado full time.

There are also a lot of expats in Panama City but expats are harder to find because it is such a large city with almost 3 million people.

No one knows for sure how many expats there are in Panama because there is no requirement to register with any Embassy.

Other areas like El Valle, Las Tablas, Sante Fe, David, Pedasi, Volcan and Puerto Armuellas certainly have expats living there but a tiny fraction compared to Coronado or Boquete. English is not widely spoken in any of these areas.

COMMUNICATION

The good thing about living in Boquete is that English is widely spoken. The bad thing about living in Boquete is that English is so widely spoken that you don’t need to learn Spanish. It’s much harder to learn Spanish if you live in an expat community. You will have a much better life in Panama if you learn at least some Spanish.

In non-expat communities few locals will speak English. So you will need to learn at least some Spanish before you make the move. A smile and “Buenos” goes a long way!

An easy way to learn Spanish is by taking an online Spanish Class. You can learn at your own pace and from the comfort of your home. I really like Gary Scott’s Learn Spanish in 3 Days Online Class. I attended this “live” class in Boquete Panama a few years ago I was amazed that by the end of the first day everyone in the class was speaking, reading and writing in Spanish! With this online Spanish class, your confidence to communicate in Spanish will go through the roof!

In non-expat communities, because English is not widely spoken, it will be harder to get anything done if you don’t speak some Spanish. This could cause frustration. I highly recommend that you order Gary’s Online Spanish Class and start studying before you move to Panama. Most towns will have translators you can hire too.

Panama is a Spanish speaking country so it is good to learn at least some Spanish. The more you learn, the easier your life will be in Panama. Plus you will not be limited to speaking only with other expats or only Panamanians who speak English.

Because there are so many expats living in Panama, some service providers now have English speaking support. If I have problems with my internet service, I can select #2 for English when I call support. If I need to call my 24/7 help line at my banks in Panama I can press #2 for English support. English is spoken at some local businesses. You can always use Google Translate to communicate if necessary.

ACTIVITIES

When you live in an expat community there will be plenty of weekly activities like live music events, theater, poker games, yoga classes, art shows, Zumba, chili cook-offs, and plenty of charities to get involved in. Some restaurants also have trivia or bingo nights.

In expat communities there seems to always be a reason for a party or a get-together. That’s certainly the case in Boquete.

In non-expat communities you’ll need to create your own expat activities. There may be a few activities but they will not happen often.

Expats who live in expat communities seem to be much more social. They like going to lots of events and hanging out with other expats. Of course, you don’t have to participate but the events will be readily available.

If you need social events, you’ll enjoy your life in Panama more if you live in an established expat community.

PRICES

House prices could be more expensive in an established expat community. But, you’ll find more North American style houses in expat communities.

Finding a house for less than $100,000 in an established expat community in Panama is not easy to do. They are out there but they are hard to find. It is rare that you will find houses in that price range listed on a real estate agent’s website. You are more likely to find affordable houses by talking to Panamanians.

Yet in non-expat communities buying a house for less than $100,000 is much easier to find.

Rentals in expat communities could cost a little more than a non-expat community. An example is the furnished house like I rented when I moved to Boquete is $695 per month for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath house. In Volcan the same house would rent for $500. In Coronado, the same house would rent for about $1,000 per month.. or even more if it were close to the beach.

Keep in mind that these are no-frills type houses. I’m talking about a basic 1200 SF house without granite countertops or any high-end finishes. It does include a laundry room too. My house has vaulted ceilings and large windows to let in the natural light. And the views… OH MY... you should see the spectacular views.

For a bigger house, you’ll pay more.

In Chitre, during a Panama Relocation Tour, we meet with a couple who rents a nice furnished two bedroom house for $400…. with an Ocean view! Another couple I know in Puerto Armuelles rents a furnished 2 bedroom, 1 bath house for $450 per month. It’s hot in both of these areas so you’ll have additional expenses for air conditioning.

If you live in an area like Boquete or Volcan, or anywhere above 3000 feet, the weather will be Spring like year round so you will have no need for an air conditioner. This saves a lot of money on utility bills. If you live at a lower elevation it will be hotter and more humid so you will have additional utility costs.

The quality of homes in expat communities will usually be much better than the quality of homes in non-expat communities. Hot water at every faucet is NOT a given in Panama. But in expat communities you are much more likely to have hot water at every faucet in the house.

If you want to live close to an expat community but you’re on a limited budget, you can usually reduce your costs if you move 15 or 20 minutes away. You’re still close enough to participate in all the activities. Caldera is about 20 minutes away from downtown Boquete. Last year an expat bought a 2 bedroom house on a large lot for $35,000 there. You’d never find that price in Boquete.

We strongly recommend that you rent for at least 6 months before you even think about buying a property in Panama. In some cases, it makes more sense to just be a renter and not buy. Rents are affordable. Renting gives you the flexibility to try out a variety of different areas in Panama. Buying is easy but selling could take many years.

CONVENIENCES

In expat communities you are more likely to have a wide variety of restaurants with very good food. In Boquete, we have may traditional Panamanian food ($5 a meal) restaurants, fish restaurants, Italian, Mexican, Peruvian, Spanish, Pizza, Egyptian, sandwich shops, and more. We even have a micro brewery in Boquete!

In non-expat communities your choices for eating out will be extremely limited and there will be limited choices at the grocery stores.

If you live in a larger town like David or Chitre, you’ll find a plethora of restaurants and many excellent grocery stores, hardware stores, and malls. These towns will even have a McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Subway. You will not find these “chain” type restaurants in smaller communities.

Even in small expat communities like Boquete and Coronado you’ll have a better chance of finding a good grocery or pharmacy.

In small non-expat communities like Sante Fe, Pedasi, or Puerto Armuelles there will be less of a selection so you’ll need to make occasional trips to a larger town to get the things you need.

IN CONCLUSION

There are always trade-offs in Panama.

Moving to a non-expat community will be more affordable and have a bigger upside potential if you buy. As more expats move in to the area it will be converted in to an expat community with more services, more restaurants, and more amenities. Home prices will go up as there is more demand. But you need to learn Spanish.

Moving to an already established expat community will make your transition much easier.. you’ll have more social activities, and you’ll have more conveniences ..but all that comes at a price. You’ll pay more to live in an expat community. English will be spoken at most places.

Where you decide to move to in Panama will depend on your personal preferences and your budget.

No matter what you’ve read about each area in Panama or seen on videos, you can’t really get a “feel” for what it will be like until you go visit the town.

PanamaRelocationTours.com will show you a VARIETY of different areas during our 6-day all-inclusive tour. You’ll get the chance to meet with expats every day during the tour. Panama has something for every budget and every preference. Come see how you can live better for less in Panama.

Join us on a Panama Relocation Tour to find your paradise!

Last Updated Mar 22, 2013 - by Panama Relocation Tours

Renting in Panama

by Linda Card

So you’ve decided to live in Panama for an extended time to see if it’s right for you. And you’re going to heed the universal advice given to expats moving to a foreign country: rent before you buy. Excellent. So what’s your next step? Find a place to live. How? Here are some pointers.

Get a Head Start

You can get started on your research before you leave home by looking online for rental properties. Sites such as encuentra24, Viviun, and craigslist: panama are excellent resources to familiarize yourself with what is available and costs. You can also locate realtors or property managers to contact directly, and send them details about what size and kind of house you seek, where, and how much you want to pay.

Visiting and posting on forums and chat groups such as Viviendo en Panama/Living in Panama, Gringos in David Panama, or Panama Forum (among many others) is a great way to make contact with other expats and get their input. Ask about reputable realtors and property managers for the area where you want to live. But don’t expect to have a deal worked out before you get on the plane.

There are many things one can do long distance via the internet, but I suggest that renting a house is not one of them. One thing that gets North Americans in trouble is their often near obsessive need to have all their plans made, decisions settled, and details arranged before they leave home. If you’re going on an all-inclusive one week vacation to some exotic resort this may be a perfect plan. But if you are renting a place to live it could spell disaster. Horror stories abound from folks who paid a lot of money for a rental, before they even arrived in Panama, only to discover that what they paid for was not what was promised via email. There are too many variables and unknowns in a foreign country that are impossible to anticipate. Go ahead and make your hotel reservations for your arrival in Panama, and then, hit the ground to find a rental.

What You Need to Know

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