Long term rental contract

Hi,
The visa problems are solved, now i 'l like to know abouth the long term rental contract.
If we are renting a nice house for 1 year at the time, let's say with a rental price for about Rs. 15000 a month, howmuch deposit should we pay, how do we get a one year renewable contract from the owner??
Is it enough to have a paper from the owner, or do we need it to be done by a lawyer or notare ??
Thanks

Hi Ray and congratulations!! did you get the one year or the 5 year visa in the end??
Try and get something on paper, a contract with you and the owner should suffice.
Normally I would say get it done by a lawyer but you may find locals renting out their property are reluctant to get involved with lawyers!!
Also keep it firmly under your hat the fact that you are willing to pay 15000 a month, the minute you let someone in on this monthly budget all the prices coming your way will have gravitated to 15000!!
Ask around get an idea of prices, make the point that you want to rent all year round as this should get you a better deal on the monthly rent!!
I think you can get a house in somewhere like Benaulim for a lot cheaper than 15000.
There were some fairly modern houses (couple of bedrooms, toilet with hot water, living room, kitchen and garden!!) in Palolem that were going for around 5000 per month on a holiday 6 month lease.
Although some people were paying 17000 for a four bedroom place!!
Don't be too eager, take it easy, do you know people in Benaulim?? If so these should be your first point of contact, be canny, play your card close to your chest and house offers will quickly appear. Perhaps offering better deals than if you go overboard asking all and sundry about properties for rent!!
I hope it all works out for you and if your ever in Palolem say hallo!!

cyber, are these '6 month holiday leases' pretty standard ? I'll be looking for something similar in Kerala around November time...

Also, what's the typical set up for paying the electric, water bills etc ? Are there hidden 'taxes' I need to be aware of ? I may also consider having a telephone connection..

Up to 5k per month just about makes it worthwhile - much more and I think I'll be able to just negotiate a long term guesthouse deal with all these hassles taken care of ?

I'd love to hear a little more abot all this..

Thanks bb

First what I mean by a holiday let. In many places in India where you see large volumes of tourists and long termers the locals are often willing to let out a vacant property they may have or indeed move in with family and rent out their homes. This provides them with a pretty good income during the tourist season and most move back into their homes during the monsson time or low season. This can be done to my certain knowledge all over Goa, in places like Varkala in Kerela, Puri, Dharamsala, I've rented basic houses three times in different places for 3000-4500,basic 2/3 rooms and a terrace, a bed, some chairs a toilet that worked, a kitchen and shower, fans etc.
Making a place a bit more comfortable doesn't cost a lot and with little money and bit of imagination it was quite homely.
Costs vary depending on demand but in most of the places I mentioned something could be had for 5000 I'm sure.
Two other members Rangers and Bryan could perhaps help you with details of Puri and Varkala respectively.
As for the bills well in all cases I paid the bills or if the meter was shared I paid an agreed share of the bill.
Things change fast in this area take Palolem, it is now becoming so popular that I fear the days of a cheap house may be numbered, people know what they can get and rightfully ask for it.
Already sums of 8000-17000 per month are changing hands though there remains a handfull of cheapies if you know who to ask but soon these will go too as more money moves in.
I hoped that's helped

Sure has..

Thanks

bb

Hi Cyber,
We're arriving January 29th. in Goa. Going to stay for a month in a hotel in Benaulim to shop arround for a house/bungalow.
Although we could'nt get more than a 6 month tourist visa, even, with medical files thicker than a bible and proof from the State Bank of India that we are getting more than enough to live from per month !!
But the moment we arrive, we'l get a lawyer and, with the nessecary bakshees of course, get things done.
So, if you are there in Palolem, would it be OK if we came to visit you ??
maybe we can find a house over there, we don't need to live in Benaulim!
If we're welcome, pls let me now, and do you have a phone number over there where we can reach you ?

Greetings,
Ray & Jane

I just wanted to bump this a bit... I'm going to be renting for 6 months in Goa starting next month I'm not sure quite where yet, as I'll have to explore the place before I know where I want to live.

Could someone explain how deposits/renting usually works? Do you just pay month to month?

I'm planning on renting through the monsoon... I take it that great deals can be had then?

My [small] experience...

Rentals are often on renewable 11-month contract. I believe that this is because if the landlord gives you a 12-month contract you some sort of legal security.

Deposits are hefty: 10 months!

I get a very nice 2-bedroom flat, the top floor of an independent (ie detached) house in a fairly central area of Chennai for 6000. A london estate agent would call it 3-bed, beacuse the store-room is big enough for a single bed! NB: that is completely unfurnished. A smaller place or moving further out would be much, much cheaper, but hey! I like to be able to walk to most of the places I want to go.

I see, so I'm pretty much gonna have to put up 6 months rent up front... thats a bit scary, but if its normal... oh well?

Yes, it's scary, but then consider that the deposit I put on my place here wouldn't pay the rent for one month in London! So it is not so much of a big deal

So Nick, are you finding that the cost of living is what you expected it to be when you were in London, is it working out on the ground? Any meaningful fluctuations that someone contemplating long term residency should think about?

The cost of living is, essentially, just amazingly low. It is surprising how quickly one starts to think in Ruppees instead of pounds (R500? I can't afford that!).

Just now I am finding that I am spending more money than I would like to be spending. Trips to the shop tend to cost R500 to R700, because I am starting from an empty kitchen, so buying any food means buying the pot to cook it in, all the ingredients, and a plastic box to store the leftovers in the fridge. Hmmm... R700? Less than GBP10. How often did I ever get out of Tesco having spent less than GBP10?

Like Saturday was an 'expensive' day: My lady-friend was staying with people on the far edges of town, so I took a taxi to join them for lunch, wait and bring us home. We booked the taxi at a flat rate for five hours: R450.

Services are amazingly cheap. I've had electricians and carpenters do odd jobs, never costing more than R100 labour.

Laundry: the three items that constitute a change of clothing I get washed and ironed for R28. And that'll come down when I find a local person that takes in washing.

My local auto drivers know me, and I rarely bargain these days. I know I'm paying a premium for being foreign, but it has gone down to R5 or R10 instead of trying to get triple the fare and I'm happy to pay it. They know that I walk most days, and know the routes, so I know how far it is.

I'm probably spending more every day than the guys who post here like 'can I live in India on a budget of 26pence a day' but, yes, life is cheap. Don't tell everyone!

Sounds almost like a place where one could actually live with a modecum of dignity on a pension. Sure can't do it here.

That is more-or-less exactly what I intend to do!

Are your plans to reside in Chennae year round? Most of the long term non-Indians I met either just wandered around in higher elelvations or went of to the summer cottage around some lake. Did meet a few hardy souls willing to endure the blast furnace summer of Southern Indian plains. Very unusual people all.I imagine that the sea coast tempers things somewhat in Chennae.