Venezuela

Important things to know when renting a property in Venezuela:

Common Expat Areas - The areas where affordable, desirable rentals are most likely to be located within Caracas are:  Colinas de Valle Arriba, Colinas del Tamanaco, Lomas San Román, La Castellana, Palos Grandes, Sebucán, Los Chorros, Lomas de Chuao, Lomas del Mirador, Colinas de La Alameda, Mirador de Los Campitos.

• Most landlords require a guarantor or bond.  If the company doesn’t serve as the guarantor, the landlord may request up to three months up front. 
• A new regulation passed by the government in January 2012 dictates that the government, not the landlord, will stipulate rental prices.
• USD is a restricted currency; all rents must be paid locally in Bolivares Fuertes (VEF).

Q&A

• Who pays rental commission? The landlord pays the rental commission, although some realtors will charge the tenant if it is not their listing
• How much is the rental commission? The rental commission is one month
• Is an advance rent required? Yes, up to two months if there is no guarantor
• What is the standard lease term? The standard lease term is one year
• What is the frequency of payments? The payments are made monthly
• Is there a security deposit? The deposit will be two months
• Who holds security deposit? The landlord holds the security deposit
• Lease written in what language? The lease is written in Spanish
• Lease is normally prepared by? The lease is prepared by the Destination Services Provider, preference is to use the corporate template if one is available to insure that the legal aspect has been approved
• Is a business release clause accepted? Yes, but with some resistance.  Landlords that do not accept the business clause may request a penalty of up to two months

UTILITIES
Utilities are generally not included as part of the rent.  A passport is required in order to connect services and in some cases a credit card.

Electricity
• Corpoelec - www.corpoelec.gob.ve  

Telephone – Only the apartment/home owner can request new service.  The most common providers are:
• Cantv - www.cantv.net – largest provider, offering local telephone service, long distance phone service, and fast access internet service through ABA.
• Movistar – www.movistar.com.ve – offers local telephone service, cell phone service and wireless internet options. 

Cable – The most popular providers are:
• Intercable – www.inter.com.ve
• Netuno – www.netuno.net
• Directv – www.directv.com.ve

Cell Phone – There are many cell phone companies that offer good service.  All of them will require a passport copy.  The most popular providers are:
• Movistar – www.movistar.com.ve
• Digitel – www.digitel.com.ve
• Movilnet – www.movilnet.com.ve