Planning on moving to Mexico? Thinking of changing your environment and starting the next chapter in your life? Perhaps you want to experience the warm Mexican weather, or maybe you just want a multi-month break on this side of the world. 

No matter why you’re coming, you’ll need somewhere to stay. If you’re planning on renting a place, it’s important to be prepared with some Spanish words and phrases that you’ll encounter along the way. Having lived in different countries and cities myself, I understand that the renting process can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming, so keep reading to tackle this subject with confidence. 

Let’s start with the easiest and most basic term you’ll need:

Departamento (apartment)

With this word, you can start your search

• “Estoy buscando un departamento en esta área.” (I am looking for an apartment in this area.) 

Knowing this, you can then ask: 

• ¿Cuál es el costo de la renta? (What is the rent cost?) 
• ¿Podría ir a verlo? (Could I go see it?) 

Knowing whether a place is furnished is important. So you would ask: 

• ¿Está amueblado? (Is it furnished?) 

The term that covers things like water, electricity and internet would be “servicios.” You might ask:

• ¿Los servicios están incluidos? (Are utilities included?) 

If you like the apartment and agree to its amenities and features, your landlord (casero or rentero) might ask you for a deposit (depósito) and an endorsement (aval), which is the property that is being proposed as a guarantee for the loan. They might tell you: 

• Voy a necesitar un depósito y un aval. (I am going to need a deposit and an endorsement.)

 

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By familiarizing yourself with these words and phrases, you can make the process smooth and easier. Practice writing them in a text or challenge yourself by sending your possible landlord a voice message.

Don’t be afraid of mispronouncing something or making mistakes — it’s part of the process.

Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez