Negotiating Rent

“How far down does the price usually come from the advertised price?”

There is no real “rule of thumb” when it comes to negotiating here in Bali.

Some rentals you'll find are “fishing expeditions” meaning the owner doesn't have any real incentive to rent but is “testing the waters” and if a big blue fin tuna hooks on, well, OK!

Other rentals are offered with lots of incentive…a transfer off of Bali, an expat who failed in business (common enough here), a recent death in the family…the list goes on.

What is most important for you is to spend as much time here on Bali living out of a suitcase well before you plan on buying furniture.

A long term lease is an expensive proposition here on Bali, and it's getting more and more expensive each year.  There is no amount of homework in advance that could be called “over kill” because the fact is simple…until you are here and looking around for yourself, you will NEVER have a handle on the real estate market here in Bali.

Good luck as you join the ranks of many thousands before you.

DL390 wrote:

Hello all, I'm new here. Yet another Australian on the countdown to moving to Bali. I've been monitoring the various expat forums but still have so many unanswered questions. One concerns renting a villa - in negotiating a rental price for a villa, as a generalisation, how far down does the price usually come from the advertised price? I'm basing those prices on, for example, local real estate ads or Facebook advertisers. Is my perception at least partially correct that, with so many new villas continually coming on line, supply exceeds demand? Many thanks for your help.

You could also have a look in the Bali Advertiser when you are in Bali, or just drive around as there are "for rent" signs on many properties. If you are looking in Seminyak or Kerobokan then it's probably a lot easier but then you might want to rent a villa in Ubud.

For sale or for rent signs on properties is actually quite uncommon on Bali aside from some areas of the deep south such as Legian, Jimbaran and Seminyak. 

The Bali Advertiser is on line so no need to wait until you are here to consult it.

http://www.baliadvertiser.biz/

Places like Canggu are also becoming more common as access has improved a lot and it is a great surfing area. Many people prefer Ubud as it is quieter and a little cooler, the only drawbacks being it is a little far from the ocean and it is a bit isolated compared to locations more south.

The closest beach to Ubud is Lebih, and it's about a 30 minute drive from Ubud Village.  Better beaches are to be found heading northeast up the coastal road to Padangbai and Candidasa.

Thanks, folks, for all the replies. I've been holidaying in Bali for years so I know the area reasonably well although I haven't explored the residential sprawl happening north of Seminyak; the traffic being what it is, I'm not inclined to go too far. For the moment, I'd be happy with Seminyak or Sanur. I've been looking at the Bali Advertiser on-line and from copies brought back for me by friends. Drawback with BA real estate listings is many, if not most, have no prices. To date, my perception of pricing comes from the Bali Long Term Rentals page on Facebook and real estate agents listings. It would be interesting to know whether these are generally set unrealistically high and can be negotiated down or whether I should lower my expectations and venture further afield. Guess I'll just have to wait until I arrive in about a month unless there are folks here who would like to share their own renting experiences.

It's like I already mentioned...some listing are going to be fishing expeditions looking for as much profit as possible and other listings are going to be more reasonable because of some incentive to either lease, or sell, i.e., a quick deal.

There is no way you can tell this from the adverts unless you really know the real estate market here...and even then, it changes almost monthly, as demand is ever increasing.

Seminyak and Sanur are both very good choices, although I personally prefer Sanur because some element of traditional Bali is still alive and well there.

Yes, you are far better off waiting until you are here, boots on the ground, and ready to seriously have a look.