Apartment Required - Santo Domingo

[Robert]

Over the next few weeks we are going to do a little challenge and document it here at DR1.

I know you can get good unfurnished 2 bedroom apartments in the areas the OP was looking for. I have seen them and I have friends in them. No Dominican pays the "gringo" prices some renters are looking for and they very rarely look in the newspapers or online for apartments

Right now the market is flat and people are doing deals, especially for long term renters. The city is jammed with vacant apartments, you see the signs all over the place.

Someone here at the DR1 office just rented a VERY NICE fully furnished 3 bedroom apartment in Piantini for US$700 monthly. When I say furnished, I mean every room with decent stuff, TV's, beds, kitchen stuff, washer, microwave, Invesor etc etc. They owner originally wanted close to US$1000. I'm sure our guy here at DR1 could have got the price down more, but he needed a place quickly.

Lets see how many sub US$500 apartments we can find

[Ant]

I would agree that it is possible to find an apartment for that price in those areas. I have a friend, who after I told him it would be impossible, found a 2-bedroom in Bella Vista for $600 per month. Not completely furnished, but nice. The owner originally wanted $800, but when he told her he would pay security and 4 months in advance she finally agreed.

I think there are so many places for rent that it is possible to do some bargaining. Again, not easy, but definitely not impossible.

Good luck!

[drcaycu]

There may be a lot of vacant apartments in Santo Domingo. But almost everyday on dr1 there is somebody looking for 2-3 bedroom apartment in one of the best areas of Santo Domingo for around 500 USD. So there is also a demand.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by drcaycu

There may be a lot of vacant apartments in Santo Domingo. But almost everyday on dr1 there is somebody looking for 2-3 bedroom apartment in one of the best areas of Santo Domingo for around 500 USD. So there is also a demand.

I agree. It comes down to how you search and how you need to leverage your Dominican friends

If you not here, it's impossible to do.

[drcaycu]

I think the market is adapting. I rented for a year a 3 bedroom in Bella Vista for 1,100 + maintanence. I made it clear to the owner that I was going to move on the 1st of september. I am in a great location but she never installed the inverter she was supposed to and the Tinarco did not work. Nicely furnished though. Two days before I was going to move we negotiaded a new contract. I now pay 1,000 and the owner pays the maintanence which is 2,200 RD. The gave me last month free on the old contract and she installed a new Tinarco. I myself installed a new inverter that I can take with me and I have Sky Dominicana. So I am a Happy Camper.

[mountainannie]

Originally Posted by sunshine73

I would think these apt would be gear to the UNIBE foreign students. Thats my guess.

Hadn´t thought of that-- these are a lot closer to the US Embassy, a lot more upscale than student housing than I ever lived in.. but that is certainly a good market..

[mountainannie]

Originally Posted by Robert

Over the next few weeks we are going to do a little challenge and document it here at DR1.

I know you can get good unfurnished 2 bedroom apartments in the areas the OP was looking for. I have seen them and I have friends in them. No Dominican pays the "gringo" prices some renters are looking for and they very rarely look in the newspapers or online for apartments

Right now the market is flat and people are doing deals, especially for long term renters. The city is jammed with vacant apartments, you see the signs all over the place.

Someone here at the DR1 office just rented a VERY NICE fully furnished 3 bedroom apartment in Piantini for US$700 monthly. When I say furnished, I mean every room with decent stuff, TV's, beds, kitchen stuff, washer, microwave, Invesor etc etc. They owner originally wanted close to US$1000. I'm sure our guy here at DR1 could have got the price down more, but he needed a place quickly.

Lets see how many sub US$500 apartments we can find

When I first started looking for an apartment here, I was stumped by the "fiador" issue-- that the landlord wanted a Dominican who owned a colmado or something to guarantee my rent. Even if I knew someone, which I didn´t, I would have been reluctant to ask for that. How do others (who are new, not employed, etc etc) get around that? Is there something that we might do to help newbies (and Dominicans who really are looking for foreign tenants and dollar rentals) get into the market?

[bigbird]

Originally Posted by mountainannie

When I first started looking for an apartment here, I was stumped by the "fiador" issue-- that the landlord wanted a Dominican who owned a colmado or something to guarantee my rent. Even if I knew someone, which I didn´t, I would have been reluctant to ask for that. How do others (who are new, not employed, etc etc) get around that? Is there something that we might do to help newbies (and Dominicans who really are looking for foreign tenants and dollar rentals) get into the market?

Great question mountainannie, I too would like to know the answer.

[Ant]

Getting through the fiador issue is difficult, but not impossible. I have found that most owners (though not all) would prefer foreigners. To that end, I would negotiate. Offer an extra month's security, pay several months in advance, banking references, etc. See if the owner is willing to be flexible.

It is definitely not impossible and most things here are negotiable.

[Criss Colon]

He rents it, nicely furnished, to a "Foreigner" for 600 US a month!
Anyone who pays what the Dominicans want is stupid!
Keep looking,and "NEGOCIATE" from your strength: You are a foreigner,who will not destroy the apt. and everything in it.And, You will actually pay the rent each moth! THAT is worth a lot!
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