Posted on June 13, 2015 by Rufus — No Comments ↓

Playa Del Carmen Rental Homes

…finding a house in paradise…

A short term rental home near the jungle and a river.

Some people love hotel rooms.

They get a kick out of stealing the free soap and discovering how many different ways there are to fold up towels.

I’m not really one of them.

I walk through a hotel reception and know that I don’t really fit in.

There are the arguing couples, the screaming children, and then a poor receptionist who gets a barrage of abuse.

Boo hoo hoo…sob….sob.

Then there is the poor cleaner who comes into my room to find a smashed tequila bottle and bed that’s been broken in half in a 3am WWF reconstruction.

When I go on vacation I would prefer a rental home.

There are hundreds of Playa Del Carmen rental homes that are perfect for most people who come on vacation here.

Rather than have to wake up hungover and come down to a breakfast room full of faces, you can wake up on a peaceful balcony overlooking the ocean.

Why A Playa Del Carmen Rental Home Is Great

A small Jacuzzi tub in a Playa Del Carmen home.

Hotels offer luxury and thousands of amenities that you’ll probably never use.

They might have five bars, three restaurants, and 12 swimming pools, but who really cares when the ocean is next door anyways.

Playa Del Carmen rental homes offer space.

You get a home with a kitchen, living area, balcony, and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms.

They are a great choice for groups who are coming to Playa Del Carmen.

Playa Del Carmen rental homes also offer that at home feeling.

It’s nice to know that you’ve got a fridge and a stove to do whatever you like with.

More importantly, Playa Del Carmen rental homes provide freedom.

There are no pesky cleaners who ignore the ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign.

And certainly no receptionist who might curtail a 4am party / bringing a cute lady back / making excessive noise.

Why Playa Del Carmen Rental Homes Are Such Good Value

With a hotel you must pay for every person and every room.

With a rental home you pay for the home.

So it doesn’t matter how many people you squeeze into it.

While rental homes will advise you on how many can sleep in them, if you don’t mind sharing a bed, then it’s easy to get more people and split the costs even further.

Because you have a kitchen it’s easy to save money on food.

Just buy a load of stuff from the market and cook up your own feast.

Or go out fishing and then cook what you catch.

You also only pay for what you need.

At a hotel you end up paying an inflated price because of all the amenities that never get used – like a Kid’s Clubs or some shocking live entertainment.

A large and expensive rental home with a shallow swimming pool.

The Best Places To Find Playa Del Carmen Rental Homes

A woman holding her hands over a miniature model rental home.

In the dinosaur age (that is pre-internet), the world was very different.

Porn only existed on the top shelves of dodgy shops – and rental homes were hard to find.

Now it’s easy.

There are lots of different sites that advertise rental homes here.

That also means you don’t have to make an embarrassing trip to the dodgy shop either!!! (enough Rufus!)

I would recommend the following few sites.

Luxury Retreats – This site is pretty self explanatory. Use it if you’re loking for something extra special in a rental home.
VRBO – This site has an excellent search facility that allows you to narrow down the where, what, and how much. This site is very popular and has lots of useful information on renting a vacation home. I really recommend it.
FlipKey – This site is run by tripadvisor and has user reviews of rental homes. It’s still growing and you have to sift through a lot of rubbish but it’s definitely worth trying.
Vivanuncios – This local site offers the cheapest rentals and direct contact with owners. However, you usually require a good grasp on Spanish to use it. (NOTE: I made this link to automatically search for houses. However, if you have problems, remember that Playa Del Carmen is in the state Quintana Roo.)

Several lounge chairs near a swimming pool in the backyard of a home.

Are There Any Places To Avoid In Playa Del Carmen

Almost of all of Playa Del Carmen is safe, although it’s safest the closer you get to the tourist areas.

NOTE: There is only one area (and it is not a “tourist area”) that is considered slightly unsafe. The name is “Colosio” and is on the north part of town. You will know when you are there. It is 100% Mexican. You will rarely see any “tourist-looking” people there.

An important thing to consider is what time you’re going to be going home.

If you will be partying until 4am every night, you don’t want to be walking home alone on dark streets to an outer-lying neighborhood.

In general, I would recommend staying on the beach side of highway 307. (Most tourists never leave this area anyways.)

While there are some advertised rental homes on the inland side of the highway, these are in very Mexican areas.

The very best place to stay is close to Fifth Avenue or 10th Avenue.

Believe me, you will know the entire city’s layout in a few days. It’s actually very simple.

A beautiful kitchen inside a popular Playa Del Carmen rental home.

Tips For Booking A Playa Del Carmen Rental Home

A rental home with a beautiful gated entrance.

Having a good rental home can really make or break your vacation.

Imagine turning up in paradise and discovering that you’re rental home is a dump site.

Or even worse, that your dream rental home has been rented to somebody else on your reserved days!

Following these tips should hopefully avoid any calamities:

Negotiate the price. Here there is never any harm in asking for a cheaper deal. You must absolutely do this if you’re going in low season or booking months and months in advance.
Carefully read the feedback on the rental website. Don’t read the positive feedback. Check for any negative comments and see if there is a pattern emerging.
Ask for references from the owner. They should be available and easy to contact. Then make sure you contact them! Ask whether the rental home is as advertised and the owner was accommodating during their stay.
Contact the owner using different methods. Most importantly make sure you can get direct contact with him and not just through the website.
Take responsibility and double confirm your booking at least twice before you arrive. The owner might think you’re a worrying wanker but sometimes Mexicans need to be reminded about things! Send this email three months before, two weeks before, and on the day of departure:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear [condo owner’s name],
I wanted to make sure that there are no mistakes or clerical errors, so I am sending you this message to confirm my reservation at your condo located at [insert address here].
I should have it reserved for the following nights:
Night One [insert first night that the rental home is reserved]
Night Two [insert second night that the rental home is reserved]
Night Three [insert third night that the rental home is reserved]
etc…
Could you please confirm this reservation?
Thank you,
Peter the Pesterer (of course you should insert your name here)