In Lombok, I rented a small house with a friend I had met in Vietnam and let out the spare rooms to cover the rent. In Sri Lanka, I struck a deal with a hotel owner: I redesigned his website and he gave me free accommodation. Neither of those started with a booking site. They started with being there.
That is the first lesson of finding a monthly rental abroad. The best places are rarely the ones you can book from home.
Book a short stay first
Book a week somewhere decent, then look for a monthly place in person. In that week you learn which streets are noisy, where the good cafes are and how the internet really is. It also stops you paying a month’s rent for photos that lied.
This is the heart of slow travel: find a base, then settle in.
Where to look
- Local Facebook groups. Search for the town name with “rentals” or “housing”. Many long stays are only listed there.
- Booking platforms with monthly prices. Many hosts offer a lower rate for stays of a month or more. Message them and ask.
- Coworking spaces and cafes. Notice boards and the people working there know what is free.
- Walk the area. In many countries, “for rent” signs and a chat with a shop owner still work best.
- Other travellers. Someone is always leaving. Ask in your hostel. My guide to working from hostels explains why they are great places to start.
Check the work basics
You are not renting a holiday home. You are renting an office. Before you pay:
- Run a speed test at the desk, and make a short video call. My guide to digital nomad internet explains what to look for.
- Sit at the table you will work at. Is there a proper chair? Natural light? A socket nearby?
- Ask about power cuts and water supply.
- Listen. Roosters, building work and bars next door all sound worse at 8am.
Agree the terms in writing
A message thread is enough, as long as it is clear. Agree:
- The price per month, and what it includes: electricity, water, internet, cleaning.
- The deposit, and when and how you get it back.
- The dates, and what happens if you leave early.
- Who fixes things when they break.
Take photos of the place on the day you move in. Send them to the owner. It makes deposit conversations much easier later.
Pay safely
Never send a deposit for a place you have not seen, to someone you have not met, through a method you cannot trace. If a deal looks too good, it usually is. Pay through a platform when you book online, and get a receipt when you pay in person.
Know how long you can stay
Before you sign for three months, check how long your visa lets you stay. Rules change and every country is different. My guide to visa runs explains why you should never plan a long stay around a border hop.
And put the rent in your budget before you leave home. My guide to how much money you need to become a digital nomad shows how.
Make it home
Once you are in, set up properly. Buy a fan, a lamp, a plant. Learn the names of your neighbours. A month in one place goes quickly, and it feels better when it feels like yours.
Photo by Med Badr Chemmaoui on Unsplash.
My free guide to leaving the office behind: the steps I took to build a business I can run from anywhere.
P.S. It is free. Read it on your next flight.
