Renting in Santiago
We know how difficult moving to a different country can be, especially when you don’t speak the local tongue. Even more so in Chile, since many real estate agencies still consider it taboo to rent properties to foreigners. They ask for a plethora of documents and requisites that take literal years to obtain as a foreigner. many of which can be troublesome to get, even for Chileans!
Renting should be all about choosing the right apartment. The one place that will be your home away from home, where you feel comfortable enough to concentrate on what really matters: your livelihood, family or traveling experience.
We’ll advice you on which kind of properties and neighborhoods might suit you and guide you through the entire rental process, from visits to properties to signing the final lease. We’re expats as well so we have a good handle on which units you might find appealing.
Andes Property offers a streamlined rental process that ensures you’ll be moving into your new place in no time after making a commitment. We’ve condensed all the information you need to rent an apartment on this page so you can expect no surprises when renting an apartment with us.
1) Choosing the right property in Santiago
Exclusive and upscale? Or bohemian and trendy? Choosing a property by yourself can be a bit overwhelming since many resources online end up contradicting themselves. All of our properties are in expat friendly areas of Santiago, so you can rest assured that whichever property you pick will be a safe and solid choice.
Make sure to check our Neighborhood Guide to get a more in-depth knowledge of the different communes of Santiago, along with pricing and variety of activities. If you’re still undecided, you can always talk to us and we’ll give you our input free of charge 🙂
2) Scheduling a visit and reserving an unit
Interested in a property but can’t quite pull the trigger? Send us an inquiry to check if it’s available for a showing. Even if the property won’t be available for another month or two, it can still be visited while the current tenants are there so you can still make a decision even if it’s months in advance.
If you’re not in Chile, you can still reserve a property without visiting the unit by paying the security deposit (set at one month of rent) in advance. We keep our pictures up to date and faithful to the current state of the apartment so there are no surprises once you reserve. If there are any discrepancies, they will be sorted out ASAP at the moment of move-in.
3) Contract information
Once you’ve made your decision in which property to rent, we will ask you for the necessary personal information for the contract. The information we need for the lease is non intrusive(*) and can be mostly found on your passport. We will also need your specific move-in and move-out date. Longer periods (more than six months up to a year) stays are preferred by landlords and rent prices can usually be negotiated when staying for these periods.
Once the contract is done, we will send you a draft for your review. Make sure all personal information is correct and rent prices are what were agreed previously. The final lease will be signed in Spanish, but we can provide a translated version of the draft so you’re familiar with all the terms
(*) On a case-to-case basis, some landlords might require additional information from the tenant.
4) Signing and move-in!
Everything should be set for the signing of the lease. Make sure all the information in the printed version matches that of the draft you’ve been sent and that you bring a physical copy of your passport / Chilean ID to the signing location. Once the contract is signed by both the landlord and you, the payment will take place which should be the first month of rent, security deposit (unless paid previously through reservation) and commission. At the same time, you will receive the keys to the apartment and from that point on, the place is yours! We will send you a digital guide that explains the entire process on paying the bills, using the common areas and information of importance for expats.
Enjoy your stay in Chile!
The Specifics
Rent pricing
- Values are quoted in Chilean Pesos (CLP). Rates mentioned in USD only serve as a reference and might differ depending on the exchange rate.
- All prices are rent only (unless specified otherwise). Utilities are paid separate by the tenant and their price depends on apartment size and neighborhood.
Utilities
- Utilities are comprised of: Gastos comunes (common expenses of the building), electricity, gas (not all apartments use gas), water, internet and cable (when requested).
- On some apartments, you can ask for the utilities to be included in the rent price as a whole package, however it might be slightly more expensive than paying it on your own due to additional admin work and risk.
Security Deposit
- Security deposit is priced at 1 month of rent in most cases. Additional security deposit might be required in some cases. e.g if the renter has pets.
- It is returned at the end of the lease minus any discounts for pending utilities, damaged items and repairs (if any) plus cleaning.
Commission / Agency Fee
- Andes Property charges half a month commission (50%) of the property you are renting plus IVA / TAX (19%). This is only charged once, even if you decide to renew the contract. We don’t charge anything for consulting or advice beforehand.
Reservations
- To book a property in advance, a paid reservation must be made for the amount of the security deposit and agency fee. You can pay the first month of rent when moving into the apartment.
- Payments made in USD through International Transfer / PayPal / Credit Card have a 6% recharge on top of the final amount. This is due to transaction fees, exchange rate and getting the money into Chile.
Cancelation Policy
- Cancellations before move-in incur a 50% penalty on the reservation amount to cover any vacancy for the reservation as well as administration fees. Make sure to plan your trip carefully!
- Cancellations after move-in as per contract are not possible and will likely incur a total loss of your payment! Our staff is 100% committed to respond to any questions you might have and you can visit our apartments as many times as you need before making a decision.
Remember you can always send an email to contact@andesproperty.com if you have any more questions, we’d be happy to help!
The Andes Property team