Rental Deposits in Mexico

[bear]

Good Readers,
I live here in Mexico, rent here in Mexico and have for quite awhile. I feel duty-bound to give some advice about renting a home here in Mexico.
I just advised three US returnees (one by forum) and two others in person
about getting their rent deposit money back after they left.
They are not going to get it back! Landlords here are loathe to give it back.
Call it a rental cost and move on..... This is not the US. They are not bad people, it is just what is done. If they give it back, good, but if not, move on. Save yourself the grief. Things here dont have to work like they do in the US, they just dont.

Thanks for the good info.

You are a far kinder soul than me, Señor Bear. They are not bad people? A deposit is a deposit. I assume we are talking of damage deposits. If the home was left in good condition, and the owners do not return the deposit because they know it will be a big pain in the kazoo for the ex-tenant to come back and demand it...they are thieves, pure and simple, in my book.

And you are right in that it is the way things are done here. Unfortunately. Stiffing and getting stiffed is a way of life in Mexico. As my lovely Mexicana wife and countless other Mexicans are fond of saying, Somos rateros. I hear it all the time.

Another is that instead of giving each other a helping hand, we give each other kicks in the butt. And they do.

Dear Don Palomares,
Surely you jest?
Swindlers are found where humans abide.

Ana

Ms. Carrillo: Of course, I did not say otherwise. In fact, I think many of what I consider negative aspects of living in Mexico, which I have done for nearly six years, are not Mexican at all. They are cultural traits that develop wherever there has been a difficult history. And Mexico has had a difficult history indeed. Gringos have had it very lucky. Most do not know how lucky. They (we) are clueless about life out in the real world, tho they are getting a little taste of it this week in New Orleans.

Though I have never been farther south than Mexico, I would bet big bucks that returning money, for example, which is the topic at hand, is equally difficult for Venezuelans, Ecuadorans, Indians (de India), Chinese, you name it.

All of which does not, in my opinion, change the fact that if you owe somebody money and knowingly do not pay it back, you are stealing. In Mexico, in New Orleans, in Toronto, in Calcutta. It is all the same, I think.

So, no, I was not jesting. But you are right about swindlers. They are everywhere in the world.

Of course, no todos son rateros. But you would be amazed how often I hear that and similar things from mis parientes mexicanos and others. They simply do not trust one another in this country.

[joaquin]

Having lived in Dallas for 30 years before moving to Mexico and having lived in a number of apartments there, I have never received my rent deposit back. I only knew of one person who did and he had to replace every light bulb, steam clean the carpets, desinfect the stove and refridgerator, and repaint the apartment. I never expected Mexico to be any different.

I do not remember ever not receiving rent deposits back in the U.S. Different experiences in este mundo.

On second thought, there was that time when I was young. I left a useless upright piano for the landlord to remove. I did not get a penny back, nor did the young jackass I was at the time deserve a penny.

Oh dear me. You poor people. Where I live & I have lived in two different houses, I have not had to make an deposits because they (the owners) told me that we don't think it is necessary as we seem like nice people. Now, in the states I would have had to pay first & last and maybe a cleaning deposit. I have had some problems with rain seeping in thru & under the walls & LO, the owner has sent out a crew to repair the problems. Maybe I happen to live in the nicest state in Mexico. Love the people here.
Vicente (Mofles)