Baja Rentals and Their Array of Utilities

If you plan on renting a home in Baja for more then 3 months, then you should know about all of the utility scenarios that many Baja rentals have. This article looks at utilities from a long-term renters point of view and covers all you need to know about utilities before you sign a rental contract for a home in Baja.

Recently there have been a large amount of long-term renters moving to Baja, and here at our Baja Open House office, we are always asked about utilities. Of course, if you plan on buying here in Baja and living here long term, then this article will be very useful to you too. Much of what is covered in this utility article would apply to nearly every renter and buyer of homes through out all of Mexico.

This article also breaks down the differences in utilities for single family homes versus condo towers. These differences are significant in both the cost and convenience of utilities depending on what community you want to live in.  Lastly, for the purpose of this article we are going to include information on services that may not be viewed as a public utility, such as internet, and television, because nowadays, how can we live without these services?

There are a total of 6 parts to this article.

Baja Rentals Utilities - Table of Contents

• Baja Rentals and Their Array of Utilities

• Electricity for all Baja Rentals

• Baja Rentals Need Water!

• Propane Gas – 4 Option for Baja Rentals

• Telephone and Internet– Calling all Baja Rentals

• Television – Renting in Baja but Getting USA Channels

Perfect Baja Utilitiy List for Long-term Rentals

If you are looking for the most economical and convenient way to supply utilities to your Baja rental, then your Baja utilities package will look like this:

• Electricity with your own meter for your own house or condo.

• Propane gas out of a large propane tank, in which you use the tank exclusively.

• Water from the public water company called the CESPT with your own meter for your particular rental.

• Local telephone service from Telnor, or Telmex in many other parts of Mexico.

• Internet service from Telnor, in which they market their service under the name Prodigy.

• Direct TV for a wide variety of English channels.

Each utility has is own company that supplies the utility. And if you rent in Baja, or any where in Mexico, you will inevitably be visiting all of these companies to either pay a bill or cancel service once you vacate the rental.

Variations of Baja Utilities

Baja is a very unique place. It is a mix of old world Mexico with modern conveniences. And Baja always seem to be catching up with itself, and in many ways, it has to do so creatively. So the way you receive utilities is not cut and dry. There are variances.

Here is a quick list at how your utility services may vary from the norm depending on where you are living.

• A Condo tower greater then 4 stories will use electricity for the stove, water heater, and forced air heating, instead of using propane gas.

• On the east side of the highway away from the coast you may be using a "pila," (pronounced 'pee-la') an under ground cistern, a water tank, used to store water that is supplied by a water truck, called a "pipa," (pronounced 'pee-pa'). Water supplied in this mater is not supplied by the local nation wide water company, known as the "CESPT."

• In rural areas of new development, your water bill may be billed as a commercial zone.

• Dense town centers will have access to cable tv, though most channels are in Spanish. Direct TV is still available every where with channels in English just like you would state side.

• Most dense and ocean side communities will have access to telephone lines for a landline and DSL internet service with the local telephone company. While more rural communities, or communities with less infrastructure will have satellite internet with renters using a VOIP telephone replacement service, such as Magic Jack, Sype, or Vonage, and no access to landlines.

Of course, over time, rural communities will have the same amenities as more dense communities, it just takes time in Baja. Make sure you ask the landlord or property manager what it is that you are getting concerning utilties. I have seen many renters and buyers stunned by the fact that they just took utilities for granted, and couldn't get what they had anticipated, or what their friends across the road have.

Electricity for all Baja Rentals...