How to Find a Long-Term Rental in Bali: Brief, Shortlist, Viewing, Deposit, Move-In

Start with a brief: dates, budget, area

Before you start browsing, write down four things: when you want to move in, how long you plan to stay, your monthly or yearly budget, and the areas you'd consider. This is the single biggest time-saver in the Bali rental process, because it lets an agent or Maya filter 33 live listings down to five or six that actually match, instead of sending you everything.

On budget, the fact pack gives a useful anchor: a 1-bedroom home typically runs IDR 20 million to IDR 30 million a month (median IDR 30 million), a 2-bedroom sits around IDR 30 million, a 3-bedroom spans IDR 30 million to IDR 73 million (median IDR 40 million), and 4+ bedroom villas run IDR 85 million to IDR 132 million. For the same breakdown by yearly price, see long term rental prices in Bali.

Decide monthly or yearly early too. Paying yearly is often meaningfully cheaper than paying month to month over the same period — a sample of 28 listings here shows a 17% saving on average when booked yearly instead of monthly. The trade-off and the maths are in is it cheaper to rent yearly or monthly in Bali?.

Finding a villa to rent in Bali: build your shortlist

Of the 33 live listings, 14 are villas, 11 are townhouses and 8 are apartments — all three are commonly called "villa" locally, so it's worth checking the listed type before you get attached to a photo. Start broad on /rent, then narrow by type on /rent/villas, /rent/townhouses or /rent/apartments, or by bedroom count on /rent/1-bedroom through /rent/4-bedroom.

Area matters as much as price. Canggu and its sub-areas account for 32 of the 33 live listings: Batu Bolong, Berawa, Pererenan, Umalas, Buduk and Cemagi each have their own page with live counts. If a private pool or a pet is non-negotiable, filter directly on /rent/private-pool or /rent/pet-friendly — 17 of the 33 listings have a private pool and 22 are pet friendly.

Shortlist five to eight homes that fit your brief, not fifty. A tighter list makes viewings faster and decisions clearer.

Viewing a villa in Bali: what to check on the day

Once you've shortlisted, the next step in the Bali rental process is booking viewings. Samba's team arranges these on the ground, so you can see more than one property in a single day if your shortlist spans one area.

At the viewing, check beyond the photos: - Water pressure and hot water in every bathroom, not just the main one - Air-conditioning in each bedroom, and whether it's included or billed separately - Internet speed with a quick test on your phone, especially if you'll work from home - Electricity setup — of the listings here, 17 include electricity in the monthly price, 7 exclude it, and 9 don't state it, so always ask directly for the specific home you're viewing - Pool condition and depth if it's private, and who maintains it (only 6 of 33 listings include pool maintenance separately beyond standard housekeeping) - Noise from nearby construction or the road, at the time of day you'd actually be home - What's actually included — internet is included in 28 of 33 listings, housekeeping in 26, and the banjar (village) fee and rubbish collection in 24, but this varies listing to listing, so ask for the exact inclusion list rather than assuming

For a full rundown of what's typically bundled into rent, see what's included in a monthly villa rental in Bali.

Bali rental deposit and payment, in general terms

Deposit terms are set by each individual owner, not by the platform, so they vary widely. Among live listings here, deposits take different forms: a fixed sum, a percentage of the rental price (one listing specifies 10%), or a full month's rent held as security. Some listings don't state a deposit at all until you ask. Always confirm the exact figure and what it covers (damage, early termination, both) for the specific home before you commit, rather than assuming a standard rate applies across Bali.

Payment structure also varies by agreement length. Monthly rentals are generally paid month to month. Yearly rentals are sometimes paid in full up front and sometimes split into instalments — one listing in this set specifies rent payable in two instalments across the year, for example. Ask for this in writing before you pay anything.

For anything involving a lease agreement, KITAS-linked rentals, or tax treatment of a rental, check with a notary or immigration agent — this is outside what a rental listing or an assistant like Maya can advise on.

Minimum stay and negotiating the yearly price

Minimum stay also varies listing by listing. Some homes have no minimum stay at all, others require one month, three months, six months, or a full year before move-out. This is set per property, so it's worth confirming for your shortlist before you get attached to a specific move-in date.

On negotiating: whether a yearly price can move depends on the individual owner, not on a platform-wide policy. Factors that typically give you more room include booking well ahead of peak season, committing to a full year rather than month to month, or being flexible on your exact move-in date. If you're unsure whether a listed yearly figure is firm, ask Maya to check directly with the owner — that's a normal part of the process, not an unusual request.

Moving in

Before you hand over keys and sign anything, walk the property one more time and note the condition of furniture, appliances and any existing damage — photos are useful here. If electricity is billed separately, record the meter reading on day one.

Confirm the cleaning and linen schedule in writing (housekeeping is included in 26 of 33 listings here, usually two or more times a week, with linen and towels changed weekly in 22 of them), and get a direct contact for maintenance issues once you're in. If anything about the agreement itself feels unclear — length of term, what happens if you need to leave early — that's a conversation for a notary, not a guess.

If you'd rather have someone else run this whole process for you, message Maya on WhatsApp with your dates, budget and area, and she'll match you against live listings and arrange viewings directly.