What's included in a monthly villa rental in Bali

The three questions everyone asks Maya first

The most repeated questions in Samba's WhatsApp inbox are: is electricity included, is wifi included and how fast, and is cleaning or pool maintenance included. Here are the short answers from the current listing set of 33:

• Electricity: included on 17 listings, excluded on 7, and not stated on the remaining 9 — always confirm this one directly, it's the inclusion that varies most.
• Wifi: included on 28 of the 33 listings, usually fibre, with stated speeds ranging from 200mbps to 400mbps.
• Cleaning and pool maintenance: housekeeping is included on 26 of the 33 listings, typically 2x weekly, but dedicated pool maintenance is only separately listed on 6 — mostly on villas with a private pool rather than apartments and townhouses with a shared pool.

Does Bali rent include electricity?

Not always, and this is the single biggest source of confusion for renters. Of the 33 listings checked, 17 include electricity in the quoted price, 7 explicitly exclude it, and 9 don't state it clearly — which means you should ask before assuming.

A pattern worth knowing: several properties include electricity in the monthly rate but exclude it on the yearly contract. LaneHAUS Unit 1, LaneHAUS Unit 3 and the Tropicana Valley townhouses in Buduk all work this way — electricity is bundled if you take the monthly price, but billed separately (usually by meter) on a 12-month lease. Apartments at HAUS Canggu in Batu Bolong include electricity on both terms.

On the exclude side, Villa Saturno, Villa Solstice, Villa Rice, Sawah Studios, Vila Lestari Umalas and Villa Hawk all bill electricity separately, usually by meter reading, which matters most for larger villas running multiple air-conditioning units and a pool pump. If electricity isn't included, ask what the meter capacity is (one listing states 5500w) and whether there's a cap or estimate for a typical month.

Bali rent inclusions: wifi, housekeeping and linen

Internet is close to universal — 28 of the 33 listings include fibre or Wi-Fi, with speeds stated from 200mbps (LaneHAUS, Sawah Studios) up to 400mbps (HAUS Canggu, Villa Saturno, Tropicana Valley, Casa Suhana). If remote work matters, ask whether the connection is dedicated to your unit or shared across a compound — a few listings specify "dedicated per unit" fibre, which is worth asking for if it isn't stated.

Housekeeping is included on 26 of the 33 listings, almost always at 2x weekly for villas and apartments. A handful go further: Villa Hawk and Villa Fae include cleaning 4x per week, Sawah Studios 6x weekly, and Villa Swarna Umalas includes daily housekeeping plus full-time security — unusually generous for the inclusions list. Linen and towel changes (usually weekly) are bundled with housekeeping on 22 of the 33 listings; if a listing doesn't mention linen separately, assume you'll need to ask.

Banjar fee Bali rental: what it covers

The banjar is the local village or neighbourhood association, and the banjar fee is a community contribution that typically covers rubbish collection, local security patrols, upkeep of shared lanes, and contributions toward ceremonies and temple events in the area. It's included in 24 of the 33 listings checked, usually bundled as "banjar fee and trash collection" in a single line. Where it isn't included, it's generally a small, fixed local payment rather than a usage-based bill, but you should still ask the owner or agent what it covers and how it's collected (annually, per lease, or by the local banjar directly).

Pool maintenance, garden maintenance and security

These three show up far less often as separate line items — pool maintenance and garden maintenance each appear on 6 of the 33 listings, and dedicated security on just 1. That's partly a function of property type: apartments and townhouses with a shared pool, like HAUS Canggu or Tropicana Valley, don't need to itemise pool upkeep because it's part of the building's shared facilities. Villas with a private pool are more likely to list it explicitly — Villa Hawk, Villa Fae and Villa Umah Astanine all state pool and garden maintenance as inclusions. If you're renting a villa with its own pool and maintenance isn't mentioned, ask directly — an unmaintained private pool is a common point of friction later in a tenancy. For a broader look at private-pool stock, see villas with a private pool.

Questions to ask before you sign

Before confirming any monthly or yearly rental, ask the owner or agent to confirm, in writing:

• Is electricity included in this price, or billed separately by meter — and if separate, what's a typical monthly cost for this property?
• What's the wifi speed, and is it dedicated to this unit or shared with neighbours?
• How often is housekeeping, and does it include linen and towel changes?
• Is the banjar fee included, and what does it cover locally?
• If there's a private pool, who maintains it and how often?
• Does the inclusion list change if you switch from a monthly to a yearly term — as it does on several Buduk and Pererenan listings here?

For general cost context alongside inclusions, see long-term rental prices in Bali by bedroom count and whether yearly or monthly is cheaper. Message Maya on WhatsApp with the property you're considering and she'll confirm the exact inclusions with the owner before you view.