Foreigner Friendly Rentals?

[dinuguan]

Is there any way for a foreigner to rent in the Philippines any more? Last time no one would rent to us. We ran out of money staying at hotels, and eventually had to leave. Literally no one, on any island, would rent to a Pinay with a white dude. I have lived in the Philippines for years and never had this problem before. Now no one wants my money. I Have ACR, ICR, NBI, PNP, BC, SSS, TIN, etc. My only negative is no PDC, since the new FACTA level 3 compliance.    My bank account does not allow cheques. Is Duterte just making things more racist or is there a new way to get a place? 

[Lee2]

In Cebu foreigners have no problems renting so I am not sure what areas you are having those problems in so that others can stay clear of those areas?

Also BPI bank and I belive BDO accepts US dollar checks but holds them 21 business days and charges $5 when you deposit one, so what bank are you having those issues with, so others can learn to stay away from them as well.

I believe by PDC you mean post dated checks, from what I have seen in Cebu, first, last and two months security deposit usually work to avoid having to give PDC's but of course like with everything else, YMMV depending on landlords.

[suzukig1]

Your issue is probably that you cannot provide post dated checks.

For the landlord post dated checks provide a higher level of protection.  Not honoring payment by check is a criminal offense (estafa) so there is more leverage to get you to pay.  Not honoring payment based on a rental contract is a civil offense and not criminal.

(If you offered to pay a years rent in advance you probably would not have the same problem.  But who wants to pay a years rent in advance.)

[BudM]

Speaking of BDO and probably other banks too or else to follow, as of July 1, 2018 if you write a check out whether post dated or current you are required to adhere to a certain date format of which there are numerous.  If you put the date on there and it does not follow the advisory, they say they will refuse the check.  If you don't know about it, the advisory is posted in their banks and on their website.

[iamjames]

I have never encountered any problem with renting in Mindanao. The other thing I do not understand is the big deal with cheques (checks). I have not seen one for about 25 years and thought most of the developed world had also moved on.

[BudM]

I have never encountered any problem with renting in Mindanao. The other thing I do not understand is the big deal with cheques (checks). I have not seen one for about 25 years and thought most of the developed world had also moved on.

The first 6 months I lived here I had to use checks post dated for condo rent.  The only checks I have written since then are from my US bank that my checking account is with when I am transferring money.  Hell, you might not have seen one in 25 years but back in the US, I wrote two or sometimes three a year.  My auto insurance (State Farm, not some rinky dink fly by night outfit) did not have online payment until a couple of months before I left.  So, what is the problem?  I and some others must not be to that advanced stage yet and are actually backwards, I guess.

[jjcabgou]

Is there any way for a foreigner to rent in the Philippines any more? Last time no one would rent to us. We ran out of money staying at hotels, and eventually had to leave. Literally no one, on any island, would rent to a Pinay with a white dude. I have lived in the Philippines for years and never had this problem before. Now no one wants my money. I Have ACR, ICR, NBI, PNP, BC, SSS, TIN, etc. My only negative is no PDC, since the new FACTA level 3 compliance.    My bank account does not allow cheques. Is Duterte just making things more racist or is there a new way to get a place?

Wow, I never heard of that as well.   Where the heck are you?  One month in advance should get you in just about anywhere, worst case a six month deposit.   

[medic3500]

Never had a problem in the Manila area but then again the landlord doesn't see me until the contract gets signed the GF does all the talking and negotiating. Did have one turd a lawyer at that try to change the contract the day we went to sign it and he saw me for the first time, tried raising the rent 2K more a month, my GF went ballistic on him.

[chimellie]

We rent to anyone who has $$$$$$ and nice. We had a bad experience with a Norwegian dude, but not all of them are bad.
Our apartments are in Cebu, but no vacancies at this moment.

[Hestecrefter]

Reading on here about post-dated checks reminds me of an experience I had back in the 1990s.  By that time I had been living in Los Angeles for a few years and I was heading off to the Phils. for about 7 months.  I owned our home in LA, subject to a mortgage in favor of the now-defunct (I can guess why) Washington Mutual Bank.  My mortgage payment was $2,852/mo.  So gave them 7 post-dated checks, one for each of 7 months.

I was a bit shocked to check my B of A bank balance one day to find it seriously depleted.  Washington Mutual cashed all 7 checks the day they were received.  When I called to complain about the $20,000 removed from my account in one shot, even though the checks were dated in the future, I was scolded and sternly informed: "There is no such thing as a post-dated check known to U.S. banking."  Lesson learned.

[bigrod]

Reading on here about post-dated checks reminds me of an experience I had back in the 1990s.  By that time I had been living in Los Angeles for a few years and I was heading off to the Phils. for about 7 months.  I owned our home in LA, subject to a mortgage in favor of the now-defunct (I can guess why) Washington Mutual Bank.  My mortgage payment was $2,852/mo.  So gave them 7 post-dated checks, one for each of 7 months.

I was a bit shocked to check my B of A bank balance one day to find it seriously depleted.  Washington Mutual cashed all 7 checks the day they were received.  When I called to complain about the $20,000 removed from my account in one shot, even though the checks were dated in the future, I was scolded and sternly informed: "There is no such thing as a post-dated check known to U.S. banking."  Lesson learned.

While the statement about US banking is true, they the mortgage company are not a bank.  They IMO should have returned the posted checks or held them to the appropriate date.  To my knowledge the banks in the Philippines do not accept/hold post dated checks either.  Individuals and companies on the other hand do as a guarantee for future payments since if they bounce they can file Estafa charges.

Chuck