What should I ask?

Not really it is mostly the same process

Don't know if you could ask a night time noise question, but from what I have read it may be worth checking out before making a commitment.

Thanks, Dany and Mug.

Re noise: the problem is that nobody ever tells the truth. In the past, I've checked the noise level some places by visiting the neighborhood at night. The place I'm most interested in, though, is a condo complex in norte Quito (near Quicentro) and I probably can't get past the security guards at night to wander around. No need to worry about street noise at least.

And the cars are parked underground, so no car alarms -- hooray!

Quito is pretty much safe and beautiful

danygirl8903 wrote:

Quito is pretty much safe and beautiful

JUST LIKE YOU?

BobH wrote:

I've rented many apartments in my life, but not in Ecuador.

I know the questions to ask the landlord or agent in the US: What's the rent? When is it due? How long is the contract? Which utilities are included? Other fees? Etc.

I'll ask the same questions here, but are there other questions, peculiar to Ecuador, that I should ask?

Bob

I would ask if the entire deposite is refundable. I would ask who is responsible to pay for fixing stuff that breaks (I was surprised by one place that did routine maintenance for the first 6 months, but not after that). I would ask what the penalty is for breaking the lease early. I would ask if there is a discount for paying the entire lease up front (I saved $50 per month by doing this).

Jesse: Good questions -- thanks.

Mug: Stop flirting on my thread! 

BobH wrote:

Mug: Stop flirting on my thread! 

Just getting into the 2/14 spirit a day early
Did not mean to devalue your thread.
Is it tradition to celebrate Valentine's Day in Ecuador?
Don't you miss Chicago on St Valentine's Day?

It happen to us (in Cuenca) that landlord said:


No dogs barking around!
Oh, the internet work great!
Oh, the internet need to be install, it takes 2 days.
Oh, I take care of the maintenance.
We have parking, you can use it!
Feel free to enjoy the patio.
We can share the kitchen.
I give you back your deposit if everything is ok.

Then:

Her dog was barking at any time.
Her internet does not work in our apt.
The internet company took 2 weeks to go install the internet.
They did not install it because the family next door dont want the internet company install any wires close to them. :S
The landlords dog, pee and poo in our front door everyday. Guess who clean it?
The landlord did not like our taste on food. So, we did not keep food in home.
The parking area was: The first who take it, is the one who keep it!!
A hamock in the patio was such a terrible thing that we got chew up.
Forget about sleeping, landlady wakes up at 4am and seems like the end of the world just begin.
Deposit? What deposit?

2 different landladies. Terrible experience.

We found a guy wh lives with his two children. Was the best landlord in the planet!!

Just saying...

Quayquil is not bad