Guide · Puerto Morelos
How to rent in Puerto Morelos
What to know before you pay: the process, the deposit, guarantors, the lease and the most common scams.
Reviewed on October 14, 2026 · General information with sources, not legal advice.
The process, step by step
Pick an area and a budget
Puerto Morelos has two sides: the old port and the coast, which city law calls the tourist zone, and neighborhoods like Zetina Gasca and Pescadores, the urban zone. Compare rents in each before you decide.[1]
Search several channels
There is no central channel: Facebook groups and Marketplace, WhatsApp, "Se renta" signs, agencies and portals. Many places are never advertised online.[2][3]
Visit before paying
Don’t pay a single peso for a place you haven’t seen, or to someone who can’t show it to you. Good places go fast, but not that fast.[3][4]
Check who is renting
Ask for ID. If it’s an agent, ask for their SEDETUS matrícula: in Quintana Roo it is required to broker rentals and it is listed in a public register.[5]
Sign in writing
In Quintana Roo a lease must be in writing. If the lease is bilingual, the Spanish version is the one that counts in court.[3][6]
Do an inventory on move-in
Record the condition of everything with dated photos, plus the electricity and water meter readings. Without a description, the law presumes you received everything in good condition.[6][7]
What you pay upfront
Aval and póliza jurídica
The aval (guarantor)
Someone who co-signs and pays if you don’t. They are usually expected to own unencumbered property in the same state, which is hard for newcomers.[9]
A valid guarantor can’t be refused
The landlord can’t refuse a guarantor who meets the legal requirements (art. 2710). If the lease is extended or renews automatically, the guarantee ends unless agreed otherwise (art. 2740).[6]
The póliza jurídica
The alternative to an aval: a law firm screens you and backs the landlord if there’s a dispute. It costs between 35% and a full month’s rent, depending on the source; no law says who pays, it’s negotiated.[9][10]
The lease
Renewing
If you’re up to date, you can request an extension of up to one year within 15 days of the end date. The landlord may raise the rent by at most 10%, and only by showing that local rents went up (art. 2738).[6]
Staying without re-signing
If you stay on without objection, the lease renews indefinitely at the same rent (art. 2739); either side can then end it with two months’ notice (art. 2714).[6]
Rent in dollars
You can pay it in pesos, at the exchange rate of the place and day of payment.[11]
Condos and utilities
In a condo building, the lease must include a copy of the building rules. And the landlord can’t cut off basic services (art. 2687).[6][12]
Common scams
Stolen photos and a "holding deposit"
Someone copies the photos of a real listing and asks for a deposit to "hold" a place they say is still occupied. Fake profiles come back with the name reversed.[4][13]
The owner is "traveling"
You’re asked to send the deposit to someone else because the owner can’t meet you.[3]
"That one’s gone, but I have another"
The listing was bait to sell you something else.[3]
Pressure
Pushing you to decide today, or refusing to show the place. Asking for a credit check before a viewing is a red flag too.[3]
For landlords
Check every payment in your bank: in Tulum, tenants stopped paying, sent a fake transfer receipt and emptied the apartment.[14]
Utilities and seasons
Water comes from Aguakan
As in Cancún, water is supplied by Aguakan, a private concession. Ask whether the bill is included in the rent and ask to see the latest one.[15]
Watch the DAC tariff
Ask for recent electricity bills. If the meter has moved to the high-consumption tariff (DAC, unsubsidized), bills soar and it is very hard to get back down.[2]
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the deposit in Puerto Morelos?
- Quintana Roo law sets no amount and no cap: it’s agreed in the lease. Write down how much it is, what it can cover and how many days it takes to come back.
- Do I need a guarantor (aval) to rent in Puerto Morelos?
- The law doesn’t require one: it’s up to the landlord. If you’re asked for one, a póliza jurídica can take its place.
- What is a póliza jurídica?
- A service from a law firm that screens the tenant and backs the landlord in a dispute. It replaces the aval and costs between 35% and a full month’s rent, depending on the source.
- Does a rental lease have to be in writing?
- Yes. Quintana Roo’s Civil Code (art. 2682) requires leases to be in writing.
- Can my rent go up when I renew?
- If you request the extension while up to date, the increase is capped at 10% and the landlord must show that local rents rose (art. 2738). In a new lease, the rent is freely set.
- How do I avoid a rental scam?
- Don’t pay anything before a viewing or to someone who can’t show you the place. Pay the person who signs the lease, get a receipt and, for agents, check their SEDETUS matrícula.
Sources
- 1.Congreso del Estado de Quintana Roo. Ley de Hacienda del Municipio de Puerto Morelos, arts. 5, 18, 24 a 29, 74, 92 Bis y 136 a 138 (reforma 9 dic. 2024)
- 2.Viva La Travelista. How to find a Playa del Carmen long-term rental (2023)
- 3.Everything Playa del Carmen. Everything about apartment renting in Playa del Carmen (4 jun. 2026)
- 4.Everything Playa del Carmen. How to find long-term rentals in Playa del Carmen (11 jul. 2026)
- 5.Congreso del Estado de Quintana Roo. Ley de Prestación de Servicios Inmobiliarios del Estado de Quintana Roo (reforma 16 dic. 2025)
- 6.Congreso del Estado de Quintana Roo. Código Civil para el Estado de Quintana Roo (texto vigente, 7 sep. 2026)
- 7.A Broken Backpack. Long-term rentals in Playa del Carmen (2023)
- 8.Two Tickets Anywhere. Long-term rentals in Playa del Carmen (26 jun. 2026)
- 9.Mexperience. Finding and managing a long-term property rental in Mexico
- 10.Expansión. Póliza jurídica: cobro anual (14 dic. 2023)
- 11.Cámara de Diputados. Ley Monetaria de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
- 12.Gobierno de Quintana Roo. Ley de Propiedad en Condominio de Inmuebles del Estado de Quintana Roo
- 13.Por Esto. Alertan por estafas de alojamiento en el Caribe mexicano (20 ene. 2025)
- 14.Tulum Times. Tulum rental scam: Canadian tenants fraud (15 jul. 2025, act. 4 sep. 2026)
- 15.Por Esto. SCJN vuelve a rechazar atraer el caso Aguakan (4 oct. 2025)