Finding somewhere to live in Manila

Where the stock is

The foreign rental market is overwhelmingly condominiums, owned individually and let by the owner or through a broker. Lamudi, Dot Property and Carousell carry the visible listings; a great deal moves through Facebook groups, building-specific broker networks and the administration office's own list. Houses in gated villages exist and are the family option, usually through a village broker rather than a portal.

• Condominiums dominate; each unit has its own owner and its own furnishing standard.
• Village houses are let through village brokers, rarely on portals.
• The building administration often knows which units are actually vacant.
• Ask for the unit number and floor before viewing — duplicated listings are rife.

Benchmarking before you negotiate

Because the same unit is priced differently depending on the channel, the useful preparation is to establish what the building's layouts actually let for. Ask two brokers independently, ask the administration office, and compare like layouts on the same tier of floors. Armed with that, a negotiation is straightforward; without it, you are agreeing to a number with no reference point.

• Price the same layout through at least two channels.
• Floors, views and renovation status move the price within one building considerably.
• Longer terms and prompt payment both buy discounts.
• A local intermediary changes the opening number as much as the closing one.

The contract, deposit and dues

A twelve-month term with two months' deposit and one to two months in advance is standard. The written contract is in English and usually short. Association dues are billed per square metre per month by the condominium corporation on top of rent, and cover security, common areas and often water — so a building with high dues and low rent can be more expensive than it looks.

• Two months' deposit plus one to two months' advance at signing.
• Association dues per m² per month — ask the rate and who pays it.
• Parking is a separate slot with a separate monthly charge.
• Confirm the move-in and move-out procedures with administration — most buildings restrict hours.

Verifying the owner

Ask for the Condominium Certificate of Title and the owner's government identification, and check both against the person receiving the deposit. Where a broker or relative signs, ask for the written authority. Pay by bank transfer or cheque with a record; a reservation fee paid in cash for a unit sight unseen is the classic Manila rental loss.

• Condominium Certificate of Title, plus the owner's ID, matched to the payee.
• Written authority where somebody else signs.
• Never pay a reservation fee for a unit nobody has inspected.
• Get the inventory signed with photographs attached.

In order

1. 1Fix your business district first — Makati, BGC or Ortigas — and search around it.
2. 2Shortlist buildings, then units; the building sets the dues, the lifts and the security.
3. 3Benchmark the layout through two independent channels before negotiating.
4. 4View in person or by live video; confirm the unit number and floor.
5. 5Ask the dues rate and the parking charge, and add them to rent.
6. 6Check the title and the owner's ID against the payee.
7. 7Photograph everything and attach a signed inventory.
8. 8Book the move-in slot with building administration in advance.