# Renting in D.F., paying realtor's "investigation commission"



## Karla75 (Feb 14, 2013)

Hi,

I've rented in Mexico State before, in fairly rural/ somewhat suburban areas, with very little supporting documentation- fiador, deposit, 1st month's rent plus ID. 
I'm now looking in and around D.F. I found a place I like, the woman that owns the apartment is happy to have me move in but she's working with a real estate agent who's been rather difficult to get a hold of. I mentioned this to the land owner who said several people had been "seriously interested" in the place but that she never heard back after telling them to speak with her realtor about the contract. 
I've since been in touch with the realtor and set up an appointment later this week. The land owner will also be present at the meeting. 
My question is this. The realtor told me one of the requirements is a background check ("investigación"- presumably credit check and criminal record), and that it would cost $800 pesos (the implication that I would pay that fee). The only other requirements are a deposit, 1st month's rent, a fiador and IDs- very reasonable.
Has anyone else dealt with this sort of thing? It seems to me the realtor should include that fee in whatever honorarios or other commission she's charging the land owner to rent the place. Any advice? Is there anyway to get my commission fee back if the realtor decides I'm not up to snuff (I have no credit problems and no criminal record, so in reality there's no problem. Though I'm a little wary considering how difficult it's been to get a hold of the realtor and the land owner's comment re: other interested clients suddenly disappearing after reaching the "talk to the realtor" phase).

Thanks!


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Karla75 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've rented in Mexico State before, in fairly rural/ somewhat suburban areas, with very little supporting documentation- fiador, deposit, 1st month's rent plus ID.
> I'm now looking in and around D.F. I found a place I like, the woman that owns the apartment is happy to have me move in but she's working with a real estate agent who's been rather difficult to get a hold of. I mentioned this to the land owner who said several people had been "seriously interested" in the place but that she never heard back after telling them to speak with her realtor about the contract.
> ...


Sounds like a north-of-the-border discount to me. I would avoid it unless you really, really like the place so much. I am not in DF, but I have never heard of such a fee, although to be honest, most of the people I know have been renting close to the bottom end of the market.


----------



## Karla75 (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks, TundraGreen!

This is in no way high end- $3,500 MXN a month.

The fee itself isn't too bad if we can count it toward our 1st month's rent, etc. But if other interested renters have suddenly disappeared- I fear either they didn't want to pay the $800 peso fee or the realtor took the money and said they didn't pass whatever background check.


----------



## Karla75 (Feb 14, 2013)

Also, the real estate agent has been talking to my Mexican boyfriend, so I don't think this is a gringa-discount type of thing. Still a little nervous about the lack of professionalism from the real estate agent. We'll see what happens at the meeting this week.

Thanks for your help!


----------



## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Renting in the D.F. is unlike renting in other parts of the country. It's a bit more difficult, generally. The fee being suggested for the background checking might seem a little high, but if the apartment is one you want and can afford ... I wouldn't let it interfere with renting ... if I was looking at it.


----------



## OnTheRoadToMexico (Jun 12, 2013)

FWIW, I've heard of this fee NoB as well. For 11 years I lived in a CA summer tourist town year-round, where full-time rentals were usually listed in the paper (no internet back then), the equivalent of Mexico's word-of-mouth.

But many of the better-maintained houses were listed with a local realtor or professional rental agency, and in later years they started passing along the fee they had to pay for whatever background check they or the property owner required, to the prospective renter. This fee was not refundable, since it had already been spent to acquire the information. But once the rental agency knew you and you'd passed the background check, they didn't require it again for some period of time, so you could go back to them and rent again without paying the fee.

There's no way of knowing, I guess, whether your agent is reputable. You might ask to be provided with a copy of the background check, since, hell, you ARE paying for it. Having to provide it will force her to actually run it, in case she wasn't planning to.

If you want to play nice and not burn any bridges, you could also ask her how long the check is good for, and whether she represents any other rentals. If you pass the background check but for some reason don't end up with the unit you want, she might have something else. Even if you do get the unit you want, there may be unforeseen circumstances that make you want to/have to move, and if you go back to her, she shouldn't make you pay again within a certain period of time. You could suggest 2-3 years.


----------



## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

I own rental houses NOB and my property management company charges the prospective tenants $50 for an individual or $75 for a couple which includes background, criminal and credit check. I do however, unlike most landlords, return the payment after they sign a lease and move in. 

I also pay a commission of one months rent to the agency when they get me a new tenant therefore I like long term tenants and if they are good I try to keep them happy!

A background check is completely normal these days when renting a place in the USA. Most apartments charge around $100-$150 for it where my units are.


----------



## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

In NYC, where I come from, this was called "key money" only it went to the "super" to allow you to even make an offer to rent, that was the good old days. Nowadays it seems credit check and security investigations are SOP. My two pesos: I agree with Longford - if you like the place, hell, $800p is that much in the scheme of things, think of it as two good meals out in D.F. (A place I have never been so I don't know how much good food is there.)


----------



## Karla75 (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks everyone!

I'd gone through this in NYC and Phoenix without incident- but honestly, in those cases the rent, location, and the fact that I was moving into an apartment complex made it worth it.

It seems a bit absurd for an apartment attached to a private home- the apartment is completely independent and has it's own entrance. But this isn't a $40,000 peso penthouse in an exclusive building in Polanco! It's a $3,500 peso apartment in Ecatepec...

The only thing keeping me interested is the apartment itself. The $800 peso fee isn't really the problem, assuming we rent the place. And, honestly, they can investigate us all they want. But even if the realtor gives me a copy of the background check, I'd have no idea what it should look like so I'd have no idea if it's authentic.

What really concerns me is the lack of professionalism on the part of the realtor. And not just with us (we've gone to the apartment twice, the realtor has been "too busy" or didn't even answer the phone), the owner mentioned other interested couples disappearing once they got to the "speak with the realtor" stage- either they didn't want to pay, or something worse (the lack of professionalism makes me fear the worst).

I guess we'll see what happens at our meeting later this week.

Thanks again for your help!


----------



## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

My experience so far with realtors in Mexico, is that they don't bother responding at all.... I am coming down in a few weeks to look for a place and have emailed a couple of places with a couple of really simple questions, and the emailed them again, and they have not bothered to acknowledge me emails in any form or fashion. 

I find the south of the border way of doing business quite frustrating but having lived in Latin America long enough to realize that while extremely unprofessional it is basically business as usual. 

I hope it works out for you...


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It look like to me that the 800 pesos is the rental fee the owner does not want to pay the realtor. So pay it if you want the apartment or just do waht all the other prospective tenants have done before, walk out.
Police records are free and you can get it yourself, do not know about the credit record. See if you can provide that yourself and ask for the discount. You will see if that request is for good or just another way to get money out of you. If it is a way to get money out of you it sets the tone, walk out.


----------

