Renting serviced apartments and condos in Bali
Serviced apartments are good value in Bali
Potential property owners in Bali often start life in rented accommodation while awaiting the finishing touches to that dream villa. In fact due to the rather complex and bureaucratic process of buying property in Indonesia, this is often a preferred choice for some people, even for the long term. Many expats do not live indefinitely here but spend maybe six months a year and this route can take out a lot of the worry and expense of maintaining an individual property.
The term ‘serviced apartment’ covers a multitude of sins and can be variously described as aparthotels, condotels, self catering holiday flats and the like. The variety is unsurprisingly huge and ranges from small boutique residences to expansive holiday villages with 100 or more units. Many resorts offer several classes of accommodation from compact studios to spacious three and four bedroom condos. Some of the largest places comprise conventional hotel rooms, serviced apartments, privately owned condos and even timeshare ownership.
A serviced apartment or condo provides something of a halfway house between conventional hotel accommodation and a permanent home, with all the freedom that it entails. Virtually all feature self catering facilities such as fully equipped kitchens and dining area, allowing for the flexibility to eat in or dine out as the whim arises. With the exception of studio apartments, you can expect separate sleeping and living quarters plus daily maid service and perhaps even a washing machine. Most places are classified as three stars and above and will feature air conditioning, TV and en suite Western bathrooms.
Resident amenities vary considerably and at very least you should get a communal swimming pool, bar and restaurant on site. Other facilities may include sports such as tennis, a health spa and nightly entertainment. Many places have 24 hour security with off-street parking, a business centre and conference facilities.
Most apartments and condos are priced by the night and can vary widely depending on location, in room comforts and amenities. Expect to pay anything from US$50.00 a night for a compact studio up to US$300 or more for a stylish self contained three bedroom condo. Healthy discounts are usually available for monthly stays although some resorts have blackout dates during the busy July and August high season. A comfortable one bedroom apartment should set you back around US$1,000 a month and it is even possibly to take a yearly lease on an apartment at significantly lower rates, although full payment is usually expected up front.
Bali serviced apartments boast resort-like facilities
Kuta Town Houses (Poppies Lane 1, Kuta, Tel: +62 (0)361 761464) is one of the cheapest in the Kuta area, featuring 15 studios and a further 50 one and two bedroom apartments. Rates here start at US$1,000 a month inclusive. There are numerous more upmarket options throughout south Bali which include illustrious names in hospitality such as Ramada, St Regis, Starwood and Four Seasons. New developments are being constructed all the time.
The vast majority of condo developments are located in south Bali’s beach resorts. The widest choice can be found in the Kuta, Legian and Seminyak district which the latter boasting the most upmarket options. Bali Mystique(Jalan Petitenget, Seminyak, Tel: +62 (0)361 730465) has rather stylish three bedroom suites going for US$255 a night. Nusa Dua, Jimbaran Bay, Sanur and Ubud also have a competitive market for condo rentals. Elsewhere in Bali there are just a handful of places in Lovina and Candi Dasa.
There are plenty of agents specialising in short and long term apartment and condo rentals throughout Bali. Many of these are large expat-run companies with several branches in the major tourist resorts. Tropical Homes (Jalan Bypass Ngurah Raino120, Sanur, Tel +62 (0)361 767888,info@tropicalvillasbali.com) is a professional agency that can book accommodation at large resorts and privately owned condos. There are numerous property management companies online to choose from and free island wide tourist newspapers such as the Bali Advertiser have hundreds of listings by private owners each week.
Staying in a serviced apartment or condo is a safe way to ‘test drive’ the expat life in Bali before fully committing to buying property or starting a business. The major drawback of some places is the rather impersonal atmosphere as they cater predominantly to businesspeople. Many are also secure gated developments so it is a little more difficult to engage in local Balinese life on a daily basis compared to a private rental.
