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renting in CDMX without drowning in depa paperwork

Apartment Spanish in Mexico City means depa, aval, fiador, depósito, mantenimiento, and a lot of polite follow-up.

Use This First

  • Learn depa, renta, depósito, mantenimiento, aval, fiador, and contrato.
  • Ask what is included before you fall in love with the balcony.
  • Use me interesa and ¿podemos agendar una visita? for listings.

Ask about the aval before you ask about the light

The requirement that blocks foreigners in Mexico City is not money, it is the aval: a guarantor who owns property in the city and will sign against it. Traditional landlords ask for one as standard. If you do not have one, the usual alternative is a póliza jurídica - a paid legal policy, often around a month of rent - or a landlord willing to take a larger deposit instead.

Which is why ¿piden aval o fiador? belongs in the first message, before you have arranged a viewing. Deposits are commonly one month, sometimes two, and mantenimiento, the building maintenance fee, may or may not be inside the advertised rent. ¿La renta incluye mantenimiento? is worth asking every time, because it can add a meaningful amount.

The vocabulary itself is small. Depa is the everyday word for departamento, and almost nobody says apartamento. Contracts are usually a year. Amueblado means furnished. Asking ¿aceptan extranjeros? directly is not rude - some landlords have a firm answer, and hearing it early saves you an afternoon.

Mexico City storefronts and apartment entrances along a quiet sidewalk
Photo by Jimmy Woo on Unsplash
Mexico City skyline and park seen from Chapultepec
Photo by Fernando Mola-Davis on Unsplash

Memorize these first

listing and visit

  • Me interesa el depa. I am interested in the apartment. listing message safe
  • ¿Podemos agendar una visita? Can we schedule a visit? viewing request safe
  • ¿La renta incluye mantenimiento? Does rent include maintenance? cost check safe
  • ¿Piden aval o fiador? Do you require an aval or guarantor? paperwork check safe

contract basics

  • ¿Cuánto es de depósito? How much is the deposit? cost check safe
  • ¿Por cuánto tiempo es el contrato? How long is the contract for? term check safe
  • ¿Aceptan extranjeros? Do you accept foreigners? eligibility safe
  • ¿Qué documentos necesitan? What documents do you need? paperwork safe

One-screen cheat sheet

🏠
renting in CDMX cheat sheet Screenshot this before you go.
Spanish English Use case Safety
Me interesa el depa. I am interested in the apartment. listing message safe
¿Podemos agendar una visita? Can we schedule a visit? viewing request safe
¿La renta incluye mantenimiento? Does rent include maintenance? cost check safe
¿Piden aval o fiador? Do you require an aval or guarantor? paperwork check safe
¿Cuánto es de depósito? How much is the deposit? cost check safe
¿Por cuánto tiempo es el contrato? How long is the contract for? term check safe
¿Aceptan extranjeros? Do you accept foreigners? eligibility safe
¿Qué documentos necesitan? What documents do you need? paperwork safe

the gringo trap

Do not say this by default

don't say this

Do not wait until the visit to ask about aval, fiador, or póliza jurídica.

say this

Ask the paperwork question early.

In CDMX, the apartment can be perfect and still impossible if the requirements do not fit your status.

safe / local / spicy

Pick your register

safe

Me interesa el departamento.

local

Me interesa el depa.

spicy

Me late el depa, pero quiero entender los requisitos.

Me late is casual. Good with independent landlords, less so with formal agencies.

How it sounds

listing message

Hola, me interesa el depa. ¿Sigue disponible? Hi, I am interested in the apartment. Is it still available?
Sí, sigue disponible. Yes, it is still available.
¿Podemos agendar una visita? Can we schedule a visit?
Claro, ¿mañana le queda? Of course, does tomorrow work for you?

requirements

¿Piden aval o fiador? Do you require an aval or guarantor?
Sí, o póliza jurídica. Yes, or legal rental insurance.
Va, ¿qué documentos necesitan? Okay, what documents do you need?
INE, comprobantes y referencias. ID, proof of income, and references.

Practice cards

three fast taps before you try it outside.

You want to ask if maintenance is included.

You need the safest version for renting in CDMX. What do you pick first?

Which move avoids the gringo trap?

Words you'll hear

lana - a young man counting a fan of banknotes at an ATM while a friend eyes it
chamba - a man walking out of an office tower at sunset with his tie loose and his bag over his shoulder
fresa - a woman in sunglasses walking past a cafe with a green juice and a designer tote
chafa - a woman holding up a pair of sunglasses with a snapped arm at a street stall
sale - two friends at a cafe table agreeing on something with a thumbs up
¡aguanta! - a woman running after a departing microbus with her arm out
¡aguas! - a woman throwing an arm across a friend to stop her walking into a wet floor
ahorita - a man on the sofa with the remote waving off the chore list his wife is pointing at
al rato - a young man sprawled on a kitchen chair waving off the woman standing over the sink
al tiro - a delivery rider outside a shop pulling his helmet on while checking his phone
aventón - a woman leaning into a car window before getting in for a lift
baboso - a young man walking into a lamppost while an older woman on a bench watches

Deep dives

Living in CDMX Mexican Spanish for Renting in CDMX: Depa, Aval, Fiador, and the Paperwork Maze
Learn CDMX rental Spanish: depa, renta, depósito, mantenimiento, aval, fiador, contrato, requisitos, and what to ask before visiting. Jun 4, 2026
Living in CDMX Mexican Spanish for Apartment Problems: Plomero, Fuga, Se Fue la Luz, No Jala
Learn Mexican Spanish for apartment problems: plomero, fuga, se fue la luz, no jala, boiler, tinaco, gotea, and repair texts. Jun 3, 2026
Living in CDMX Portero, Vigilante, Casero: Mexican Spanish for Building Life
Learn Mexican Spanish for building life: portero, vigilante, casero, paquete, visita, mantenimiento, permiso, and everyday lobby messages. Jun 4, 2026

FAQ

What is an aval in Mexico?

A guarantor who owns property in the same city and signs against it. Traditional landlords in Mexico City ask for one as standard, and it is the biggest single obstacle for foreigners renting here.

What can you do if you do not have an aval?

The usual alternative is a póliza jurídica, a paid legal policy that covers the landlord instead. Some landlords will take a larger deposit, and furnished short-term rentals often skip the requirement entirely.

What is mantenimiento?

The building maintenance fee, covering shared costs like the lift, cleaning and water. It may or may not sit inside the advertised rent, so ¿la renta incluye mantenimiento? is worth asking every time.

Related situations

Keep the same vocabulary moving through nearby CDMX moments.

apartment problemsLeaks, power outages, broken doors, mystery noises: learn the phrases that get a repair moving.building lifeThe people who make your building work have their own tiny script: packages, visitors, repairs, keys, and permission.paperwork / appointmentsTrámites are patience plus phrases: cita, ficha, ventanilla, documentos, copia, and one calm way to ask what is missing.gates / intercomsThe CDMX entrance ritual: you are outside, they are upstairs, the portero is watching, and your Spanish needs to be clear.