Fresh Expat. Need ACR Card for Apartment?

Hey Myke,
I didn’t have any problems renting a condo and getting a broadband connection from SkyCble without an ACR. PLDT required an ACR in order to give me service so, I went with Sky. Decent internet speeds in Cebu topping at around 30mb/s.

I simply did a wire transfer from my US account to the Condo owners after signing the lease and all was well.  I used TransferWise for that as it’s cheaper then my bank to wire.
They would have gladly accepted cash also. Haha.

Sky I paid the install in cash and paid online via credit card each month.

Hope that helps and good luck!
Tim

Hi Tim!

Wow, thanks for the golden information. That is all so useful to me! I just looked up TransferWise and looks golden. I hope most Philippine landlords are open minded to receiving payments that way or something similar. Like a Money Order type thing.

I'm glad to hear you didn't need an ACR Card for the Apartment and getting Internet.

Did you wait until you had an ACR Card to open a PH Bank Account? Did you pay your rent via PH Bank Account later on or still use TransferWise? Thanks again.

Myke

I came back to the US after 3 months as it was more of a scouting mission for me.
I am heading back this Summer to stay.

A lot of landlords want post dated checks for the entire term of the lease.
I would avoid that if at all possible. From what I understand, if you were to have an issue and move out before the end of the lease and the landlord failed to return the checks, he could continue to cash them each month. And if you close out your bank account, then it opens you up to a fraud charge.
I would avoid that if at all possible. Plenty of places don’t require that. Just tell them you don’t have a local bank account yet.

Another thing I noticed is they try to get four months of money from you in one fashion or another. Either by two months deposit and first and last upfront, or a one month deposit in three months rent upfront. Definitely not something that we’re used to in the US. That can get pricy in a hurry if you’re renting an expensive property.

Try to rent via airbnb.

Airbnb is way more expensive then a monthly rental from what I’ve seen.

Check out lamudi com ph. Lots of rentals on there at least for the major cities.

Tim

Airbnb is a lot cheaper here. My boss is renting out condo through aurbnb. If you rent a condo. It means you will pay water, electric, monthly dues, wifi, and cable. If you rent via airbnb. You dont need to pay on that. Utensils and and bedsheet is all in. You can request housecleaning too. Airbnb rent will cost 27k -30k. If you sum up your exenses airbnb is a lot cheaper. Unless you have big family.

Hmmm... thank you Witty, I’ll revisit Airbnb and see what prices are looking like when I head back this Summer.
Seemed to me before when I looked, that things are mostly geared and priced for the owners to make a decent amount on their units by pricing them to foreigners for a few days or a week. While that looks great for those that are used to paying $100 + per night for a hotel in the US, the monthly costs get prohibitive.
Then again, I didn’t really take the utilities part of it into consideration when looking at the overall monthly costs. Most definitely an error on my part and I appreciate you pointing that out to me.

NP..

I've been following a few YouTuber Expats where I've heard and read what you've said Tim. Thanks for the heads up!

As for AirBnB, even at the most inexpensive/simple AirBnB's it's still a huge hawl. 27k-30k is US$600 and that's a lot for the Philippines. I plan to live in the Philippines with Philippine Standards not Western Standards. House cleaning is also a big no-no. Strangers in your home make your things go mysteriously missing. I've been reading about Yelp reviews of Philippine hotels where money and other valuables went missing after room cleaning. Some staff felt so guilty they returned the items and apologized profusely. But of course, at the expense of the establishment. For US$7500-ish I am already seeing gated communities with an active guard. Electricity not running more than PH$1000, Internet not needing to be more than PH$1500 and water not more than US$5. No one really uses cable now with the internet and even if that's added it's not that much. Anyway, all in all that's WAY less than 27k-30k to live decently. AirBnB is only good for short term vacations imho.

I never needed an ACR card to rent a condo. Just my passport and either the post dated checks or cash. Usually two months deposit and one month advance.  They are always very happy to rent to an American, especially since we usually tend to little maintenance items, unlike most Filipinos. Always leave the units in better shape than we got them.

I usually find the units on OLX. We use my GF's bank account and I just transfer funds via Wells Fargo Express Send for the rent, everything else I just use the ATM. Easy peasy. I prefer to live a more western lifestyle in terms of housing and food, and my own small car, but it's still plenty cheap to do so here in the Philippines. Much, much less than at home.

I just rented a apartment at light residences.  Just need my passport.  2 months deposits and 1month advance.  The contract is good for 6 months with option to extend.

Thanks for that info about not needing an ACR card and about using your GF's bank account. The having my own PH bank account thing was concerning until getting the ACR card to open one for me. I really didn't want to just hand over cash to landlords without a receipt but as Tim suggested, TransferWise seems good. Or some other kind of Money Order that may exist there. I plan on not having a car and eating Filipino type food instead of fancy mall food and opting out of Starbucks etc. I might consider getting a car there just because it's ridiculously cheap lol. For instance, driving lessons in US is like $500-$800 but in PH it's $20. And the cars are inexpensive too. I've never had to drive before since I grew up and am living in NYC all my life and always take the Subway every where.

Myke,
If you can grab yourself an HSBC account. They have a local branch in Cebu.  That’s what I did, kind of bridges the gap between the US and the Philippines for banking.

Thanks, I don't see an HSBC in the area I want to stay at in Cabanatuan City but I see Philippine National Bank which is there and also here in NYC. Thanks again for the heads up!

No need for driver's lessons, most Filipinos don't , they buy a car get a license from LTO then learn how to drive, a mess for sure they don't know traffic laws and the police don't enforce them ,if you see a new car with a just registered tag look out this person has more than likely never been behind the wheel

By the way you cannot get a driver's license on a tourist visa, but can use your foreign license for 3 months

Haha maybe I'll just not drive and stick to my city standards of transportation. Thanks for the info, Okieboy.

MykeAngelo wrote:

Hello, I am planning to move to the Philippines from US in less than a year and was wondering if the ACR Card is needed to rent an apartment in the Philippines? As far as I know it's needed to open a PH bank account. So do fresh expats pay cash for their first apartment? How does one get a receipt that way if so? Do expats moving to the Philippines usually stay in a hotel for two months until they can get an ACR Card? Thanks in advance.

Mike, I read on one post here that someone needed their passport to rent an apartment. I suppose it's possible to run into a landlord that might make an odd request like that. We've been here for 15 years and have never had give ID of any kind to rent. Maybe the area you choose to live but I'd be unwilling to share my ACR or passport info with any landlord for any reason as it not required by law.

You dnt need ACR card for the that

Navajo52 and Mehran52, thanks. I am reading on some PH rentals they want two government IDs. And it's pretty standard procedure in the states. I'm surprised it's not in the Philippines. Thanks for the information, y'all.

MykeAngelo wrote:

Navajo52 and Mehran52, thanks. I am reading on some PH rentals they want two government IDs. And it's pretty standard procedure in the states. I'm surprised it's not in the Philippines. Thanks for the information, y'all.

I'm from the States also but if someone here requested that or any other personal info like that I'd tell them to stick it. I've lived here 15 years and have never heard of anyone being expected to provide any info to rent or lease.

Navajo52 wrote:

MykeAngelo wrote:

Navajo52 and Mehran52, thanks. I am reading on some PH rentals they want two government IDs. And it's pretty standard procedure in the states. I'm surprised it's not in the Philippines. Thanks for the information, y'all.

I'm from the States also but if someone here requested that or any other personal info like that I'd tell them to stick it. I've lived here 15 years and have never heard of anyone being expected to provide any info to rent or lease.

How does PH apartment rentals finalize or cement a tenant if they don't take their information? I'd be a newbie there so your life experiences there would be priceless to me.

MykeAngelo wrote:

Navajo52 wrote:

MykeAngelo wrote:

Navajo52 and Mehran52, thanks. I am reading on some PH rentals they want two government IDs. And it's pretty standard procedure in the states. I'm surprised it's not in the Philippines. Thanks for the information, y'all.

I'm from the States also but if someone here requested that or any other personal info like that I'd tell them to stick it. I've lived here 15 years and have never heard of anyone being expected to provide any info to rent or lease.

How does PH apartment rentals finalize or cement a tenant if they don't take their information? I'd be a newbie there so your life experiences there would be priceless to me.

Over the years I have seen many expats rent homes/apartments here. Most don't even require a lease. For ourselves, we have own our own home but have it rented out to a family. No lease and they just give the rent to my wife each month and she gives them a receipt. But we know nothing but their name as it goes on their receipt.
In turn we are living in a nicer home and pay rent to the owner each month the same way. Electric power bill comes each month in the owners name and we simply pay it. Same with the people renting our other house from us.

What do those kind of rental receipts look like? Are they just printed from the computer and signed?  Bought receipt books from the store? I saw one expat video where the man went to the mall to a machine to pay his utility bill. You or the expats you've known over 15 years dont receipt? If the building has lets say 20-100 tenants they must recieve their own utility bill then to pay at the mall? Do you or your tenants pay rent by cash or check or money order? Thanks again.

I'd suspect it depends on the landlord. We get just a hand written receipt on note paper. Nothing more.
Nothing in the Philippines is considered really important. The receipt is mostly for your own comfort.

In my area Cagayan de Oro.
You can get a filopino driving license even if you have tourist visa. ( In fact they never asked for it).
All i did was fill out application form obtain medical certificate from local office (normaly test your eyes).
Gave my UK driving license for confirmation of driving license holder and paid fee.
Its illegal to drive more than 3 months on your own foreign driving license.
If you are not married to a filipina you will always have a tourist visa. ( I'VE lived here for 7 years on tourist visa).

temploni wrote:

In my area Cagayan de Oro.
You can get a filopino driving license even if you have tourist visa. ( In fact they never asked for it).
All i did was fill out application form obtain medical certificate from local office (normaly test your eyes).
Gave my UK driving license for confirmation of driving license holder and paid fee.
Its illegal to drive more than 3 months on your own foreign driving license.
If you are not married to a filipina you will always have a tourist visa. ( I'VE lived here for 7 years on tourist visa).

Thanks for the info Temploni. I am planning my move in February with Pampanga now in mind. I don't plan on getting married so I'll be on a tourist visa too. Did you have to fly out every two years on a visa run? That is what I heard you must do on YouTuber expats.

I think it’s just shy of every 3 years for the Visa run Myke.
I’m going to take a hard look at the same area as you. Pampanga, Subic.
There also seems to be some confusion on getting a license now for newcomers now.
It is my understanding that in most places you cannot get a drivers license unless you have a year on your visa. I read where are some places down in here to it while others were very rigid. The workaround that I read somewhere from someone else, was that they did a six-month renewal, and the very next day went in and did another six month renewal Which gave them the year needed. They said they balked a little bit about doing it but that there is no law saying you cannot get back to back six-month extensions, only that you can only get 2 6 month Visa extensions in 36 months or something along those lines.
Food for thought, I don’t know. I’ll be in the same boat in August and I am going to need a license.

I believe that it is 3 years now.
It's no problem just find any cheap flight out of philippines ( usually hong kong and kuala lumpa have cheap flights) either stay for a day and return or make a small holiday break)

temploni wrote:

In my area Cagayan de Oro.
You can get a filopino driving license even if you have tourist visa. ( In fact they never asked for it).
All i did was fill out application form obtain medical certificate from local office (normaly test your eyes).
Gave my UK driving license for confirmation of driving license holder and paid fee.
Its illegal to drive more than 3 months on your own foreign driving license.
If you are not married to a filipina you will always have a tourist visa. ( I'VE lived here for 7 years on tourist visa).

The actual requirement is to have a visa good for a year to get a DL here. It is not always enforced but that is what the rule is.

The longest you can get an extension on a tourist visa is 6 months so technically you should not be issued a DL on a tourist visa.

There are lots of other visa's available other than a tourist visa or a marriage visa (13a I believe t=it is called) There are SRRV, SRIV's work visa, representatives of foreign government visa (everyone working for Asian Development Bank  or an embassy for example) You can also get an immigrant visa by lottery but not many of these are issued. Any of these will be for more than a year and allow you to get a DL in accordance with the rules.

Lastly a tourist visa mandates that you leave the country after a maximum of 3 years. It can be a one day out and back but still you have to leave.

As i said in cdo they issued me with a driving license.
The RTA officer told me to get one if i want to drive.on the road legally.
Secondly i renew my visa every 2 months until it is time to leave the country and have done this for 7 years.

From what a friend of mine was told the 6 month visa extension is no longer available

First I heard of no more 6 month Visas.

That is what a friend of mine told me he always gets 6 months but last time he went they told him no more 6 month extension, maybe someone else has had that experience will let us know

I was stopped in an LTO check point I have had a Philippines driver's license for years but they checked my ARC card I ask why he said you can no longer drive on a tourest visa with Filipino license, if you have an accident and illigal license you are at fault

Wow!!!! They don’t make it easy for foreigners, that’s for sure. Allowed to stay for three years but, remove our ability to drive. Must be they want us to keep pumping the public transport system with cash. Oh well as they say, when in Rome.....

It's going to be interesting when all the expats on tourist visas have to renew their drivers licenses and find out then that they can't!  Probably be a glut in the used car and scooter market for years.  For me I will save a couple thousand dollars and have peace of mind that I can't be sued for causing an accident.

Although this does not apply to me, I have a number of friends here in the Philippines who have been extending their tourist Visa over 3 months and they also have a Philippine driver's licence.   What official web site can I point them to, which states that their Philippine Driver's Licence is no longer valid?

I just did some research in this licensing  topic.   As I understand it , this is a problem for new expats who do not have an existing Philippine drivers licence.  If you already have a Philippine drivers licence, it can be renewed, even though you may be here with only a tourist Visa.