hi, i was thinking of going to havana or santiago and studying at the university for a few months. i was wondering if it is now possible to rent out an apartment in those cities at some reasonable (although tourist) price. I was thinking like $500 a month. i would like to have my own place and thus more privacy than a casa particular where you are living in a room in someone elses home. My old landlord in santiago was doing this...he was italian and i was renting a room from him and his cuban girlfriend. does anyone have any info on this. thanks so much
Casas particulares come in various styles. I lived in several where I had privacy - either the owner lived elsewhere, or the two parts were divided. (In one case, I lived in a separate apartment upstairs and the owner lived downstairs). And this was all 10+ years ago.
Whatever you rent, it will still legally be a "casa particular". There are two types of license - casas for rental to foreigners and casas for rental to Cubans.

If you go to Santiago, I know of a recently completed independent apartment. Bedroom with ensuite, sala and kitchenette. Pricewise - don't know, would guess they may want slightly more, but maybe not too much more. PM me if you want more info.

Hi Nedwerd,
I also know of an independent casa, in Tivoli Santiago, 1 bedroom A/C, bathroom, sala/kitchen, ideal for longer stays.
PM me
Your budget is on the low side for Havana for what you want unless you go further out to say Marianao or Playa outside of the tourist zone.

A foreigner could rent since the 90's. I rented a nice apartment in Havana for 6 months 2002/2003. The question is price. As mentioned, might be a bit low for an apartment in Havana. Santiago...no idea.
Also, depends for how long. If i am renting for a couple of weeks then i don't need the same level of creature comforts as I would if was renting for 6 months.
Shop around when you get there. Doing anything else would be stupid, if you are in Santiago or Habana for one night or one year.

The first time i went to Cuba, I must admit I did zero research. Had a friend ahead of me that was going to take care of me, which he did, except for the fact he forgot what day i was arriving and didn't show up at the airport to pick me up.
I can't imagine shopping around 'when you get there'. At least book something for a couple of nights ahead of time is my advice. You don't want to be dragging a suitcase without a clue where you are going to be spending the first night.
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