How to Find & Rent a Long Term Villa in Ubud, Bali

For a few decades now, Bali has been a popular destination for western expats looking for an Asian way of life. With the nice warm weather, cheap cost of living, stunning scenery and friendly locals, we can see why after living there ourselves for 3 months.

If you’re thinking of joining the thousands of expats in beautiful Bali, you’ll need to decide whether you want to live on the coast or in the countryside. Beaches or rice paddies? It’s a tough choice, but in this post, we’ll tell you the best options for finding a villa in the countryside town of Ubud, Bali’s cultural heart.

There’s More to Ubud than the Busy Centre

Most tourists, travellers and the like, think Ubud is only about the popular town centre. Ubud centre does have a lot to offer – markets, the Royal Palace, Monkey Forest, boutique shops and heaps of eating/drinking options, but over the past few years, it’s become incredibly busy. The quaint small town/village feel it once had has been somewhat lost amongst heavy traffic, herds of tourists and international chains (Ubud now has a Starbucks!).

However, you shouldn’t let this change put you off moving to Ubud. Ubud stretches for several kilometres in all directions, so we recommend hopping on a motorbike and exploring the wonderful surrounding area with its own abundance of villa rental options.

Just a 10-minute ride away from Ubud centre, in all directions, are numerous small villages where villas can be found for long term rental. These wonderful villages have the peaceful energy that Ubud has begun to lose, and if you’re lucky, you may find a villa overlooking the many bright green rice paddies that populate this gorgeous area. We did!

Check out 3 of the best rice field walks to do in Ubud HERE.

Ubud Villages and Areas to Consider

• Ubud Centre – Busy and touristy but quiet streets can still be found. Especially those heading north from Jl Raya Ubud. 
• Penestanan – The most popular village outside of Ubud town. Lots of good eating options and rice fields. 
• Sayan – Properties with great views can be found off busy Jl Raya Sayan.
• Campuhan – A small village near the popular Campuhan Ridge Walk. Amazing rice field location but limited amenities. 
• Nyuh Kuning – An area south of Ubud centre. Lots of eating options and easiest access to Ubud centre.
• Mas – An up and coming village known for its wood carving. Amenity options are growing.

Ways to Find Long-term Villa Rentals in Ubud

Option 1 – Facebook

There’s a big Ubud community on Facebook for both locals and expats. Some of these Facebook pages are designed to help people once they have moved to the area, but there are two very popular pages dedicated to finding long-term villas in Ubud and the surrounding area.

They are UBUD RENTALS and UBUD, BALI – HOUSING & RENTAL.

On both these pages, you’ll find daily villa adverts posted by locals and expats with often detailed descriptions and photos. They’ll also be villa share options on these pages. Using the comment function you can ask further questions or get in touch with the person directly. This is how we found our own long term villa in Penestanan.

Option 2 – Look for Villa Rental Signs Once in Ubud

By using the suggested Facebook pages, it’s possible to secure a long term villa before you arrive, but if you’d rather wait until you arrive in Ubud, then take a walk/ride while looking for villa rental signs.

At the gate of many villas, you’ll see signs stating something along the lines of “Villa for Rent. Call 12345678910”. They’re literally everywhere! Take a note of the phone number and give them a call to find out more details and arrange a viewing. The downside of this option is there’s never any information on the signs regarding price or availability so many calls may have to be made until you find the right place.

The downside of this option is there’s never any information on the signs regarding price or availability so many calls may have to be made until you find the right place.

Option 3 – Airbnb

AirBnB has many long term villa rentals in Ubud. With Airbnb listings you’ll be able to read detailed descriptions and see numerous photos, meaning that no wasted phone calls or numerous viewings will be needed. This is also a great option to find a villa that has been reviewed by previous tenants.

However, this will be the most expensive way to find long term villa rentals in Ubud. Prices on Airbnb will usually be higher than the other 2 options and there’s also the Airbnb service fee to consider which would amount to quite a bit over a month or several months.     

Ubud Longterm Villa Rental Prices

Like most things in life, the prices vary depending on a number of factors. Location to Ubud centre, the condition of the property and whether it has a swimming pool are just some of these factors. You’ll also pay a lot more for a new villa with sealed walls than an older traditional joglo which is open to the elements.

As a rough guide, here’s what we found to be the average prices for long term villa rentals in Ubud:

1 bed – 4 million to 7 million IDR
2 bed – 7 million to 10 million IDR
3 bed/family home – 10 million to 15 million IDR

Check out all our costs of living in Ubud for a month HERE.

Things to Look out for when Looking for a Villa in Ubud

Unless you’ve got an unlimited amount of money and time to look for a place, it’s difficult to find the perfect villa. To give you a little help, take a look at our below checklist of things to look out for or ask when viewing the property.

• How fast is the Wifi? – Wifi speed and reliability varies greatly in Bali. If it’s important to you, make sure to do a quick speed test using one of the many available apps. Or at least ask the owner for the speed.
• Is there noisy construction nearby? – Ubud is still going through a fast growth period so the construction of other villas, hotels and restaurants is common, even in villages. You don’t want drilling in your ear while perfecting your yoga pose.
• Noisy roosters? – Many locals own roosters so make sure there’s not one next door unless you don’t mind being woken up at 5am every morning.
• Barking dogs? – You’ll hear dogs barking everywhere in Ubud, but make sure your neighbours don’t own one that loves the sound of its own bark 24 hours a day.
• Enough sunlight? – To prevent damp and mosques which thrive in darker areas.
• Local amenities – Are there enough eating options and supermarkets nearby?
• What’s included in the price? – Daily/weekly cleaning, filleted water and toilet paper are just a few of the things that might be included in the monthly rental price. 
• Access to the property – Some villas are literally in the middle of a rice field. This is awesome for views from the terrace while you eat your breakfast, but make sure you can easily gain access to the villa once the sun goes down. And look out for snakes!

Good luck with your villa search. Ubud is an amazing part of the island and we enjoyed everyday of our 3 months in Penestanan. If you like a slow pace of life with access to nearby mountains, rice terraces, temples and waterfalls, you’ll feel at home in no time.