Long Term Rentals North Bali: Villas by the Year

In Brief

Long-term rentals in north Bali run by the month or, more often, by the year. A yearly lease is the usual way in, and it brings the monthly cost well below a month-to-month let. The better properties often ask a one-year minimum, with much of the rent paid in advance.

The biggest variable is what the rent includes. Some houses include staff, water, electricity and internet, and others include none of them. Two villas at the same headline rent can cost very different amounts to live in.

Sort your visa before you sign, search in person if you can, and get each inclusion in writing. The seven steps below run from choosing a term to signing the contract.

Long-Term Rentals at a Glance

Terms: monthly for a trial stay, yearly for a real base, multi-year by negotiation
Payment: ask whether the rent is due monthly, in instalments or for the year in advance
Deposit: agreed between you and the owner, like the payment schedule, so ask the amount
Furnishing: commonly fully furnished
Currency: some listings quote rent in euros or US dollars, so confirm the currency you pay in
Rent levels: ask the Palm Living long-term desk for current figures per bedroom count
Inclusions: vary widely, and staff, water, electricity and internet may be in or out
Where people base themselves: mostly Lovina and its hills, also Munduk and the Pemuteran area
Visa: the lease does not give you the right to stay, so see Step 2 below

Step 1: Choose a Monthly, Yearly or Multi-Year Stay

Three kinds of stay are called long-term on this coast, and each is priced and contracted differently.

Monthly. One to a few months, often a first landing or a trial before you commit. You pay more per month for the flexibility. Some holiday villas take a monthly booking in quieter periods, and a monthly stay usually runs closer to a long holiday booking than to a lease.

Yearly. The standard long-term arrangement for villas and houses. The rent is quoted per year, or per month on a yearly contract, and the monthly equivalent drops substantially against a monthly let.

Multi-year. Two years or more, negotiated with the owner. People who have lived here a while often move to longer terms once they have found the right house.

A long rental is a different legal thing from buying a leasehold, which has its own rules. If your thinking has turned toward owning, see leasehold vs freehold in Bali.

The curved pool, lawn and loungers at Villa Dewata Sari, rice fields and hills beyond the garden The pool and garden at Villa Dewata Sari, rice fields beyond. Photo: Palm Living.

Step 2: Sort the Visa Before You Sign

A lease gives you a house. It does not give you the right to stay in Indonesia, so the visa has to come first, before you commit to a year's rent.

Short trips use a visa on arrival. Longer stays use a visit visa arranged in advance, the newer remote-worker route or a KITAS. The KITAS is the limited-stay permit, and it comes in work, investor, retirement and family-sponsored versions.

Each route has its own length, extension rules and conditions, and the rules change often. The current categories are in the Bali visa guide. Confirm anything binding with a licensed visa agent before you pay.

Visa and stay-permit applications run through the Directorate General of Immigration's own portal at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. There you choose a visa by the purpose of your stay and see what it requires. Check anything a third party tells you against it.

Renters have two more things to do:

Match the lease to the visa. If your permission to stay is shorter than the lease, find out what happens to prepaid rent if you have to leave.

Ask about the paperwork. Before you sign, ask your visa agent whether your application needs a copy of the lease or a local address letter. The paperwork is then ready when you need it.

Step 3: Pick an Area for Its Services, Then Its View

A year-round home is chosen differently from a holiday base. Services, healthcare and the daily drive matter more than the view.

Lovina and Its Villages

Black-sand shoreline at Lovina with jukung outrigger boats drawn up under the trees at the edge of the beach The beach at Lovina, with jukung boats drawn up under the trees. Photo: Ken Eckert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lovina is the natural base for most long-stayers. It has some of the most developed services on the north coast, the shops and markets, and a mix of residents.

Singaraja, the regional capital, is about twenty minutes east, with the regional public hospital, private clinics and larger shops. The villages east and west of Lovina's centre give you quiet with the town close.

See the complete Lovina guide and healthcare in north Bali.

The Hills Behind Lovina

The hills give you space, views and cooler nights, fifteen to twenty minutes above the coast. You will drive for almost everything, so a car or scooter is part of the rent.

Pemuteran

Pemuteran is a small village at the edge of West Bali National Park, about 90 minutes west of Lovina. Its smaller community is built largely around diving and the reef.

It suits divers and people who want real quiet, and it means a long drive to Singaraja for anything the village can't supply. See the Pemuteran guide.

A rope swing on a hilltop looking over the green plain and bay of Pemuteran, with hills along the coast The Pemuteran coast from the hills behind the village. Photo: Lamacchiacosta / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Munduk and the Highlands

Munduk has cool mountain air, mist, coffee gardens and waterfalls, about an hour up from the coast. It suits writers, walkers and anyone who doesn't miss the beach, and it is a long way from services.

Red-tiled village roofs among palms on a Munduk ridge, forested valleys running down toward the coast at sunset The view from Munduk over the valleys toward the coast. Photo: Dr. Matthias Ripp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

For a shorter stay first, where to stay in north Bali goes area by area. Moving to north Bali covers the wider move, including healthcare, schools and community.

Step 4: Come and Look for the House in Person

The north has little purpose-built long-stay stock, and the best houses move through word of mouth and local contacts. The most reliable way to find one is to take a monthly rental or a few weeks in a villa first, then look in person.

WhatsApp and word of mouth. Owners, managers and neighbours share houses coming free on WhatsApp. Once you are here, tell your villa staff, your driver and the people you meet what you are looking for.

Agents and management companies. A management company that runs villas on the coast knows which owners want a long-term tenant, and has usually vetted them. It can also handle the contract, the staff and the repairs during your stay.

The Palm Living long-term desk. Northbound is a Palm Living project. Its long-term rental page lists villas offered by the year. Availability changes through the year, so the page is a starting point.

Message the desk through the contact page with four things:

when you want to move in
for how long
how many bedrooms
which area

For each house they suggest, ask for the rent, what it includes, the payment schedule and the deposit. Ask to see the houses in person before anything is signed.

Step 5: Ask for the Rent With Its Inclusions Itemised

Rent in the north sits below the south coast for a comparable house. That gap is one of the main reasons people base themselves here for a year.

The figure that matters is the rent plus everything it leaves out, which is why no single number is printed here. Five things move the price:

Bedrooms and plot size. A two-bedroom villa and a four-bedroom house with a large garden are different markets.
Beachfront, hillside or village. Location changes the rent. Compare a beachfront, a sea-view and a village house of the same size before you decide which trade-off is worth it.
Pool and staff. A private pool adds upkeep, and full-time staff add wages.
Inclusions. A rent that includes staff and utilities will look higher than one that excludes them, even when it is the better deal.
Term and payment. A longer term paid in advance is where you have room to negotiate.

The villas on Palm Living's own long-term list show the full spread. On one, the rent includes staff, water, electricity and internet, and on another all four are extra. A third includes staff but leaves water, electricity and internet to the tenant.

So ask for figures instead of reading them. Ask the Palm Living long-term desk for the range on a one-, two- and three-bedroom villa in the area you want, with the inclusions itemised for each house. The quotes are then comparable.

Step 6: Go Through Staff, Utilities and Fees One by One

Inclusions are where long-term rentals in the north differ most, and where a cheap-looking rent can turn expensive. Go through each item below with the owner or agent, and get the answers written into the contract.

Staff and the Holiday Allowance

Many villas come with a housekeeper, and some with a gardener who also looks after the pool. On some houses, staff will cook, do laundry and shop for groceries as part of the arrangement.

Ask four things about them:

how many staff, and what hours
which days off
whether their wages sit inside the rent or are paid by you
who covers the religious holiday allowance, the THR

Expect staff to be away for Balinese ceremonies on set days through the year.

For workers employed by a business, Ministry of Manpower regulation No. 6 of 2016 makes the THR a legal duty. It is paid in full at least seven days before the holiday. The amount is a month's wage after twelve months' continuous service, and a pro rata amount for shorter service.

If the staff are employed by the owner's villa business, the owner carries the THR. If you take anyone on directly, agree it with them in writing.

Electricity, Water, Internet and the Pool

Villa Cahaya at dusk: the house, pool and gazebo on a garden slope with stone paths Villa Cahaya on the slope near Selat, between Lovina and Singaraja. Photo: Palm Living.

Item	What to ask
Electricity	Is it included? If not, how is it billed, and roughly what has the house used per month? Air conditioning and a pool pump are the big loads.
Water	Where does the water come from, mains supply or a well? Is it included? Is there a filter or drinking-water delivery?
Internet	What is the connection type, and the real speed, measured, if you work online? Is it in the rent? Who deals with the provider when it drops?
Pool and garden	Who pays for pool chemicals and garden upkeep? Who repairs the pump?

Repairs and Maintenance

Ask which repairs the owner covers, which fall to you, and how fast things get fixed. In a tropical coastal climate, roofs, pumps and air conditioners need regular attention.

Taxes and Community Fees

A house in Bali sits inside a banjar, the village association that runs local life and maintains the shared things around it. Ask whether the house carries a banjar contribution or any other local fee, how much, and whether it is the owner's or yours.

The Balinese village and the banjar explains what you are contributing to. It is worth understanding before you argue about the fee.

Step 7: Put the Whole Agreement in a Written Contract

A long-term rental in the north should always be on paper. That holds even when the owner is a friendly neighbour and the arrangement started on WhatsApp.

Deposit. Ask how much, when it is returned, and what can be deducted from it. Get the figure in writing and treat it as an opening position.

Agree the condition of the house at the start, with a written inventory and dated photographs. That record is what settles a deposit argument a year later.

Payment schedule. Yearly leases are often paid in advance, in full or in large instalments. Make sure the contract names who receives the money, in which currency, and how. The person you pay should be the owner or hold the owner's written authority.

Term, renewal and notice. Write down four things:

the start and end dates
whether you have a first right to renew
how much notice either side must give
what happens to prepaid rent if the owner sells or needs the house back early

Furnished or unfurnished. Most villas on Palm Living's long-term list are described as fully furnished, and that is common across the coast. List what is in the house as an annex, covering furniture, kitchen equipment, linen and appliances, so there is no argument at the end.

Who you are dealing with. Confirm the owner's identity and, for a large prepayment, that they have the right to let the property. A reputable agent or management company will do this as part of the job.

Language. If the contract is in Indonesian, get a translation you trust before you sign, and agree which language governs.

What to Check Before You Sign

The visa is sorted for the length of the lease
You have seen the house in person, in the rain if possible
Every inclusion (staff, water, electricity, internet, pool, garden) is written into the contract
The payment schedule, currency and recipient are named
The deposit amount and return conditions are written, with an inventory and dated photos
Renewal, notice and early-termination terms are clear
The person you pay is the owner or holds written authority
You have measured the internet speed and checked mobile signal in the house
You know the road to the house in the wet season
You know which repairs are yours and which are the owner's

FAQ

Can you rent a villa long term in north Bali?

Yes. Villas and houses along the north coast are let by the month and by the year, with yearly leases the norm for the better properties. Most newcomers base themselves in Lovina or the hills behind it. Munduk and the Pemuteran area suit smaller groups of long-stayers.

How much does a long-term villa rental cost in north Bali?

Less than a comparable house on the south coast. The headline rent tells you little on its own, because what it includes varies so much. Ask for current figures on the bedroom count and area you want, with staff and utilities itemised, and compare quotes on that basis. A figure printed in a guide goes out of date, which is why there is not one here.

Is it cheaper to rent monthly or yearly?

Yearly. A monthly let costs more per month for the flexibility. A yearly lease brings the monthly equivalent down substantially, usually in exchange for a one-year minimum and payment in advance.

What is included in a long-term villa rental?

It depends on the house. Some rents include staff, water, electricity and internet, and others include none of them. Some include staff but not utilities. Long-stay villas are commonly let fully furnished. Get every inclusion written into the contract.

Do you need a visa to rent long term in Bali?

You need a visa to stay, and a lease does not provide one. Short stays use a visa on arrival. Longer ones use a visit visa, the remote-worker route or a KITAS. Check the current rules in the Bali visa guide and with a licensed agent before you sign a year's lease.

Where is the best place to rent long term in north Bali?

Lovina and its villages for most people, because the services are on this stretch of coast and Singaraja is close. The hills behind Lovina suit people who want space and views and will drive. Munduk suits those who want cool mountain air, and Pemuteran suits divers who want quiet.

How do you find a long-term rental in north Bali?

Stay a few weeks first and look in person. Ask villa staff, drivers and neighbours, and message the Palm Living long-term desk with your dates, term, bedrooms and preferred area.

Sources

Indonesian Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), on the religious holiday allowance (THR): payable in full, at least seven days before the holiday, under Permenaker No. 6 of 2016 and PP No. 78 of 2015, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
Indonesian Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), THR cannot be paid in instalments, for the amount and the pro rata rule, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
Directorate General of Immigration, eVisa portal, the official site for choosing and applying for a visa or stay permit by purpose, read September 2026 (in English and Indonesian)
Palm Living, long-term rentals on the north coast and its contact page, read September 2026 (in English)
Palm Living's own listings on Northbound, long-term rentals (monthly and yearly rents, inclusions house by house, furnishing), refreshed daily, read September 2026

Next: moving to north Bali, the Bali visa guide, and leasehold versus freehold in Bali.

Long-Term Villa Rentals in North Bali: Monthly and Yearly Stays, Contracts and What to Check