Living in Guadalajara

Houses for rent concentrate in the residential colonias rather than the busy centre. Ladrón de Guevara has the wide, shaded streets of old Guadalajara a short walk from Av. Vallarta, Chapalita to the south-west is a garden-suburb layout built around its own roundabout, and Jardines del Country sits north near the Colomos woods. These are family colonias, with gardens, schools nearby and the kind of space the central apartments cannot offer, while still keeping you inside the city rather than out on the metro edge.

What to consider before renting

Older houses in these colonias were built for a different era, so ask what has been renewed in the plumbing and wiring, and how the garden and any large trees are maintained. One thing to check on the map: Chapalita straddles the line into Zapopan, and Colinas de San Javier exists in both municipalities, so confirm which side an address falls on, since it changes your predial and services. That neighbour is also where the gated family streets are, while Tlaquepaque to the south rents lower and keeps a village centre of its own.