A practical guide based on the type of legal protection and guarantee

When renting a property in Mexico City, the required documentation depends on the type of legal protection and guarantee used in the lease agreement.

There are different schemes (legal lease policy, joint and several guarantor as an individual or company, or a guarantor with real estate), and each one involves specific requirements.

In this article, we explain which documents are typically required in each case, under the legal lease policy structure we use at Mundo Urbano, so you have clarity from the beginning and can avoid delays in the process.

Important note: this is the base documentation. Depending on the applicant’s profile, the property, or the outcome of the legal review, additional documents may be requested, which will be communicated in due time.

General criteria reviewed by the legal lease policy

Before detailing each case, it is important to understand that, in general, the legal lease policy evaluates:

• Verifiable income under the 3-to-1 rule (minimum income equal to three times the rent)
• Lawful source of funds
  (employment letter, work contract, business ownership, etc.)
• Healthy credit bureau history (payment behavior and level of indebtedness)
• No relevant legal or criminal records
• Consistency and accuracy of the information provided

Meeting these criteria significantly increases the likelihood of obtaining an approved investigation.

1. Legal Lease Policy – Tenant (Individual)

This is the typical documentation requested from the tenant when a legal lease policy is contracted or a standard investigation is carried out.

Required documentation:

• Valid official identification (INE or passport)
• Proof of income for the last 3 months
  (bank statements, payroll receipts, or invoicing)
• Employment letter or current work contract
  (if self-employed, proof of economic activity)
• Updated tax status certificate
  (issued within the last month)
• Completion of legal lease policy forms:
• Rental application
• Authorization to request credit bureau reports

For foreign nationals, additionally:

• Passport
• Valid immigration visa

2. Legal Lease Policy – Joint and Several Guarantor (Individual)

A joint and several guarantor is an individual or legal entity that signs together with the tenant and assumes the same obligations under the lease agreement.

For this reason, the documentation required is very similar to that of the tenant.

Required documentation:

• Valid official identification
• Proof of income for the last 3 months
• Employment letter, contract, or proof of economic activity
• Bank statements
• Authorization to consult the credit bureau
• Relationship or link to the tenant (when applicable)

If the joint and several guarantor is a company, the documentation follows the corporate scheme (see corresponding section).

3. Legal Lease Policy – Tenant or Joint Guarantor as a Company (Legal Entity)

When the tenant or the joint and several guarantor is a company, the investigation focuses on the legal, tax, and financial capacity of the legal entity.

Required company documentation:

• Articles of incorporation
  (including powers granted to the legal representative)
• Valid official identification of the legal representative
• Proof of tax domicile
• Company tax status certificate
• Bank statements for the last 3 months
• Most recent annual tax return
• Email address and phone number of the legal representative
• Completion of the corresponding legal lease policy forms

The legal representative must sign the lease agreement.

4. Legal Lease Policy – Guarantor with Real Estate Property

When a guarantor offers a real estate property as collateral, both the individual and the property itself are investigated.

Guarantor documentation (individual):

• Valid official identification
• Proof of address
• Authorization for legal and credit investigation

Property documentation:

• Property deed
• Property record (folio real) registered with the Public Property Registry
• Certificate of no liens (valid for 1 month)
  – The legal policy may obtain this, and it is included in the policy cost
  (if not available, it can be requested at an additional cost)
• Current property tax receipt
• Proof of address of the property

Note: The property must be free of liens, have a reasonable value in proportion to the rent, and be located in a jurisdiction where legal enforcement is viable. This is verified during the investigation.

For marriages under a community property regime, the following is required:

• Identification and signature of both spouses
• Marriage certificate

Investigation Advance and Policy Payment

To initiate the legal lease policy investigation:

• An advance payment is required to begin the investigation
• This advance is non-refundable, as it covers analysis and investigation services
• The total cost of the legal lease policy is paid by the tenant
• The full policy payment is made on the contract signing date, deducting the advance previously paid

Final considerations

At Mundo Urbano, we work with a clear, structured, and proven legal lease policy framework.

The documentation listed here represents the base requirements to start the process.
If additional information is required during the investigation, it will be requested clearly and transparently.

Being prepared with the correct documentation:

• Speeds up the process
• Reduces observations
• Improves the probability of approval
• Avoids unnecessary delays