The legal foundation: the casa particular
In Cuba the licensed private-rental form is the casa particular. A resident who holds the appropriate self-employment licence may legally rent out a room within their home or, in many cases, an entire dwelling. This licence is what makes a rental legitimate, and it is the reason renting revolves around individual homeowners rather than agencies or property companies.
Because the casa particular framework was designed around hosting visitors, most publicly visible rentals are short-stay. Long-term renting exists too, but it is arranged more privately between the parties. When you rent in Cuba you are almost always dealing directly with the person who owns or holds the property, and your agreement is a personal one. Treat that relationship, and the owner's paperwork, as the core of the transaction.
How the money and logistics really work
Cuba runs largely on cash. Card payment infrastructure is limited and unreliable, foreign cards often do not work, and many owners simply expect to be paid in physical currency. Plan for that from the outset rather than assuming you can pay electronically.
Utilities are the other everyday reality. Electricity, water and internet can all be intermittent depending on the city, the neighbourhood and the season. This is not a sign of a bad rental; it is the national context. A good arrangement is one where the owner is honest about what to expect and where you have agreed in advance who covers what.
Short stays versus settling in
If you only need a place for a few nights, the casa particular network is straightforward and widely used. If you intend to stay for months, you move into privately negotiated territory: terms, duration and payment schedule are worked out directly with the owner rather than through any standardised contract. Either way the same principles apply — deal with a licensed host, keep everything in cash-ready terms, and confirm the utility situation before you commit.