About the San Miguel House Rental Association
- The San Miguel Rental Association is the first and only professional organization federally chartered in Mexico to establish and maintain strict service standards for the local vacation rental industry in San Miguel de Allende. The SMRA, a non-profit Mexican corporation, speaks with one voice on behalf of the owners of most of the homes in town that are represented by professional rental agents and presents a unified position to renters as well as to local, state and national government authorities.
- Formed in March, 2004 by Jay Clark, co-owner with Annie Reutinger of San Miguel House Rentals, the SMRA actively promotes San Miguel de Allende internationally as a world-class vacation and retirement destination.
- The SMRA member agencies market vacation homes to more than 6,000 visitors annually, making the rental industry a significant contributor to local jobs, retail sales and tax revenue.
- Under the leadership of its president, Bob Latta, owner of Casas Elegantes, five charter member rental agents - three of them Mexican citizens - govern the SMRA and operate independent Internet-based rental companies engaged exclusively in providing commission-based services for the owners of nearly 300 private homes in San Miguel.
- SMRA agents do not sell real estate, manage property or conduct business with the City of San Miguel.
- Unlike non-SMRA rental and real estate agencies and individual vacation homes rented directly by owners, SMRA agents collect the state Occupancy Tax from renters. A portion of the tax revenue is used for community projects at the direction of the Mayor of the City of San Miguel; such projects have included renovation of Parque Juarez and the purchase of its playground equipment, as well as funding the construction of nearly 50 homes for low-income families in outlying rural communities.
- Owners of homes represented by the SMRA are required to obtain permission from Immigration to rent their property, to pay taxes on their Mexican rental income and to pay Social Security taxes for their full-time domestic workers.
