The legal form: casas particulares
Since the 1990s, Cuban households have been permitted to rent lodging to visitors under a state licence, historically called the arrendador divisa (foreign-currency landlord) licence. This is the legal channel through which nearly all private beach apartments and rooms are offered. A licensed casa particular can rent a private room within a family home, or an entire self-contained apartment with its own kitchen and entrance. Beach towns such as Varadero have large numbers of these licensed homes, many purpose-built or adapted into independent flats. When you rent a "beach condo" in Cuba, you are legally renting from a licensed householder, not from a hotel chain or a foreign property portal. Foreigners generally rent rather than buy, since property purchase in Cuba is largely restricted to citizens and permanent residents.
How a stay is actually arranged
Short beach stays are usually arranged the way hotel rooms are — through a host, a referral, or a listing platform — and paid per night. Longer or monthly stays are typically negotiated directly and privately with the householder, sometimes as an informal running arrangement renewed month to month. There is no standardised lease system for visitors comparable to a Western tenancy. Terms, what is included, and how you pay are all agreed person to person. Because of this, clear communication before arrival matters far more than any written contract, and a trusted local referral is often the most reliable way to find a place near the sand.
The honest realities
Two practical realities shape every Cuban beach rental. First, payment is overwhelmingly in cash. Cards issued by many foreign banks do not work, and hosts commonly quote in convertible foreign currency or Cuban pesos. Bring enough cash and budget conservatively. Second, utilities are not guaranteed to be constant. Electricity interruptions (locally called apagones) occur, and water often arrives via a rooftop tank rather than continuous mains pressure. A good host manages both — a tank keeps water flowing during a cut, and some homes have a generator — but you should expect occasional interruptions rather than be surprised by them. None of this makes a beach stay unpleasant; it simply means arriving prepared and choosing a host who communicates clearly.