The basics that usually come with a stay
Most casas particulares provide a furnished space, bed linen, and towels, and hosts typically clean between guests. Many offer optional home-cooked meals — breakfast is common, and dinner is often available on request for an extra charge. Whole-apartment rentals usually include a kitchen so you can self-cater, which is a genuine advantage on a beach stay. Basic essentials such as a fan or air conditioning, hot water, and simple kitchen equipment are common but not universal, so confirm what a specific home actually has rather than assuming.
The utility reality
This is where honesty matters most. Electricity in Cuba is not guaranteed to be continuous; power interruptions occur, sometimes on a schedule and sometimes not. A well-prepared casa may have a generator to bridge cuts, but many do not. Water often does not arrive under constant mains pressure either; instead, homes store it in a rooftop tank (tanque) that refills when the supply is on, and some rely on delivered water. Air conditioning obviously depends on power being available. None of this is hidden or unusual — it is simply how services work across much of the island, and a good host explains their arrangements up front.
What is not included
Beach rentals are not resorts. There is no front desk, no on-site restaurant guaranteed, and no included activities or transfers unless separately arranged. Payment is in cash, so a rental does not come with card-based convenience. Beach equipment, if any, varies by home. And because stays are arranged directly with a licensed householder, the "contract" is the understanding you reach with them rather than a formal document. The best approach is to treat the host as your single point of truth: ask exactly what is included, how meals work, and how the home handles power and water, before you commit. It also helps to right-size your expectations: a Cuban beach rental trades the polish and predictability of a resort for independence, local life, and value. Homes that describe themselves plainly and answer questions directly tend to be the ones that deliver a comfortable stay. Go in understanding what the arrangement is, and the honest, simple hospitality of a good casa particular is genuinely rewarding rather than a compromise.