Before you sign anything, ask the landlord or agent exactly which utilities are already connected and whose name is on each account. Most established villas and houses used for long-term rental keep electricity, water and internet running between tenants, so you are simply taking over existing service rather than starting from zero. This is one of the practical details worth checking while you are still comparing options, alongside layout and location, when you look for a long-term family villa rental.
Electricity in Bali runs through PLN, the state utility, and most homes use a prepaid token system: you top up credit through the PLN app, a convenience store, or a bank transfer, then enter the code into the meter box. Check the meter's power rating before you move in, since a family running air conditioning, a washing machine and kitchen appliances together needs more capacity than a single traveler's room, and an undersized meter trips the breaker constantly. Water usually comes from one of two sources: municipal PDAM supply or a private bore well with its own pump and sometimes a storage tank on the roof. Either way, ask how the pump and tank are maintained, because a dead pump means no water at all, and most families still buy large bottles of drinking water rather than relying on tap water.
Internet is the utility most worth testing in person rather than taking on trust. Fixed fiber internet is reliable once installed, but a brand new connection can take a few weeks to activate if the house has never had fiber run to it, so ask whether the line is already live before you sign. Many families keep a SIM-based wifi router or a phone hotspot as backup for the inevitable outage, especially during heavy rain. Confirm all of this, along with who pays each bill and how handover works, when you go through what to check before signing a long-term villa lease.
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