Since 1997 this kind of activity has been regulated by Cuban laws through commercial licenses. From that moment on a lot of Cuban families started to rent rooms, apartments as well as whole villas to foreign tourists who prefer to stay in a closer contact with Cuban reality. These houses are directly run by their family owners who offer cleaning, gastronomical and laundry services (the two latter are provided by customers´ request since they´re not included in the lodging price). Legal houses are periodically controlled by government employees and they have legal obligations that make guests feel safe. However, there are some others who rent their houses without having the required license to do it and that are not controlled by the government. Even though they can be cheaper than official houses, they should be avoided due to the poor security offered.