Accommodation in Egypt

By Sam Welback of London to Cairo.com

Most expats moving to Egypt do so for work, and the majority of the foreign national population is concentrated in Cairo. Most companies or schools hosting someone from abroad will supply accommodation or have an accommodation allowance as part of the agreed salary. This is an important point to negotiate in your contract if not already included.

If you are in a position where you have to find your own accommodation in the city, there are a few considerations to keep in the back of your mind.

Find the expat community

You will find that expats tend to congregate in certain areas. The benefit of this is that you’ll find people in a similar situation to yourself, experiencing the same things. This is very useful when you need to ask for advice. Expats tend to be more affluent than the local community, and hence live in more affluent areas. In these areas you can expect a wider range of amenities, offices, universities, government institutions, embassies, sporting facilities and retail.

The popular expat areas in Cairo are Zamalek, Maadi and Mohandesin, though areas like Heliopolis, Giza and New Cairo are also gaining popularity.

Ask for a reputable estate agent to work with

Egypt is a ‘word of mouth’ society. A recommendation goes a long way and it is the best way to find a good service provider. The many expat forums and blogs on the Internet make it easy to get advice before you even move out to Egypt.

Estate Agents vary in their resourcefulness and ability. The companies with the most employees are not necessarily the best or the most reliable. Ask around for a few names and numbers of agents that have proved to be responsible and professional and stick to those.

Look before you sign

The standard of accommodation in Cairo may not be what you are accustomed to in your native country. You are always advised to see a place in the daytime before deciding to sign a lease. Check the appliances closely. Check that the water in the kitchens, toilets and bathrooms is on by turning the taps. Turn on the air-conditioners and listen for sounds of malfunction. Check the lift to make sure it works and open any balcony doors or large windows to see that they are working well and not on the brink of repair. Demand an inventory of the furniture and utilities and note anything which is scratched or broken.

Take care to negotiate a lease you're happy with

Make sure you have a contract and never agree to a rental orally only. Demand that your contract be written in the language you understand, or have the contract translated before you sign. Read through the entire contract and look for elements that you may not be used to. Contracts are even known to stipulate what types of visitors you may be allowed to entertain or who can stay overnight. Some landlords forbid the free mixing of men and women in their properties overnight and you could find that you breach the terms of your contract unintentionally. Check the contract for your responsibilities and for those of the landlord and have the agent or landlord qualify any ambiguous elements. Any elements of the contract you are unhappy with should be raised and amended before signing.

Costs of accommodation in Cairo

The cost of rental accommodation is freely agreed between the landlord and tenant and there are no laws governing the amount. Most rentals amounts are negotiable so always bargain. Typically, rental amounts required by a landlord will be indicative of the area the accommodation is in, however the state of the accommodation and the available amenities may add or de-value the property accordingly. Your agent or landlord will expect one to three months rental in advance. In addition to this cost, a security deposit, which is usually the cost of a month of rent, is required.

Depending on the agent, you may be required to pay an agency fee equivalent to one month of rental. Some agents do not charge this so you must ask from the outset.

Approximate cost for flats in Maadi or Zamalek:

• 1 bed flat :    LE 1750-2500
• 2 bed flat:    LE 2500-5000
• 3 bed flat:    LE 4000-6500

These costs are approximate and should be used as a guide line only.

Bills are nearly always the responsibility of the tenant so be sure to ask what the approximate costs are for some idea of what you will be paying. KEEP ALL INVOICES, BILLS AND RECIEPTS as proof that these have been paid for when the contract ends or if requested by the landlord.

Maintenance of amenities is usually the responsibility of the tenant so make sure that you are able to pay for something should you break it. Normal wear and tear should not count as part of this, but you should nonetheless alert the landlord the moment anything begins to behave unusually.