Accommodation in Ivory Coast

If you are moving to Ivory Coast, finding accommodation will be one of your priorities. In general, finding accommodation in this West African country is not a difficult task. However, you should bear in mind that the local rental market has been affected by the world economic crisis. Therefore, you will need an average of 140,000 CFA francs to 500,000 CFA francs per month to rent a three-bedroom apartment in the outskirts and in the city-center respectively.

Important:

When looking for accommodation in the country, you are advised to take into account the humidity rate. Indeed, it is highly recommended that you proceed with an inventory on the premises before signing the lease documents.

Lease

The lease contract is compulsory in Ivory Coast as it guarantees the rights of both the owner and the tenant in case of dispute. In general, the lease document is written either by the owner or by the real estate agency. In the case of a real estate agency, fees will be shared by the owner and tenant.

The lease contract should contain the following information:

• the owner and tenant's identity details
• the housing address
• the type of accommodation and its description (house or apartment)
• the lease duration
• the intended use (accommodation, office, etc.)
• the rent price and conditions regarding any rise
• the deposit and guarantee.

Moreover, according to Ivorian laws, some clauses are considered as null and void although these are mentioned in the lease contract. These clauses are as follows:

• deduction of the monthly rent by the owner from the tenant's salary
• obligation to settle the rent via direct debit or check
• the tenant's obligation to allow visits on the premises on public holidays and for more than two hours on working days in the case of the sale of the housing unit or a new lease
• the tenant's collective responsibility in case of damage to the building's common parts
• the tenant's advance commitment to refund repair costs as pre established by the owner
• the tenant's obligation to subscribe to a private housing insurance as chosen by the owner
• termination of contract for other reasons than unpaid rent, charges or guarantee deposit, or for infringement to the above-mentioned clauses that are considered as null and void.

Good to know:

The guarantee and deposit are generally determined by the owner. In other words, the owner may request you to pay around three months rent as guarantee and the same amount as deposit. Rent is then settled on a monthly basis, following the deposit term, for instance, on the fourth month following your settlement if you have provided a deposit which is equal to three months rent.

Comfort

You are likely to find both furnished and unfurnished accommodation in Ivory Coast. However, you might have to get water and electricity meters installed at your own expenses. These conditions are usually mentioned in the lease contract.

Note that your electricity bill can easily rise with domestic appliances. For instance, for a medium apartment (around 85 m2), your water and electricity bills can amount to some 280,000 CFA francs.

Find accommodation

You are more likely to start your housing search in Ivory Coast on the Internet and via local newspapers. Most of the online offers are published by real estate agencies. Therefore, many expatriates prefer to seek the help of a real estate agency so as to save time, especially if they are not yet acquainted with the local real estate market. Note, however, that agency fees apply and these will be divided between you and the owner.

Useful links:

Expat.com ' Housing in Ivory Coast
Expat.com ' Directory of real estate agencies in Ivory Coast
Immo.ci www.immo.ci
Leportail.ci www.leportail.ci
Kerawa kerawa.com
AfrikAnnonces afrikannonces.ci
Arkadia fr.arkadia.com
Lamudi www.lamudi.ci
Realigro ivory-coast.realigro.com