If you are planning to relocate to Sousse, finding accommodation will definitely be one of your priorities. This can be quite time-consuming but not so hard if you know where to start. Located on the coast, Sousse is, above all, popular for its beautiful beaches, beach resorts, as well as its dynamic environment. Indeed, Sousse is the third major Tunisian city after Tunis, the capital city, and Sfax.
While the Medina offers a tourist landscape, the rest of Sousse is rather developed and modern. Moreover, most of the country's olive plants are found in Sousse.
Why Sousse?
Sousse is a great city to watch the past and present meet. It's one of the oldest cities in Tunisia, with an authentic Medina with the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you move to Sousse, you will have plenty of opportunities to learn about the Maghreb region's history and plenty of sights to visit.
Sousse is a beach city, and during your stay, you will have easy access to the coats and a clear turquoise sea.
This is also a city with a youthful and vibrant atmosphere, which would make it a great fit for foreign professionals. Those who choose to retire in Tunisia will find Sousse relaxed yet eventful, with lots of options for recreation and wellness.
It is also popular with tourists and has a substantial expat population. Most expats who settled here come from Eastern Europe, Croatia, the UK, France and Germany.
Buy or rent accommodation in Sousse?
Whether you choose to buy or rent accommodation in Sousse depends on several factors. The most important of these will, of course, be your budget.
Property prices in Tunisia are, indeed, lower compared to most European countries. However, ever since foreigners were allowed to purchase property in Tunisia, the prices have been on the rise and are expected to increase by 20 to 25% within the next few years.
You may consider purchasing property in Tunisia if you are moving to the country for the long term. There are lots of benefits to living here, including a pleasant climate, low cost of living, proximity to Europe, and more.
You may also consider buying property in Tunisia as a form of investment. Tunisia is a popular tourist destination, with landlords reporting approximate return on investment for their properties at 14 to 18%.
While you may consider buying property in Tunisia in the future, if you are new to the country and the city of Sousse, in particular, you will probably start out by renting. This will give you the time to learn more about the country and explore different accommodation options and neighborhoods.
Which are the best neighborhoods to live in Sousse?
By moving to Sousse, whether with your family or alone for work, you will benefit from its school, university and professional networks.
The city also holds a modern infrastructure along with a developed transport network which will allow you to travel anywhere, whether by land, air or sea.
Most expatriates have chosen to settle in the city's periphery due to the availability of housing units at affordable prices. But if you prefer to live in the city center, Khézama, which is found between Central Sousse and Kantaoui, is deemed to be the most Westernized neighborhood. You are likely to come across many foreign nationals there. However, rent prices tend to be higher than elsewhere.
The best way to decide where you want to settle in Sousse is to give yourself enough time to explore the city. Walk around different neighborhoods, talk to your friends and colleagues and see where you feel the most comfortable.
Rent prices in Sousse
Rent prices for studios in Sousse range from 300 dinars ($100) to 1,000 dinars ($325) and even more, depending on the neighborhood and the type of accommodation you are going for. There are different types of housing available in Sousse: from studios to large apartments, townhouses, condos, villas — and more.
Sousse is a coastal town — and this means it's quite popular with tourists. You will find lots of vacation rentals and apartments available for the short term and, during the low season, long-term rentals. When renting a place, make sure to specify with the landlord for how long you will be renting as this will also affect the price of rent.
Note that sea-facing housing units are more expensive to rent. You will thus need around 2,000 dinars ($650) per month, or even more if you want an apartment with a beautiful view.
How to find accommodation in Sousse?
Like in the rest of the country, you might have to seek the help of a real estate agency to find accommodation as per your criteria more rapidly, unless you are well acquainted with the city and you have a good command of Arabic, or you have trustworthy contacts on the spot.
Seeking the assistance of a real estate professional will be useful, especially when tackling administrative procedures (lease contract, inventory, etc.). This will also help you benefit from more affordable rent prices. However, you will need to pay agent fees.
Another way to look for accommodation in Sousse or to get a quick overview of the real estate market is to do some research online. There are plenty of websites where you can search for accommodation in the city and get an overview of prices and neighborhoods. Check out Mubawab, Ballouchi, Tayara, and others.
Rental contracts in Tunisia
Once you have found the ideal housing unit, you will need to sign the lease with the owner. There is no standard rental agreement in Tunisia, so there are many different ways your contract may look. However, it should include all the essentials like the length of your rental agreement, rental price, rental conditions, and more.
Here are a few things to take into account:
- Lease contracts in Tunisia are concluded on a yearly basis. You may be able to find rentals for six months, but this is quite rare and will have to be negotiated with the owner of the housing unit.
- Generally, you will need to pay your yearly rent upfront. In some cases, payments are divided into several installments over the course of the year — but you will need to discuss this with your landlord. Note that you will also need to pay a deposit and agent fees (if applicable).
- Typically, the deposit you will need to pay amounts to two months' rent.
- Rental taxes are the owner's responsibility, and you should not be asked to make any contributions towards paying them.
- It is not recommended to give a departure notice to the owner before the end of the first year; otherwise, you will have to continue to pay rent unless you find another lessee at the end of the notice.
- Typically, the departure notice has a three-month duration but can be negotiated with the owner before the signature of lease documents.
- The owner may also stop the lease contract by giving you a three months notice.
- If the rent price is not mentioned in the lease contract, it is assumed that both parties have agreed to the area's current rent prices. However, it is not recommended to have a contract without the rent price clearly stated, as this may allow your landlord to increase the rent.
- If taxes or rates apply, both parties are expected to comply with these.
Important:
Make sure to conduct an inventory on the spot before signing the lease documents, whether accompanied by the owner or a real estate agent. Feel free to take pictures of the premises and ask any questions.
It's also advisable that you always have a third party present when signing the lease. This can be a real estate agent, a real estate lawyer, or even your colleague or friend from Tunisia. They will act as witnesses to the lease you are signing and may also be able to help you out in case you have any questions to ask the landlord.
Make sure to never sign a contract in a language that you don't understand. If your contract is drafted in French or Arabic, you can ask for a legalized English translation. Alternatively, have someone who can speak French or Arabic translate the contract for you and explain all the clauses in detail. Never sign anything that you don't understand, and double-check with the agent or lawyer if any clauses in the contract are confusing or don't seem right to you.
To rent accommodation in Sousse, you will typically need to provide the following documents:
- three original copies of the lease contract
- 5 certified photocopies of the lease
- the legalization of your signature and that of the owner at the nearest municipality.
Note that two originals and five certified copies have to be remitted to the Recette des Finances for authentication.
Fees vary according to the rent price. You will then have to return to the Recette des Finances to fetch the same documents.
Make sure to save your rent receipts, as you may need to present these to the administration upon your final departure from Tunisia.
How to buy property in Sousse?
If you've lived in Sousse for a while and are now looking into buying property here, you will be happy to know that foreigners can legally buy housing in Tunisia. With that, property prices in the Sousse coastal area continue to increase, so you may need to do some research to get your timing right.
Foreign nationals are allowed to buy property in Tunisia under certain conditions:
- The property must be in an urban or tourist zone (make sure to confirm that the property does not have agricultural purposes).
- The land must be registered with the competent Land Conservation so that it is linked to a land title. Note that all properties have to be registered in accordance with Tunisian laws. Seek the assistance of an approved real estate professional to make sure that the transaction is legal.
- The seller of the property must be officially identified as the owner of the property for sale.
- The property must be exempt from retention of title in favor of the Tunisian State (due to eminent domain or nationalization under the law of 12 May 1964).
To purchase property in Tunisia, you will typically need to present the following documents:
- the authorization of the city or town governorship where the property is located. Note that procuring this document may take some time.
- the approval of the Central Bank of Tunisia. To receive this approval, you will need to open a non-resident account in foreign currency and request the bank to provide you with an investment record stating that the funds are intended for the acquisition of real estate property.
Buying property in Sousse can be a good solution if you plan to live in Tunisia long-term or if you are considering investing in property here. It is strongly advised that you do proper research of the real estate market in Tunisia before making any long-term commitments. It's also recommended that you talk to a real estate lawyer about the legal conditions of your purchase and make sure you are aware of all the specifics of buying property in Tunisia.
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