Apartments for rent in La Nouvelle Ariana

La Nouvelle Ariana lives up to its name: while the old centre of Ariana keeps its low houses and long-established shops, this neighbouring sector has filled up with developer blocks of four or five storeys, most of them built over the last twenty years. What is let here is mainly decent-sized S+2 and S+3 flats, with a separate kitchen, a balcony and, in the newest buildings, a lift and a space in the basement.

The listings for flats for rent in Nouvelle Ariana published here come from owners and Ariana agencies, whom you contact directly. The sector belongs to the delegation of Ariana Ville, whose page of flats for rent in Ariana Ville compares the Menzahs, Ennasr and the centre.

A family district between the centre and Ennasr

La Nouvelle Ariana is a few minutes from the historic centre and the metro terminus, and barely further from the shops of Ennasr. This in-between position explains who lives here: families with children at school, couples of civil servants and private-sector employees, some teachers and health workers employed in Ariana's clinics and schools. The district runs to the rhythm of the schools, busy in the morning and late afternoon, and quiet in the evening.

Everyday shops are at the foot of the blocks or in the next streets: bakery, grocery, pharmacy. For anything else, you head down to the centre of Ariana or up to Ennasr. Without a car, the light metro from the centre reaches Tunis without changing; with a car, the ring road and the motorway are within reach without crossing the whole town.

Rents: one notch below Ennasr

This is the sector's main selling point. For the same floor area, a flat for rent in Nouvelle Ariana generally costs less than in Ennasr 2, and a little more than in the old centre. An S+2 often rents for between 900 and 1,300 DT, while a family S+3 can go higher depending on the floor, the lift and the state of the kitchen. S+1 units are fewer; they go quickly to young couples. Furnished flats exist but remain a minority, as most properties are let unfurnished to families who plan to stay several years.

Supply varies from week to week, fuller in summer and before the school year starts, when families move. Those hesitating with a more sought-after sector can compare with the flats for rent in Ennasr 2: the rent gap is quickly measured.

What to check during the visit

In a developer block, the question of service charges comes first. Ask whether there is a managing agent, what it covers (cleaning, lift, lighting of common areas) and whether the charges are included in the rent or paid separately. A lift that is advertised but has been out of order for months is not unusual: try it.

Then look at orientation and damp. North-facing flats quickly show marks in the corners in winter, and top-floor flats get hot in summer if the roof terrace is not insulated. Run the water heater and check the water pressure. As for the parking space, have it specified in writing: in some blocks, the basement does not have one space per flat.

On the paperwork side, a written tenancy agreement registered at the tax office remains the basis, with a deposit of one or two months and a signed inventory. And if you are thinking of buying in the district instead, the flats for sale in La Nouvelle Ariana give an idea of prices.