Apartments for rent in Hammam Chatt

In Hammam Chatt, the flat is a recent invention. For a long time the town knew only villas and terraced houses; the small three or four storey residences came later, near the station and along the streets running down to the beach, then in Borj Cedria when the technopark brought in employees who did not want a whole house. Today, an apartment for rent in Hammam Chatt mostly means an S+1 or S+2 (one or two bedrooms plus a living room), often in a building of about ten units, sometimes in a converted villa floor.

Supply online is limited: a few listings at a time, mostly posted by private owners. It turns over fast at the start of the academic year, when newcomers to the technopark all search at once. To compare with Hammam Lif or Ezzahra, which have more on offer, the page of apartments for rent in Ben Arous governorate follows the same train line towards Tunis.

Near the station or near the technopark

The number one criterion for a flat to rent in Hammam Chatt is the distance to the station. Tenants without a car, numerous here, take the southern suburbs train every morning and want to walk there. Buildings in the centre, between the railway and the sea, combine that advantage with the shops; they are also the most sought after.

In Borj Cedria, the logic changes. Tenants work in the technopark's research centres and institutes, or in the companies set up around it, and an apartment rental in Borj Cedria spares them the commute. Residences are newer, streets quieter, but the area empties in the evening and at weekends out of season. A decent S+1 suits a young researcher or a couple; an S+2 suits a small family willing to drive for the shopping.

Bir El Bey, on the Hammam Lif side, mostly offers villa floors: more space, often a terrace, but rarely a lift or a caretaker.

Yearly rents, furnished summer lets

For a yearly let, an S+1 often sits between 400 and 650 DT and an S+2 between 550 and 900 DT, depending on the floor, the view and the condition. These ranges move from one season to the next; take them as an order of magnitude, not a benchmark.

In summer, part of the stock switches to furnished holiday lets and the same S+2 flats are rented by the night or the week. As a result, between June and September yearly supply dries up and owners are less inclined to sign a long lease. The best time to find a permanent flat runs from October to April. If you arrive in September for the new academic year, start looking at the end of August and be ready to view the same day.

The viewing and the lease

A seafront flat ages quickly. On the viewing, look at the ceiling corners, the sea-facing window frames and the back of the cupboards: damp is the enemy of ground floors and north-facing walls. Ask too who manages the residence. An active building manager, even a modest one, shows in the state of the stairwell and the roof terrace.

The lease must be written and registered, with the deposit, the rent review date and the inventory of furniture if the flat is furnished. Make clear whether the owner plans to take the flat back in summer: some "yearly" listings actually hide a let from September to June.

Widening the search

For a family that needs a garden, the houses for rent in Hammam Chatt are the next step, and the page of every home for rent in Hammam Chatt brings together flats, villa floors and houses. On Houni, each listing gives the advertiser's direct contact, private owner or agency.