Apartments for rent in El Kabaria

In El Kabaria, a flat to rent is almost never in a block with a caretaker and parking. It is a floor of a house, an S+1 above a grocer's, an S+2 in a small three-storey building put up by a local owner. For tenants who work in central Tunis, in Ben Arous or in the business zones to the south, the delegation is still one of the few addresses in the governorate where a modest rent lets two or three people live decently.

Flats listed online are few and irregular: some weeks nothing appears, then two or three come out at once. They are nearly always from private owners, whom you call directly. For more choice, the page of apartments to rent across Tunis governorate brings together listings from the neighbouring delegations.

Studios, S+1 and S+2: what the area offers

The S+1 is the most common size. It has one bedroom, a small living room, a kitchen and a shower room, often with a balcony on the street. It is home to young couples, employees and workers from other governorates. The S+2 draws families with one or two children. Studios exist, as a separate room on the roof, but they are rarely advertised: they go by word of mouth.

Rents follow the logic of the area. An S+1 in El Kabaria rarely costs more than you would pay for a studio in the town centre, and an S+2 usually stays well below prices in Ariana, El Menzah or La Marsa. The standard of finish, the floor and having your own meter move the price far more than the floor area.

Ibn Sina, El Kabaria 4, Cite Ennour

Ibn Sina 1 and Ibn Sina 2 have the best-kept flats in the delegation. The houses are more recent, often two or three storeys high, and owners are happy to let the first or second floor to families. The streets are wider, which matters if you have a car.

In the heart of El Kabaria, especially El Kabaria 4, and in Cite Ennour, flats are smaller and cheaper, in a very dense fabric where shops, the market and cafés are a step away. It is the right choice if you get around by bus or shared taxi and want everything within walking distance. If you would rather have a whole house, the page of all properties to rent in El Kabaria mixes both categories.

Renting a house floor the right way

Renting from an owner who lives on the ground floor has its advantages: he looks after the house, knows the neighbours and fixes a leak quickly. Still, a few points need settling at the first viewing. Are the water and electricity meters separate? Is there access to the roof for drying washing? Is the entrance private or shared? These details look minor, but they are the first source of friction between landlord and tenant.

Insist on a written contract, even for a modest rent, stating the term, the amount, the deposit and the payment date. Have it registered at the tax office. During the viewing, look at the ceilings on the top floor, often marked by damp, and check that the windows open onto the street or a courtyard, not just onto the neighbour's wall.

The market calendar

Flats come free mostly in summer and around the September return to school, when families change homes before term starts. Demand is high then, and a decent listing goes within a few days. Winter is quieter, and owners more readily accept a little negotiation. For a tenant who plans to stay, an apartment for sale in El Kabaria can also become an option in the medium term.