Apartments for rent in El Manar

When people look for an apartment for rent in manar 2, they are really looking within a ten-minute walk of the university campus. That perimeter, together with the newer estates added to the north that locals sometimes call Manar 3, is what this area covers. The buildings are four or five storey blocks built in waves since the 1990s, newer developer residences with underground parking, and a few villas gradually being divided into flats.

This area is one part of the delegation: listings for Menzah 1 to 4 and Mutuelle Ville are on the page of flats to rent in El Menzah. Here, every flat is offered by its owner or by a local agency, whom you call without going through a third party.

Two markets in the same buildings

Flat rental in manar 2 serves two groups who pass each other on the stairs. On one side, students at the Faculty of Sciences and ENIT, PhD candidates and young part-time lecturers: they want a furnished S+1 (one bedroom plus a living room), often to share, and sign for the academic year. On the other, couples and families working at the Centre Urbain Nord or Les Berges du Lac, who want an unfurnished S+2 or S+3 in a quiet residence with a lift and a parking space.

Owners know this and pick their side. A furnished S+1 a stone's throw from the faculties often rents for 700 to 1,000 DT, sometimes more if it is new. An unfurnished S+2 in a recent residence frequently goes for around 1,100 to 1,500 DT. Overall the area sits at the level of Menzah 1, a notch above Menzah 4 and below Mutuelle Ville. To compare with the rest of the capital, the flats to rent in the Tunis governorate give a benchmark.

Manar 2, Manar 3 and Manar 1: where to look

The flats to rent in El Manar 2 closest to the campus are also the most sought after. The further you move into the inner streets, the quieter the buildings and the lower the rents. Flat rental in manar 3, for its part, mostly concerns newer developer residences, better insulated, with a caretaker, and rents to match: you pay for the comfort of the building rather than for being close to the lecture halls.

If you do not need to walk to the faculties, also look at El Manar 1, a more residential neighbouring district of small blocks and villa floors, where tenants are more often families and turnover is slower.

Choosing your moment

Demand follows the academic calendar. From late July, S+1 flats are reserved for the start of the year, often without a viewing, and advertised rents go up a notch. Between November and March the pressure eases: it is the best window for an employee who wants to compare several flats and negotiate. June is another good month, when students hand back the keys after their exams.

Some owners also offer rentals by the day or the week, for parents who have come with a student or for candidates sitting competitive exams. The offer varies from week to week and is found mostly among furnished studios and S+1 flats.

Lease, deposit and charges

Ask for a written contract registered at the tax office, even for a ten-month student let. The deposit is generally one or two months' rent: have the amount and the conditions for its return written down. For a furnished flat, attach a signed inventory and a few dated photos.

In recent residences, the service charge can add 40 to 70 DT a month: check whether it is included in the advertised rent. Read the STEG and SONEDE meters when you move in, and test the water pressure on the upper floors, a weak point in some buildings. If a villa floor or a studio suits you just as well, all the accommodation to rent in El Manar widens the search to every category in the area.