Offices and shops for rent in Bizerte Nord

In Bizerte Nord, a shop is judged by its pavement. Outside a shop on avenue Habib Bourguiba, the flow of passers-by only stops at siesta time; outside a unit on the Corniche, it is huge in August and almost nil in February; in a residential estate, it depends on a school, a pharmacy or a shared-taxi (louage) stop. Before comparing rents, you need to know which customer you expect, and in which season.

This page groups the commercial premises, shops, offices and storage units to rent north of the canal, from the Medina to Aïn Mariam. Supply varies from week to week and comes as much from private owners letting a ground floor as from local agencies. For Zarzouna, Menzel Bourguiba, Mateur or Ras Jebel, see the page of offices and shops for rent in Bizerte governorate.

The town centre and the Medina: passing trade

Bizerte's commercial heart is still the central grid between avenue Habib Bourguiba, rue d'Alger and the streets running down to the central market and the old port. This is where people look for commercial premises to rent in Bizerte for clothing, mobile phones, pharmacies, opticians or fast food. Shops here are often narrow and deep, on the ground floor of old buildings, sometimes with a mezzanine or a back room used as a stockroom.

Around the old port and in the Medina, trade changes in nature: cafés, fish restaurants, crafts, small neighbourhood groceries. Units are smaller and older, with access constraints for deliveries. They suit a business that lives off strollers and tourists, as long as you accept footfall that follows the season.

Corniche and estates: two opposite rhythms

On the Corniche road, units at the foot of residences attract cafés, ice cream parlours, restaurants and beach shops. Rents are higher, and some owners offer leases tied to the season. A business that wants to run all year must do its sums on the winter months, not on August.

In the Bougatfa and Habib Haddad estates, in Bhira or Borj Taleb, it is the opposite: a stable local clientele, more modest rents, and specific needs, such as a bakery, a minimarket, a hair salon or a practice. The area around the Habib Bougatfa hospital is of particular interest to doctors, laboratories and pharmacies. Premises to rent in Bizerte in these neighbourhoods are often a house garage converted into a shop; check that it has been properly declared as commercial premises.

Offices: town centre buildings and converted apartments

An office to rent in Bizerte rarely takes the form of open-plan space in an office building, as this type of building is scarce in the town. Lawyers, accountants, architects, travel agencies and engineering firms tend to set up in apartments in the centre, on the first floors of buildings on the avenue and nearby streets, close to the banks and government offices. If you are considering this option, the apartments for rent in Bizerte Nord offer a wider choice; just make sure the building's rules allow professional use.

Key money, commercial lease and permits

Three issues must be settled before signing. Key money (pas-de-porte) first: in the best central locations, the owner or the outgoing tenant may ask for it, and the amount must be put in writing. The lease next: a registered commercial lease, with a clear term, the split of works and the rule for rent reviews, protects the operator who invests in fitting out. Permits last: some businesses, such as restaurants or a medical practice, require standards and municipal approvals that a former home does not always meet.

On Houni, you contact the owner or the agency directly. And if you would rather buy the premises than pay rent, the offices and shops for sale in Bizerte Nord are on a separate page.