Offices and shops for rent in Sfax

Sfax is a city of traders and small manufacturers, and it shows on its ground floors. Almost every house on a main road has its shop, every recent building its offices on the first floor, and depots line up as soon as you leave the urban area. Commercial premises for rent in Sfax can therefore be found everywhere, but not at the same price nor for the same business depending on the road and the kilometre.

This page brings together listings for shops, offices, practices, depots and workshops for rent across the whole governorate, posted by owners and agencies. You deal directly with the advertiser. The supply varies from week to week, denser in the city and along the first kilometres, scarcer in the inland delegations.

Town centre trade, roadside trade

The centre of the Sfax Ville delegation remains the place for passing trade: around Bab Bhar, the main avenues and the edges of the medina, a well placed shop lets at a high rent and goes through connections, often with key money. Premises become free there when a trader retires, and the owner knows what the foot traffic is worth. Details on the streets and local practices are on the page for premises to rent in Sfax Ville.

Outside the centre, trade lives along the main roads. On the Teniour, Gremda, Soukra or El Ain roads, the shop on the ground floor of a villa serves as a grocery, a bakery, a pharmacy, a hairdresser or a phone shop. Neighbourhood premises of 30 to 60 m² often let for between 500 and 1,200 DT, more near a crossroads or a roundabout. Further out, Sfax Sud and the Gabes road offer larger premises and depots, useful for wholesalers and craftsmen.

Offices and practices: the Tunis road and its neighbours

The liberal professions look elsewhere. Doctors, lawyers, engineering firms and accountancy practices have settled along the Tunis road and in the recent buildings of Sfax El Jadida, near the clinics, the banks and the public offices. An upper floor office of 80 to 120 m², with a lift and parking, is the most sought after format.

Further north, Sakiet Ezzit attracts service companies and IT firms that want to be close to the Tunis road without paying central prices. For a medical practice, check that the building allows professional use and that the premises can receive patients without disturbing the other co-owners.

Depots, workshops and seasonal trade

The industrial zones of La Poudriere, the Gabes road and the Tunis road concentrate the medium sized warehouses and workshops. Listings there often concern sheds with a yard, let to hauliers, olive oil traders or clothing workshops. Look at the ceiling height, truck access and the available electrical power before discussing the rent.

On the coast, Sakiet Eddaier and Sidi Mansour have their own rhythm: cafes, snack bars and small beach shops are let for the season, with rents negotiated in spring. In Kerkennah, trade follows the same pattern, very lively in summer, quiet the rest of the year. In the small inland towns, Agareb, El Hencha or Djebeniana, premises are cheaper but the customers are mostly local: a convenience shop does well there, a specialist store much less so.

The commercial lease and its pitfalls

Premises let for a commercial activity fall under the commercial lease regime, which protects the tenant after a few years of trading. Owners know this, hence the key money often requested at the outset and leases sometimes drafted as ordinary rentals. Have the contract reviewed by a lawyer, and specify the permitted activity, the duration, the rent review and what happens to the fittings.

Before signing, ask whether the premises comply with the intended use: a villa garage converted into a shop does not always have authorisation, and the municipality may call it into question. Also check the electricity meter, any unpaid bills left by the previous occupant and the condition of the metal shutters. If you would rather buy the property, the page for premises for sale in Sfax lists the properties on offer.