Where Exactly Do I Want to Live?
This includes the area. For instance, if you are not scrimpy with your money and you have an ample budget, you can look at the districts such as The Pearl, West Bay, and Al Waab, the most luxurious areas popular among expats. Once again, it depends on whether you can afford it. Ask yourself, how much income do you need to rent an apartment there? So, first things first, make a list of areas that interest you. This will prove useful when you talk to a real estate agent or scroll through the property listings. It will help to narrow your choice.
What Conveniences are Important for Me?
Here we talk about the character of the neighborhood and what it can offer you. For example, if you use public transport in Doha make sure that your place is close to the metro or you’ll learn firsthand the tribulations of daily walks under the relentless Middle Eastern sun to the metro station. Conversely, if you drive a car, check if your building has a parking lot. Besides, it would be convenient if your place is close to your work, it will save time on daily commutes. If you are a family man, see if there is a school nearby.
When you decide on the neighborhood, don’t limit yourself to reading reviews and scrolling through maps. If it’s possible, go out and drop by the hood, look around and note how it feels. You can notice things that you won’t see in reviews but that can be important for you, for example, conveniently located shops, bicycle lanes, a cozy art gallery, or whatever else is rocking your boat. Chat with locals, you can get a feel of the character of people living there and maybe learn something interesting about the place. Plus, if you are to settle there, those are your future neighbors, and it will matter a big deal, for example, in a situation of substantial disparity in social status and wealth. Try to imagine how easy it will be to get along with them anyway.
What Kind of Place Do I Need?
The answer to this question will depend on such factors as whether you are single or have a family, whether you travel to Qatar for a short time or plan to settle there for years, if there are amenities you cannot live without, if you have a pet, and whether you have some unique preferences regarding your accommodation. So how to choose an apartment to rent? There are different types of housing in Qatar. For example, if you opt for an apartment, it can be an unfurnished, semi-furnished, or fully furnished apartment. If you don’t plan to stay there permanently you only need the essential things, such as a fridge, microwave, kitchenette, AC, and a couch to sleep on. Then go for a semi-furnished apartment. It’ll save you money while you will be looking for a more permanent place to live.
If you are a creative person, a student, or a young single IT wizard, in other words, you are looking for something low budget, a good choice will be a studio apartment. Such accommodation is essentially a large open space, combining a living room, a bedroom, and a small kitchen. In the same category are serviced apartments. Also, when you have just moved to Qatar and haven’t decided yet what you want in the long term is when it’s the best time to rent an apartment as opposed to something big and expensive, such as a stand-alone villa. Essentially, it can be a temporary solution.
Keep in mind though that Qatar is a Muslim country, which somewhat reflects on the rules regarding renting and tenancy as well. A good example, a popular in Americas practice of different people sharing the same apartment to save money is a no-no in Qatar. So, for example, the question of how to split apartment rent shouldn’t concern you. Also, don’t even think about subletting your place, it can land you in hot water.
If you are not short on money and you are a family man, you may want to consider something more substantial than an apartment. There are better options. First of all, you can opt for a compound villa. Basically, it’s a gated community, with a number of conveniences inside the compound, such as shops, gardens, children’s playgrounds, pools, malls, and gyms. Of course, it depends on the class of the compound but, generally, it’s considered an upscale choice of accommodation. Besides, surrounded by the wall and guarded, this kind of place will give you some peace of mind if you are worried about burglars and other strangers-dangers. If your budget is limitless and you want to go higher, you can look up available stand-alone villas. In this case, you and your family will have enormous living space as well as the surrounding area that can include orchards and swimming pools. In other words, if you feel like nabob, don’t hold back, the sky’s the limit.
How Do I Go About Finding A Place?
When you have sorted out questions regarding your budget, where specifically you want to live, and what conveniences and amenities are especially important for you, think about your approach to apartment hunting. You may wonder how long does it take to rent an apartment? It depends on how you go about it. You can choose one of the several routes, depending on how much time you are ready to spend on this. First, you can hire an agent. It’s a pretty simple and straightforward decision for those who don’t have much time and prefer to delegate nuts and bolts to experts in this field. When choosing an agent, make sure that he or she has sufficient experience and expertise. Also, it’s good when the agent is candid and transparent about the pricing and can offer you something you are actually looking for, in terms of your preferred location and budget. If you have doubts about the agent, check his references and testimonials of his previous clients.
If you would rather do without an agent and plan to look for a place on your own, go on the Internet. There are many services that can help you. If you prefer Qatar-specific services take a look at the following:
Additionally, you can use familiar worldwide services such as Booking, Airbnb, or TripAdvisor. Keep in mind that landlords in Qatar usually list new offers in the middle of the week, so schedule your searches accordingly.
The Legal Formalities of Renting an Apartment
When, after a vigorous and rigorous search done by you or your indomitable agent, you decide on some specific place, you want to know how this very process of renting a place is done in Qatar. So what do you need to rent an apartment? First of all, you need some documents, confirming your identity, your means, and your employment. As proof of identity, you can use your Qatar ID or your passport. If you are a foreigner, you need to be prepared to show a valid visa. Prepare the letter with your employment details and your employer’s or sponsor’s ID. To confirm your financial means, you can provide your salary slip. If you are married and move on with your spouse, be ready to show your marriage certificates (Qatar, remember). By the way, if you rented a place in Qatar before, you can show references from your previous landlords. Such references can prove that you are a trustworthy tenant, paying your monthly rent on time and not causing any trouble. It can add to your credit score and help you find a better place. It may also bend rental terms in your favour. Maybe you should negotiate a discount.
When all your documents are in order, you and your landlord will sign a lease contract. Usually, these contracts are signed for a year and then extended if you and your landlord are on good terms. The rent is paid monthly, plus, you should be ready to pay a deposit equivalent to the 2-months worth of rent, along with providing a post-dated cheque depending on the lease agreement. This is something you should keep in mind when you plan your budget. The lease agreement can be terminated by either side if, for instance, your landlord decides that you break some agreed rules of your tenancy or, conversely, you decide that your accommodation doesn’t satisfy you anymore.
Last but not least. While the properties in Qatar are usually insured you may want to think about the valuables you plan to keep in your new apartment (or villa or whatever). The homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover your personal effects, so you need to take care of it yourself. What you should look up is called home contents insurance. It covers possible damage to your personal property and, in some cases, your liability to your landlord and your guests. There are a number of insurance companies in Qatar offering this kind of insurance, including us.
Wrapping it Up
Searching for a place to live in Qatar can be exciting or daunting, depending on your attitude. The main thing is that you need to sort out all the aspects important in this process, so your search won’t be erratic and you, at least, will have a clear picture of what you want. Hopefully, our guide will help you to go about finding an apartment more methodically and, overall, make it easier for you. Good luck.
