Renting Property

Virtually all expatriates staying in Qatar rent their property, and many are on employment contracts that include free or heavily subsidized housing, furniture and utilities. Rental costs vary enormously for villas of different sizes, some with swimming pools, others without, and between old and new apartment blocks, in different locations.

Rental properties in Qatar are usually rented out via local real estate agencies though quite a few places put up notices on their buildings when vacancies arise.  This usually involves a lot of groundwork and it is sometimes wiser to leave it to a real estate agent to find some suitable options for you to choose from.  Rent is paid for the period of the contract, generally a year or six months, in postdated cheques.  This does not include any of the other amenities like water, electricity and gas for which you will receive a monthly bill.
 
With the spiralling rent prices a lot of people have taken to sharing accommodations.  You will find posts on a number of supermarket bulletin boards and the local papers.
 
Among your options for rental properties in Qatar you will come across fully furnished apartments and villas, these tend to be more expensive.  Semi furnished accommodation would include kitchen appliances and air conditioners, and unfurnished accommodation may sometimes have only bath fixtures and air conditioners.  Service apartments are more expensive and usually include services like cleaning, laundry and linen changing, kitchen appliances and furniture. 

Commonly used Abbreviations

D/S -Double Story F/F -Fully furnished S/F -Semi furnished S/P -Swimming pool Split A/C -Air condition units installed on the wall with the compressor in another location. U/F -Unfurnished B/R -Bedroom

Things to Check

Before you can sign your contract you must get it translated into English so you fully understand the terms of your agreement. There is usually a deposit to be paid as security against damage to property or furniture provided. The government imposes a local tax on property to cover expenses such as refuse collection and road maintenance.  This is normally paid by the landlord but make sure of this on your contract.  Air Conditioners Before you rent an apartment you must check if A/Cs are included in the contract.  It is best to clean the removable filter on your A/C at least once a month and have it serviced every year.   There are also six month contracts on offer which enable landlords frequent rent hikes.  Ensure you check the time period of your contract. Some rentals for stand alone villas with private pools may not bear any expenses for the upkeep of the pool.   Phone lines should already be installed, if not bear in mind the time that it will take for it to be, as well as the instalment fee of QR 200 for a permanent line. There is a security deposit of QR 1200 for electricity and QR 800 for water when applying for supply.   Not all rental properties in Qatar come with 24 hour maintenance so make sure you are provided with a list of maintenance numbers in case of an emergency.

Service Apartments 

Service Apartments Telephone Fax AHB-Bilal Suites 442 7788 441 9002 Al Emadi Enterprises 466 6625 466 4166 Al Jawhara Service Apartments 435 8249 435 7658 Al Jazeera Service Apartments 431 7986 431 3901 Al Sadd Suites 444 4199 442 2700 Al Siraaj Suites 458 2809  -- Bavaria Suites 554 8678  -- Le Mirage Executive Residence 444 0111 442 3104 Le Mirage Suites 444 7333 436 7195 Retaj Execuitive 455 3333 455 3553 Retaj Residence 489 5555 489 5500 Royal Wings Apartment Hotel 421 1333 421 1999