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Most families moving to Kuwait opt to live in a home rather than an apartment. However, some still prefer an apartment. Both apartments and homes can be found both in the city and outside. It's a personal choice.

Rental Market

Price range varies depending on several factors, one of the biggest being the size of one's residence. As prices fluctuate greatly, you can expect to pay between 200 and 350KD per month for an apartment (inside and outside city), with most utilities included. Families can rent a moderate sized home (3bedroom/2bathroom) starting at 600KD per month, inclusive of utilities.

Rental homes vs. rental apartments in Kuwait are relatively equal. There's a healthy market of readily available properties so finding a place to settle down shouldn't be a big issue for most people. Knowing where to look and how to negotiate with property owners are your biggest obstacles. Time of year has no effect on rental properties in Kuwait. You may, however, find some properties slightly more expensive the closer to the Arabian Gulf shoreline you are.

How to Search for a Rental

Online

There are many online search engines someone can use to find rental properties in Kuwait. Try using local real estate agents when possible. They're best suited to assist you in finding suitable rental homes and apartments, and they know the areas too.

Popular sites for Kuwait:

• Q8 Residence - Created in 2009 with a bilingual database (English and Arabic), searchable for both homes and apartments, with pictures.
• Kuwait Real Estate Directory - A hub for types of properties in Kuwait, both rental and buying.
• Alamlak - A major portal for properties in several countries, including Kuwait.
• Horizon Q8 Real Estate - A very modern, up-to-date website with a searchable database.
• ERA-Kuwait - A worldwide company with hundreds of rental properties.
• Properties in the Middle East - A searchable database covering several countries within throughout the Middle East.

Newspapers

Several papers have a helpful classified section. There are properties listed for both homes and apartments. You may also find the occasional flat sharing listing too.

• Al-Watan Daily
• The Kuwait Times
• The Arab Times
• EEK! (Expats Express Kuwait) is a subscription only weekly newsletter.

Rental Agent

There are many real estate agents in Kuwait, and one can certainly consult an agent about specific properties. An agent is responsible for finding several properties, contacting the owner, and setting up meetings. Speak with individual Real Estate Agents personally to learn more about their services and chargeable fees. More often than not, major firms, companies and well established business, already have agents they're accustomed to working with and they handle all the arrangements and paying of any fees. . However, most people simply utilize search engines to find a home or apartment.

Visiting a Rental Property

Once you find a property you like, it's very important to setup a meeting to go and view the home/apartment. Meetings are easy to arrange and most ads come with either a telephone number or email contact. If you have a trusted friend who is bilingual, bring them along, just in case the land owner isn't fluent in your native language.

Contracts

Most of the time, contracts are written in both Arabic and English. However, in the event of a dispute between yourself and the land owner, the Arabic version of any contract is the one that's enforceable in a court of law. Take lots of time and read your contract thoroughly. Better yet, have someone who is fluent in Arabic translate the Arabic portion to you.

You can expect the owner to request a security deposit and several months in advance rent. Ensure everything is written into the contract concerning utilities, return of deposits, pets, and who to contact should there be any repairs. If maid service is included, make sure it's noted in the contract. Ensure you have a covered parking space(s) as it is extremely hot during the summer months.

Get a receipt for any monies paid to the owner. Additionally, find out if there are any penalties for breaking your contract early. If so, make sure it's written into the contract. Refunds for any unused months in your contract are difficult to come by.

Seek legal advice for any before committing to a contract. IF YOU'RE IN DOUBT ABOUT ANY PORTION OF YOUR RENTAL CONTRACT, DON'T SIGN.

Notice

Notices aren't the norm in Kuwait. Most people have a fixed rental contract; six month or 1 year. This means once your rental period is over; six months, for example, you the tenant are obligated to vacate the property on or before the end date. Failure to do so may result in legal action against you, or, even worse, forcefully removed by the property owner.

There are no local organizations or advocacy groups renters can fall back on to assist them in settling disputes with property owners. Renters have two options. First, try and resolve the issue with the landlord or take the matter to court.