Renting houses and flats in Morocco is different than renting in, for instance, Ireland or Sweden. Here, in Morocco, no references from previous landlords are required. It makes life way easier!
The house hunt is a bit different too, and foreigners are usually not aware of that.
I’ll share with you my flat hunt experience in Morocco.
When I left Poland and first came to Morocco in 2013, I came for an internship with AIESEC, so everything was set for me. After the internship I had to move out, so the flat hunt started…
If you don’t have Moroccan friends who could help you to spread the word about your hunt, don’t worry – there are other ways, too!
A walk in the neighborhood
It may seem extreme to some Westerners, but the best way to find your perfect house is to wander in the desired neighborhood. That’s what my Moroccan and European flatmates and I did. We wanted to stay in Maarif district in Casablanca, so we just walked around and asked the guardians if there were any flats for rent in their buildings.
Giving tips in Morocco is not unusual, so don’t be surprised when you’re asked to pay money for information or reserving the flat for you.
After a couple of days, we found our modern, dreamy, and fully furnished flat, with an amazing intimate terrace:
List of websites and Facebook groups
One of the most popular websites where is Avito. You can sell or buy stuff there, but also find a person to help you with French, look foor work or rent a house.
Maisons Maroc is another website full of rental offers. The website is available in Spanish, English, and French.
There is a great group on Facebook, Casablanca flatshare. It unites 30k+ people (in the time of writing) and that is how many of my European and Moroccan friends look for flats!
Join my group on Facebook – you can also ask people there!
Apart from the groups mentioned above, there are tens of useful groups for expats in Morocco as well as dedicated groups for expats in certain cities. Just go to your Facebook search box and you will find them!
What about the legal aspect?
If you are looking for a room, no contract is needed, the person you are going to share the flat with has probably already signed the contract.
If you wish to rent a place for yourself, you will need to present your passport to the owner. He will then write a contract (in Arabic) and you will have to go to Muqata (an office where you legalize documents,) present your passport, and sign the contract.
Note that mixed sex flatshare in Morocco is illegal. Sometimes even non-Moroccan couples are refused rental if not married!
I have written a couple of articles that may be useful for you, if you are new in Morocco:
All you need to know about life & paperwork (CLICK)
How to obtain residency permit (CLICK)
Running business in Morocco – testimonials of 6 entrepreneurs (CLICK)
How to open a company in Morocco (CLICK)
This was a very helpful and informative article about finding a house in Morocco. Cultural nuances and legal aspects of a particular country are unique and it’s better to be well versed with them before visiting to avoid discomfort or any problems.