Housing

 

The majority of the housing is found in the north of the island.  The main areas that expats live in include:

 

    • Sar, Budaiya and Hamala in the north west of the island, close to the Causeway to Saudi Arabia

    • Seef area and Reef Island in the central northern area, very close to Manama, the shopping malls and the Financial Harbor

    • Adliya and Juffair in the north east of the main Bahrain island, close to the US Naval base

    • Riffa and Riffa Views in the centre of the island

    • Hidd and Amwaj Islands on the island of Muharraq, close to the airport


This is not an exclusive list of areas, but would be a good starting point for looking at properties.


The majority of expats rent properties.  Rents can vary dramatically depending upon size, age and location of the property.  The very lowest monthly rent that you could feasibly expect to pay would be around 400BD per month for a small apartment, right up to perhaps 3000BD per month for a large villa with pool and sea view.


Properties can be unfurnished, semi-furnished or fully furnished, depending upon your needs.  Most Landlords prefer to have 12 month contracts, but some will accept shorter term agreements.  These is usually a ‘get out’ clause in most contracts which allows you to terminate a lease early IF you can show that you are leaving Bahrain i.e. relocating.  Check for this when signing.  Some rents are ‘inclusive’ i.e. of electricity, wifi, tv etc, whereas some are ‘exclusive’.  Be sure to understand fully what bills you may have on top of rent before signing a lease agreement.


The types of properties available range from studio apartments, to villas, and properties within ‘compounds’.   A compound is a common living arrangement in the Middle East - a gated and security controlled property, with multiple houses (typically a dozen to 30), often centred around a communal area including a shared pool, children’s playground, tennis courts, gym, and sometimes a ‘party room’.  


Good sources of information on properties available include: the Gulf Daily News (GDN); websites such as expatriots.com; or check out local agencies

 

 

 

 
   
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