Ways to Find Apartments, Houses & Flats for Rent in Dhaka City

How to find a place to live in Dhaka City?
Finding a property to rent in Dhaka is infamously difficult!
No matter how long you have been living in Bangladesh, or even in its mega city capital, Dhaka. You will agree that looking for a house, a flat, an apartment or even a room to rent is a mammoth task. The task only gets more & more difficult with the rapid growth in population within the city.
If you are unaware of what it is like, which is unlikely, you will find out as soon as you start to think about the options you have to find a decent property to rent in your preferred area within Dhaka. By the first day of your property hunt, you will be exhausted, frustrated and may even become medically ill needing complete bed rest.
Dhaka is a mega city! It’s a busy and overpopulated city, the various areas, every neighborhood and the entire property market moves at a lightning speed. It’s expensive and likeable, affordable rooms are rented out as soon as the to-let signs are hung, within the day or just as soon!
Unfortunately, advice on the many ways to rent a flat in Dhaka, or even to find a house or any other property search, is much easier to give than actually finding one. So once you ask around and visit a few properties, etc. you will soon realize why everyone is frustrated with this process. It’s only a lucky few of us who are able to find a clean, livable flat for the right price within your preferred area in good time.
But as for the majority of us, who are not that lucky, it’s not all bad news; this article will give you some ideas & briefly discuss some of the most common ways to find a flat to rent and the safest & quickest option available to you!
Visit Properties: To-let Signs & Walking in Interested Neighborhoods
One of the most effective ways to find a flat for rent is still the traditional walk-in method. Take a stroll through your preferred neighborhoods looking for the “To-Let” & “For Rent” signs. This is one of the most effective ways to rent a flat in Dhaka or to find an apartment because you are looking at a place where you are interested in living. Also, you can visit the property on the same day and take a decision just as quickly.
Now, this may seem like an impulsive decision, but find a great property is only half the job. You need to negotiate the terms and move in as soon as possible. Likeable houses, flats, apartments, or rooms will be just as likeable to the next potential resident.
So, if you find a property you like, move fast!
The traditional property search methods include looking through newspapers & classified ads. The method has survived decades because it still works! There are many reasons why a good property for a decent price may be listed on a newspaper classified. The landlord may not be approving of the particular type of people that have been interested. So give this old-school method a chance.
Be Social: Talk to Colleagues, Friends, Relatives & Other Acquaintances
It is essential that we are social in our hunt for a good home. Actively talk with your colleagues, friends, relatives & acquaintances to make them aware of your search for a flat to rent in Dhaka. Indirectly, you involve everyone you know in the property search and make this difficult task much easier. Our friends & relatives know others and are spread throughout the city, so they will keep an eye out for good properties. But it is you, who will have to take the decision.
As mentioned earlier, finding an apartment to rent in Dhaka is hard but don’t lose hope. The ideas or issues covered in our discussion are designed to prepare you for this difficult task. No amount of resource is enough when you are finding the perfect place to live, whether it’s by yourself or with a family. There are plenty of great places to live in all over this busy city. It’s always good to ask your friends, relatives and colleagues if they know somebody who’s renting their property. So don’t think that you will never find a place.
But there is the burden of high demand surrounding good, clean, affordable properties, which means that a quick decision is crucial. So, it may take longer that you expected but keep looking with a positive attitude and you will succeed.
Contact Brokers: Real Estate Agents, Builders & Dealers
Do not underestimate the effectiveness of contacting brokers & real estate agents. They are professionals! They do this for a living and are more than likely to have more resources available to them. For example, if you are sick then you would seek the advice of a doctor, simply because as a medical professional the medical advice would be more credible. So, contact property brokers or estate agents in your preferred area so that they are able to connect you with properties which may or may not be listed.
Many landlords tend to rent through agents rather than by themselves. So you get a chance to see properties that will not be listed anywhere. You also have the option to contact with several agents who operate in various parts of the city. So you can get an agent to provide you flats for rent in Gulshan area and another agent that will provide you flats for rent in Bashundhara Residential Area. You can inform your exact requirements and they will be able to find properties that match your requirements.
In addition, if you don’t have the free time to search for an apartment by yourself or want to get it done by a professional, hire a real estate broker or agent. They will help you to find your preferred apartment and guarantee that you get it in the end. But remember to consider the costs associated with using property agent services in addition to your rental costs & rental advance, they will charge commission. Also you will need to be available during normal working hours such as from 9 AM to 6 PM so that you can visit interested properties.
Look Online: Websites & Social Networks
Now, you may have been wondering whether we have forgotten the modern day miracle — internet!
No, we certainly have not!
Looking online for any & every solution is the first thing we do today. Given the exposure of the internet all over Bangladesh, it sure is the right idea. But the exposure of the internet has not spread evenly through to every industry. There are lots of reputable websites operating from Bangladesh but only a limited are specialized for property search or by real estate agencies or brokers. You should definitely considering spending time Google-ing for apartment to rent in Dhaka. It may take a while to find the perfect place or even a few places, but it’s out there. You just have to look.
One of the most used websites is Facebook.com in Bangladesh and even so, globally. So use the great resources of social networking platforms such as Facebook to look for designated to-let pages, Facebook advertisements and different groups in Facebook for places to rent not only in Dhaka but throughout the country. Big company websites may be good to show you a list of their massive database containing several listings. But they are not so great for actually getting a flat to rent. Most of your searches will help you to locate a flat, apartment for rent but its availability, condition and other details will not be. Social networking websites are used by the landlords and they can provide immediate comment, chat or call support to answer any of your questions. Also, there are different groups in Facebook nowadays for almost anything & everything.
Safest & Quickest Way: Online Property Portals
There are many online platforms to find an apartment for rent in Dhaka, but the safest, quickest and the most effective way is through dedicated online property portals.
Real estate portals allow you to specifically search for your required properties whether it is an apartment, flat, room, family house, big or small, or anything to match your every requirement. You will be able to find detailed listings with customer care support, addresses, pictures and other necessary information regarding a place. So it serves as a great place to start your property hunt. Also, you can use additional online support to check out the local area using Google maps, places, restaurants, schools, etc. Property portals are tools that are effective. It cannot guarantee you will find your perfect place, but it makes it possible that you are making the most of all resources available online.
Some questions you should ask yourself when looking for a rental property, whether it’s a house, flat, apartment or a room.
- Is the flat incomplete, too old or worn down or is ready to live in?
- How does the rent compare to similar properties within the area?
- Are the utilities & other bills all-inclusive or separate from rent?
- Is there a telephone line or internet connection?
- How long is the contract?
- How many months’ advance deposit is needed?
- What is the procedure for cancelling the agreement?
- Is the flat close to public transport, shops & everyday amenities?
- Who is responsible for maintenance issues?
- Is there parking available for your car, bike or cycle?
- How is the security of the building, the area, etc.?
Conclusion
These were some of the best ways to find a flat for rent in Dhaka in your preferred area. We hope that this writing is able to give you some new ideas or even refresh your mind about some old ones. Make sure to ask yourselves some of the questions mentioned above before you sign your rent agreement.
We hope that you are able to find your interested property from some of the ways discussed here such as walking through your preferred neighborhood exploring to-let signs, asking friends and relatives for help, browsing through websites, hiring brokers, or using property portals.
I recommend that you consider the rent, living costs, access to local stores & shops, transportation among all your other requirements to make the most suitable decision for yourself. Use the full resources available online such as listings on online property portals.
