A short guide for Renting a house in Botswana

You want to rent a house. Before you start looking for a house you need to decide on the following things:

• do you want your home to be in a specific area? And if yes, which area. (Check the the different maps for the different locations.)
• what should the house offer, how many bedrooms, how many bathrooms, type of lounge and dining room, type of kitchen, do you require a study, tv-room and/or a guest room.
• do you require a garage (single or double), a servants quarters, a swimming pool, a guesthouse or cottage
• should the property have a developed garden, do you require the property to be walled (with or without electric fence).
• what is the preferable rental you want to pay monthly.
  

Having made the decision on how your house should be, you can start your search. You have two options, you can try to rent a house through an Estate Agent or you can rent directly from the property owner.
It is advisable to use an Estate Agent as he is knowledgeable of the property market, would probably have more similar properties as you are looking for and will be able give you advise and information on the property and area. Note that an Estate Agent should not charge you for his services. If you choose to work with an Estate Agent, make sure this agent is a registered member of the Real Estate Institute of Botswana (R.E.I.B.) Read here more on R.E.I.B.
RVM Property Consultants is a registered member of the R.E.I.B.

Start looking around what the different Estate Agents have on offer in their books, look at adverts in the newspaper, visit web site (like this one) and optionally, if you require a specific area, you can drive around in that area, Estate Agents often place signs on the houses they have available.

Select a few houses you would want to see and make an appointment with the Estate Agent to view these. Optionally you can just contact an Estate Agent, explain what you are looking for and hear what he has on offer that meet your requirements.

After you made an appointment, the Estate Agent will take you to the property for viewing. Do not go to the property on your own, the owner of the house usually does not like this. Take your time to view the property, visit every room of the house and see if it suits you. Try to imagine how it would look with your own furniture, which room is going to be for who etc. Also view the outside and the garden. Remember if you are renting a house with a developed garden and/or a swimming pool, you are obliged to take care of these. You might have some queries which you should discuss with the Estate Agent, he will be able to answer you or he will contact the owner to discuss the query.

Try to remember how everything is and view a few more properties. After viewing all the properties that could meet your requirements, make a decision and choose one. Once you have chosen your new home, read here what to do next.