Are you an Expat in Colombo? Not sure whether to rent a house or apartment?

One of the most common dilemmas among the Colombo expat community is whether to rent out an apartment or a house? Even Sri Lankans who have lived abroad have this question on what's safer.

However, the fact of the matter is that Colombo has changed. It has changed so much that a Sri Lankan who left this country 10 years back would be awe-struck to come back and notice the massive change in terms of development. 

I will give my two cents on renting an apartment and/or house. I am sure you would be in a much better position to figure what works for you.

Renting out an apartment

This is considered to be the safer option for many reasons but then again it will depend on your taste. There are plenty of apartments in town and depending on which location you prefer and what luxury type, there is a good chance of finding some options. With apartments, the following factors kick in:

* Super Tight Security
* Additional facilities such as pool, gym, club house etc
* Convenience and easy maintenance

I would propose that if you are a small family or a single person or even a couple for that matter, renting out an apartment is wiser as opposed to a house. You can also consider a house if it's within a gated community but you may not find them to be that luxurious. 

The following could be considered to be some of the negatives if you are an apartment-person:

*Space - There are very few apartment complexes here that give you a good sizes apartment
* Garden - This is something you will miss
* Pets - If you have a pet, you will have to drop the idea of living in an apartment unless it's a quite and tamed cat.

I think the two most important factors would be convenience and safety and renting an apartment in Colombo 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 is advisable.


Renting out a house

Now we come to tricky part of living in a house. This could be divided into two types, namely, gated communities and stand alone houses.

Renting out a house in a gated community

This is as good as renting out an apartment but the facilities would vary. The key here is that you don't have to worry about security and it's safe. There cannot be any burglaries or anything unless the neighbourhood is not so great. I am afraid to say that this kind of property could be found mainly outside the city of Colombo. In addition to the above, you have to share the pool too unlike stand alone houses which at times come with a pool entirely for you. 

Renting out a stand alone house

There is no problem in renting out a house in Colombo. It's safe and secure (of course with the common sense you have, you would know if it isn't when you view the property). There are few things to ask the landlord when it comes to renting out a stand alone house:

* Age of the structure - very important.
* Age of the furniture and whether the house was renovated unless it's a brand new baby
* Whether there is any flooding anywhere near the house
* Who lives behind, in front and on either sides
* Whether it is safe, I have mentioned that it's not a problem renting out a stand alone in Colombo but always take the assurance of the landlord because let me tell you this, where there are humans, there is always this risk of something waiting to happen.

A good way to feel assured is to call up a reputed agency and seek their advice on the stand alone house. Trust me, if you treat the agents with a great deal of respect and ask for their honest opinion, they will tell you things. Agents who have been in the trade for a long time know much more than a landlord who has been renting for ages. 

I have personally come across a large number of expats that have been living in houses and so far, I have not heard of any catastrophes of any kind. We have a fairly large expat community in the Nawala, Rajagiriya, Battaramulla areas mainly because of some schools that are easily accessible from there and those areas just on the outskirts of the city and are seriously growing not only with expats but even locals, in fact, Rajagiriya is an area where some of the richest people of this country reside. There are many foreigners living inside the city too but it's always good to be with herd. 

In conclusion, like I emphasized from the beginning - it's to do with taste and lifestyle. I have come across expats who have asked for apartments but eventually ended up in a house and vice versa. Please feel warmly welcome to read some of the other posts on this blog which I am sure would help in gaining the much needed information you need to decide on the most important aspect of life, wherever you are which is a good, solid roof on top of your head. 

Good luck in finding a heavenly home! 

If you have any questions or need to know more about living in Colombo, kindly drop an email to info.mistert@gmail.com.