Rental costs

If you're looking for a long-term rental (i.e. over three months), you're generally spoilt for choice: it's possible to rent every kind of property, from a tiny studio apartment to a huge, rambling country pile.

Rental costs vary considerably according to the size (number of bedrooms) and quality of a property, its age and the facilities provided. However, the most significant factor affecting rents is the region of South Africa, the city and the neighborhood. Most rents are negotiable and you should try to obtain a reduction. Sometimes an agent will suggest offering a reduced rent (he may even tell you what to offer!). South African landlords often prefer renting to non-resident foreigners, who pay higher rents and are easier to evict!

Long-term rents are roughly as follows:

Short-Term Rentals

South Africa has an abundance of self-catering accommodation for short-term rental (i.e. less than three months) – an overabundance in some coastal holiday areas. You can choose from literally thousands of cottages, apartments, villas, bungalows, mobile homes, chalets, and even the odd stately home or castle. Most property is available for holiday lets only, however, particularly during the peak summer season, and little property is let for more than a few weeks: some foreign owners will let their homes for a few months at a time outside peak periods.

A typical holiday rental is a small cottage or self-contained apartment with one or two bedrooms (sleeping two to four and usually including a sofa bed in the living-room), a large living-room/kitchen with an open fire or stove, and a toilet and bathroom. Always check whether a property is fully equipped (which should mean whatever you want it to mean!) and whether it has some sort of heating, preferably central heating, if you’re planning to rent in winter.

Standards vary considerably, from dilapidated, ill-equipped cottages to luxury villas with every modern convenience. Charges are usually levied on a weekly basis (Saturday to Saturday) and vary widely according to the standard, location, number of beds and the facilities provided. For example, a two-bedroom house or apartment in an average area could be rented for R1,150 (£100) per week or less out of season, whereas a similar property in a popular area (e.g. Camp’s Bay) might cost up to seven times as much in high season.