Accommodation in Mauritius: scams you should look out for

One of the key things I have noticed is that houses and flats advertised as "beach front" are not necessarily on the beach (or even particularly close to the beach).  The term "beach-front" seems to be used  loosely to apply to homes in or around any seaside town.  Thus any house in Flic en Flac (for example) may be described as beach front even though the property can be a mile or more from the beach.

My advice is better to come and check for yourself before renting .

Hello All!

As a landlord myself, I am all in for "a list of accredited landlords / real estate agencies"

As far as authorities, I may be wrong, but other than attorney / lawyer, I really don't know of any other recourse at this point in time.

It can be a tricky experience for both parties involved.

For my side, I believe (and this has worked fine for me so far) that truthfulness helps.  No hidden agendas, just plain WYSISWYG, with real conditions on site, advantages and disadvantages of the "accommodation up for rent"
Real life conditions as per what other tenants have told me about what is it to live at that place, they like it or not / or what aspects they liked and disliked.

Also, a list of responsibilities of both parties. 
Clearly mentioned who does what and what to expect kind of thing.

Maybe the post could also be a contribution to the "Renting handbook!"
Best Regards
Razi

You've been lucky Razi.

i have rented several times in Mauritius over 20 years.all landlords blame the tenant if anything goes wrong with the house like electrical , plumbing   anything that is part of normal house maintenance . landlords think the deposit you pay belongs to them . almost impossible to get it back when you finish your lease. do not deal with the landlord at any time after the lease is signed only deal with the agent/agency and put that in the lease that you will contact the agent for any maintenance issues.make sure this is agreed before you sign or pay.the agency will speed up the time taken to fix any problems .

Primmo properties are a good outfit.

Yes, rent a home is big scam in Mauritius. Specially for tourist who are not experienced. Many grey areas:

1. Rent quoted for the same property may differ from agent to agent.
2. Property shown in picture may not be same.
3. Landlords claim damages to grab your deposit amount for some reason and they know well that you have no much time and in hurry to check out country soon.

Always be careful. Check the property yourself before you pay. Ensure you recover your deposit well in advance by giving notice to landlord within notice period and not to pay rent to secure deposit amount.

In same way there are more scams for sale of business or rent a car etc.

Best to be careful.

Every country in the world has scams and bad landlords. Just use common sense and a good agent.

Agree. World is full of Good and bad people both. Depends on what one choose.

hello everyone I fortunately have never had experiences of renting for a long time so I wouldn't dare to comment on topics I don't know.  But of one thing I am sure, that is of the fact that if you don't turn to a real estate agency that can protect you against possible claims of damage or other in the apartment that you rent you will always have big problems of management and other costs in lawyers  and court judgments.  When you have a contract in hand signed by both parties with a "contradictory" declaration attached, you can sleep peacefully.

Sounds like British landlords!

Can someone give me an indication please what is the normal range for an agency fee? (% of value?) And also what is  normal for deposit - 1 month? - 3 months?

Thanks!
Rgs
Karin

Dear Karin,

Please note that the Agencies in Mauritius normally charge a commission fee of "2% of the sale price + VAT" for a Real Estate transaction involving a sale, to the seller as well as the buyer. If it's a rental / lease for a minimum period of 1-year, the Agency charge a commission fee which is "equivalent to one-month rental fee + VAT" to both the landlord and the tenant. If someone rents a property on a long-term basis, he should pay 3-month rent on the date of signatures and they represent the following:

1-month advanced payment - If the client checks-in on the 1st of July, he will make an advanced payment for the whole month of July, on the 1st of July.

1-month deposit payment - This will be reimbursable at the end of the contract if the tenant doesn't break anything and keeps the property in a good condition.

1-month rent (as Agency fee) - This is a payment which the Tenants normally pays to the Agency who offered the service.

This is why some Agencies say 3-month rent payment. Now, in some cases, there are some landlords who insist on obtaining 2-month deposit instead of 1-month deposit, but this is not too common. Should you need any further information, I remain at your disposal. Best regards - Wahid Domun

Globera Properties Mauritius wrote:

Dear Karin,

Please note that the Agencies in Mauritius normally charge a commission fee of "2% of the sale price + VAT" for a Real Estate transaction involving a sale, to the seller as well as the buyer. If it's a rental / lease for a minimum period of 1-year Pls note that 1-year is not standard - there are so many cases I'm aware of wherein 6 months was minimum period.  Point is - it's subject to negotiations.
, the Agency charge a commission fee which is "equivalent to one-month rental fee + VAT" to both the landlord and the tenant That's the most ridiculous part of the system which I'm unable to wrap my head around - you can be a Tenant's Agent or a Landlord's Agent at a particular point in time. By taking commissions from both, the Agent is neither Landlord's Agent nor Tenant's Agent. Unlike in Singapore wherein it's illegal to simultaneously represent the tenant and the landlord if they are seeking to complete a deal on the same piece of property. . If someone rents a property on a long-term basis, he should pay 3-month rent on the date of signatures and they represent the following:

1-month advanced payment - If the client checks-in on the 1st of July, he will make an advanced payment for the whole month of July, on the 1st of July.

1-month deposit payment - This will be reimbursable at the end of the contract if the tenant doesn't break anything and keeps the property in a good condition.

1-month rent (as Agency fee) - This is a payment which the Tenants normally pays to the Agency who offered the service. - Again, subject to negotiations, and not standard.  I've come across umpteen transactions where it's half-month rent VAT inclusive!  (

This is why some Agencies say 3-month rent payment. Now, in some cases, there are some landlords who insist on obtaining 2-month deposit instead of 1-month deposit, but this is not too common. Should you need any further information, I remain at your disposal. Best regards - Wahid Domun

Primmo properties don't charge the tenant

Thanks so much for the guidance. Sounds lucrative to be an agent in MRU it seems. 😊
I hope I will be able to find something soon.
My biggest challenge is furnishing.
I do not want to take my appliances, but I also dont want to leave behind all my other furniture.
Tricky.

Regards
Karin

Hi Karin,
Most rentals are furnished here and it is very hard to find an unfurnished or semi furnished dwelling listed online.
That being said, if you find a place you like, you should try and contact the owner to see if they'd be open to take out some/all furnitures out. That's what we did and it worked out quite nicely ☺️
Sylvestre

Also regarding the fees, you have quite a few companies that post on Facebook groups like Expat Mauritius that advertise rentals and charge no fee at all (they get a deal with the owner instead).

It sound like a congratulation 

hence why it can save a fortune if you find a decent landlord who communicates well.  surely the agent doesnt care for the landlord or the tenant.  he just wants his commission.  As a landlord why should i pay a months rent and as a tenant why should you pay a fortune too. its a win win for the agent!