بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Nearly three weeks after arriving in Egypt, al-hamdulillah I and three others have finally managed to find a flat to rent in Alexandria. The flat-hunting process is definitely no picnic, especially for four girls looking to share together; this year it also seems to have been more difficult to find something suitable than in previous years. This is because, or so the simsars (brokers) tell us, demand for renting in Alexandria has increased due to the large number of Syrians and Libyans in the country. The situation in Syria has also probably led to an increase in foreign students coming to study in Egypt, as Damascus was one of the more popular destinations for the year abroad.
The locations in which we were able to search for flats were also limited this year by the conditions imposed last minute by the University of Alexandria, resulting in our studies being transferred to the Alexandria Centre for Languages. Their office is situated ten minutes behind the University; however the actual centre is a 45 minute bus journey away. The bus pick-up point is at the office at 8:45am, so to avoid two long journeys in the morning the immediate area around the office is the best place to look for flats. I'm still not 100% sure of all the districts of Alexandria, but I think this covers Azarita, Shallalat and Mahattat ar-Raml. So dashed were my dreams of a flat with a sea view... c'est la vie!
The location was the first restricting factor, then our number was the second. Unlike Cairo, where there is a variety of flat sizes and shapes to suit particular tastes, the Alexandrian standard seems to be two- or three-bedrooms. The four of us were ideally looking for a room each, although we eventually resigned ourselves to the fact that two of us may have to share. In the end, we managed to find a three-bedroom place with a small reception room suitable enough to convert into a bedroom, although it remains to be seen how well the single bathroom works out...
This doesn't mean there are NO four- or even five-bedroom flats in Alexandria, but after a lot of exhausting searching and brokers who will test your patience until you forget that you ever had any, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was the case. Even when you discover a palace for a reasonable price, with five bedrooms and three bathrooms, as another group from our course did, there will be glitches. This particular 'glitch' came in the form of a very fat, angry Egyptian neighbour armed with three dogs, CCTV and a penchant for marble. He appears to have a great deal of power of intimidation and unfortunately, the group now have to search for another flat.
The only advantage of this long process where brokers will insist on showing you everything they have to offer, regardless of whether it suits your criteria or not, is the opportunity for learning the colloquial dialect. By hearing the same conversations, the same problems and the same selling tactics, you become familiar with all things 'flats.' A useful vocabulary list can also be found here to get started.
The broker system here is similar to, but less organised than, a network of estate agents. We were assured that the best way to approach finding a flat was to simply ask the doorman of 'any nice-looking building.' While this approach may or may not be the best way, there is probably few other options. A doorman may or may not put you in touch with a simsar who will then expect a fee if you rent one of the flats which they've shown to you. This fee should not be extortionate, but they will try their luck, especially with foreigners. If anyone does get unnecessarily pushy and intimidating, mentioning the police apparently calms them down a bit! The bawaab (doorman) will usually expect a small fee also. We had the pleasure of knowing a really honest and helpful doorman called Kareem, who is definitely one of the people I'll remember from this year and I hope we see more of him.
I needed some distance after this heavy flat-hunting experience, so I've come back to Cairo for a few days before our formal start at the centre on the 27th September - photos of the flat will soon follow! It's a lovely old building opposite the Saudi Consulate; but unfortunately it is on the 3rd (technically 6th) floor with no asanseir (elevator) and only one bathroom. The family renting it have lived there for fifteen years and never rented before, so it feels a bit like living in someone else's home but I'm sure after a couple of weeks we will make it our own. I'm paying £150 approx. a month for the converted reception/bedroom, which is probably a little more than the average price you'd expect to pay in Alexandria for a flat without a sea view. We also viewed a flat with a sea view, overlooking the library for 6000 EGP, which is approximately £600. Prices this year are also a bit higher than previous years, I'm guessing due to increased demand. Still after a year here I know I'm going to cry at the prices back home in England!
