Finding an apartment in Sihanoukville is not as big of a challenge as one would think. Even if you are a foreigner that doesn’t speak Khmer, but only English. The locals, especially businessmen and salespeople, are quite fluent in English, so the language is no issue.
How to Find Apartments for Rent in Sihanoukville?
Sihanoukville apartments for rent can be found in the classified ads via Facebook groups, local notice boards, online ads, or through a real estate agency.
However, the more important questions are; where you want to live, what are your preferences in terms of living conditions, as well as what’s your budget?
Types of Available Apartments & Rental Prices
Sihanoukville is not as big as Phnom Penh, but there is a quite good selection of available apartments for rent. Their real estate market is growing at a top pace, and new apartment units are built continuously.
As a result, there are apartments in all sizes and levels of comfort, from one-bedroom studios to super-luxury condos.
Rental prices start at $300 per month to over $1,000 for the luxurious apartments. The farther the apartment is from the city center, the lower the rent is, and vice versa. On average, one can find quite a decent apartment for $300 to $400, plus the utility bills.
Sihanoukville Neighborhoods
If you are interested in being near the banks and the markets, then you want to look for apartments in downtown. Therefore, focus on Central Sihanoukville and Victoria Beach.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to be too close to the city action, you might want to scout for apartments at Otres Village and the beaches.
Lease Contracts
The lease contracts are the single most important document when renting an apartment or any other place in Cambodia. The best thing about lease contracts is that you can add clauses or ask for one to be removed. Plus, they can be made for a fixed amount of time, month by month, of year by year.
In case of a dispute, you can’t rely too much on the courts. Instead, you will likely need to go through a mediation process. The mediation process is conducted through the local Sangkat (commune) office.
If a dispute occurs, it is your lease agreement that you can rely on most. That is why it is super important to add clauses that protect you from eviction, a sudden rent increase, apartment maintenance, and so on.
Final Words
Besides, make sure that you rent from a landlord that is both reasonable and honest. If needed, ask around, see what the neighbors have to say about him. If possible, even talk to some of the people that lived there before you.
Last but not least, make sure that your apartment is connected to a backup power generator. That way, your AC won’t stop running in the case of a blackout. Thing is sleeping at night in Sihanoukville without AC is close to impossible.