Renting a Flat in Dhaka: What to Check Before You Sign
Most people view a flat for fifteen minutes, in daylight, on a day the water happens to be running. Then they live with the decision for two years.
This is the list worth working through before you commit.
1. Visit at the worst hour, not the best
Ask to see the flat between 7 and 9 in the evening. That is when the building is full, the lift queue is longest, the kitchen smells of every floor reach the stairwell, and the street noise peaks. A flat that is pleasant then is pleasant always.
2. Water — run every tap yourself
Do not accept "water is fine". Open the kitchen tap and both bathroom taps at once and watch the pressure. On the fifth floor and above, ask specifically:
What hours is the pump run?
Is there a reserve tank, and when was it last cleaned?
Has the building had a WASA supply problem this year?
Weak water pressure is the single most common reason tenants leave early.
3. Lift and generator — ask what runs during load-shedding
Buildings often have two lifts and a generator that powers only one. Ask which one, and whether the generator covers flats or only common areas. "Full generator backup" and "generator backup" mean very different things in practice.
4. Gas line — whose name, and is it legal
A Titas connection registered to the building is normal. An unregistered or shared line is a risk you inherit. Ask to see a recent bill, and check the name on it matches the owner.
5. Parking — written into the agreement or it does not exist
Verbal parking promises evaporate. If a space is included, the agreement must name it: which slot, for how many vehicles, and whether it is covered.
6. Who actually owns the flat
Ask to see the owner's NID and a document showing ownership. If you are dealing with a caretaker or a relative, ask for written authority to let. Paying advance to someone with no authority is the most expensive mistake in this list.
7. The service charge — what it covers and who sets it
Find out the amount, what it includes (lift, guard, cleaning, generator fuel, water bill), how often it has risen, and whether it is paid to the owner or to a flat-owners' association.
8. Mobile signal and internet
Check your own phone's signal inside the flat, not on the balcony. Ask which ISPs have a line into the building — in many areas only one or two do.
9. The agreement must say these things
Monthly rent, and the date it is due
Advance paid, and exactly how and when it is returned
Any annual increase, as a stated percentage or amount
Notice period on both sides
Who pays for which repairs
Service charge and utility responsibility
Both parties sign every page. You keep an original, not a photocopy.
10. Photograph everything on day one
Every room, every fitting, both meters with their readings, and every existing crack or stain. Email the set to yourself and to the owner on the day you move in. When the advance is being settled two years later, this is the only evidence that matters.
Questions renters ask
Should I pay anything before seeing the papers?
No. A token to "hold" a flat before you have seen proof of ownership is money you may not see again.
Is a broker necessary?
No. On HomeNet listings come from owners, so the person showing you the flat is the person who can agree the terms.
What if the owner refuses a written agreement?
Treat it as a decision, not an obstacle. An owner unwilling to put the terms in writing is telling you how disputes will go.
Browse flats to rent and message the owner directly with the questions above before you spend an afternoon travelling.