What to look for when you verify the home before your rent it in Gambia?
As a foreigner, we strongly suggest you to select a property inside of a safe and private estate first. 

Everybody have their preferences of course but it usually comes with security guards at the entrance of each gates. 

We strongly suggest you to have 1 or more dogs in your compound.
Do not take for granted that living in the private estate is enough.
Choosing a house or even an apartment with windows bars can be a deal breaker for many because in some neighborhood there have been many burglaries. The burglars tend to enter through the windows even if you live in the first or second floor of an apartment building. A private compound should also have barbed wires in order to slow down or totally stop any burglars. 

 

In reality with experience we would say it helps but having dogs is much more effective in pushing away burglars. When you choose a dog remember the burglars are more scared of foreign dogs such as pitbulls compared 
to local dogs. The foreign dogs usually cost couple of times more but it helps a lot especially if you live alone. Having a foreign dog is the first and best security advice. 
Of course,  even if Gambians can be very friendly with foreigners do not confuse a smile with good intentions so choose carefully who you allow to come in your property.  

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The Gambia is not really reputed for extreme crimes such as mafias, gangs, terrorism but taking precautions to avoid burglaries or other violent crimes is very important. Learn from the experience of others. When you choose a house couple of streets away from the main highway please remember that during the
rainy season many inside roads might be filled with water and make it harder for you to circulate. Even if you purchase a vehicle consider buying a 4x4 that is a bit high.

When you rent a property make sure you have more then one witness when you sign the contract.

Getting in contact with the real owner is very essential to avoid some horror stories where the owner never got paid and the tenant had to leave. Most people don't believe it to worth it financially but even for a rental you can pay a lawyer to secure the transaction. One of the ways to get the real owner name without a lawyer is to look at the Nawec or cash power number. When you go to the office to pay the electric bill they should provide you the owner name. It usually work but not a 100%.

 

It is very important in a rental contract to list and detail the condition of the property before you enter.  By example if the walls are dirty and not freshly painted you must write it. If some windows are not working well, or some locks, note and write everything in the contract.  It is important in order to avoid having an important bill when you are leaving.  It is common to be sued by a property owner even for as low as 100$ usd. 

Is it common that the tenant pays to paint when they are leaving the property? 
It is not standard in Gambia but when it states ''You must bring the property in the same condition you left it'' it can be interpreted in many ways. As a foreigner you must be very specific in the contract or else you might have more legal responsibilities. 

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As a tenant you need to know your rights. The owner or his representative cannot visit the house without a prior confirmation or taking an appointment with you. Even if they show up suddenly you are not forced to open the door and allow them to enter. 

One trick that can save you a lot of issues is to make sure in your contract that the representative of the landlord is financially responsible to pay you the balance if they cancel the contract for any reason.  We specify that from experience on the ground because most owners are leaving outside of the country.
It is better to deal with a representative who is financially responsible of their actions. 

Many might not accept such clause but it is worth it to try to enforce it.

There is good and bad tenant such as good and bad landlords so take the right precautions. At Kama Heritage, with years of experience, we do our best to protect the interest of both parties by being fair, honest and very straightforward.

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We are providing these informations free of charge with no warranties of exactitude
and always suggest anybody to use an official lawyer and/or a practitioner in ANY real estate transaction.