The majority of Omani property is rented unfurnished, whether it be a grand villa or a modest studio apartment.
‘Unfurnished’ might mean only the barest of essentials but is more likely to include a kitchen unit, curtain rails and lighting fixtures. It could also mean semi-furnished, with kitchen equipment, a cooker, refrigerator and washing machine. In most cases, furnished apartments include a television aerial socket with access to local stations and probably BBC and CNN via satellite. You might also have access to other networks and movie channels, although you might have to pay for them. There’s also fully furnished property on the market, but it is harder to find and of course is more expensive.
Renting accommodation in Oman is a straightforward, well-established practice. Major international companies with trading links in the region often fund long-term leases on properties for their staff. If you have to find your own accommodation, your sponsor and his staff will invariably help. There’s considerable variety in all price bands, so it´s usually possible, if not easy, to find the exact kind of property you want.
Once you settle on a budget, you need to decide on the location of the property, weighing the importance of access to your place of work. Oman’s cities are small by international standards and driving times between home and work are short, usually without substantial traffic jams.
There are a number of ways to find a rental property in Oman. You should try the following: