Renting in Casablanca

Casablanca is not short of flats: Avito alone listed 16,776 apartments to rent in the city in October 2026, and on our calculation from the 2024 census about 13.6% of the region's urban homes stood empty for sale or rent. The hard part is price against pay: an unfurnished one-bedroom (locally often a 'studio') in Maârif, Gauthier, Racine or Bourgogne asks MAD 5,500–7,000 a month, while about six in ten jobs declared in the city paid MAD 4,000 or less in 2024, and most central listings are furnished at MAD 7,000–8,500. Budget for a month's rent, one or two months' deposit and a month's agency fee before the keys, and never pay for a flat you have not seen.

Checked 23 October 2026Deposits, contracts and notice periods: Morocco rules

The Hassan II Mosque on the seafront in Casablanca

The situation right now

No official rent index exists for Casablanca. The national statistics office (HCP) publishes a consumer price index for the city whose housing, water and energy group rose 1.1% between August 2025 and August 2026, but a price index follows rents already being paid, which in Morocco can rise only 8% every three years, not asking rents for new lets. Supply looks ample. In the 2024 census, Casablanca-Settat held 24.8% of Morocco's urban dwellings and 25.2% of its vacant ones (empty and meant for sale or rent); against a national vacancy of 13.4%, that puts the region at about 13.6% on our calculation, as the census gives no regional rate. The region also has the country's highest housing deficit (9.3%), driven by slums and overcrowding, not by a shortage of advertised flats.

The figures here are asking rents from our own sample, because no portal publishes a rent series for the city. On Mubawab in October 2026 we read 1,743 adverts in Maârif, Gauthier, Racine and Bourgogne: 73% were furnished. Flats listed with one bedroom (chambre) and 45–75 m², not furnished, had a median asking rent of MAD 6,000 where the advert said 'vide' (17 adverts) and MAD 6,500 across all those not marked furnished (35 adverts, middle half MAD 6,000–7,000). The sample is small, and Mubawab leans towards agency lets and new buildings, so older flats let privately can cost less. Furnished one-beds had a median of MAD 8,000 (468 adverts). Of the 19 adverts that mentioned the building's syndic charge, 16 included it in the rent. Water and electricity are extra and billed by SRM Casablanca-Settat.

These central flats are priced for managers, expatriates and couples on two salaries. In Casablanca prefecture about six in ten jobs declared to the social security fund (CNSS) paid MAD 4,000 gross a month or less in 2024 (OMTPME regional report, 2026), and the CNSS put the national median declared wage at MAD 3,363 and the mean at MAD 6,149 for 2025 (as reported by Aujourd'hui le Maroc). Most local renters live further out, in Hay Hassani, Oulfa, Sidi Bernoussi or Roches Noires, where Avito adverts show two-bedroom flats at MAD 2,800–5,000, or share: Avito had 551 flat-share adverts in Casablanca, with rooms mostly at MAD 1,800–2,500 and usually for women only or men only.

Short lets compete for the same small flats. AirDNA counted 5,038 active short-let listings in Casablanca in mid-2026, up 24% in a year, and the city has limited the building of studios in several districts (about 20% of the units in a building, with a 60 m² minimum floor area), both as reported by TelQuel in July 2026; we did not find the city's own text. A licence for short lets is required but could still not be applied for in May 2026 (see the Morocco page). We found no measured effect of the Africa Cup of Nations (December 2025 to January 2026) or the 2030 World Cup on long-term rents.

With money and a passport, a newcomer can usually find a furnished flat within two to four weeks, and an unfurnished one with a little more patience. Agencies list on Mubawab, Avito, Sarouty and Yakeey and charge the tenant one month's rent, often plus VAT. Much of the cheaper market moves through Avito, Facebook groups and informal brokers (samsar), which is also where advance-payment scams start: Finances News Hebdo described the pattern in Morocco's big cities, Casablanca among them, in January 2026.

Behind the scores

DifficultyManageable

Paperwork is light: an identity document for the lease (a passport works), sometimes proof of income; no guarantor or credit check is documented. Agency adverts ask one month's rent, one or two months' deposit and a month's fee, often plus VAT (Mubawab, 2026-10). 73% of 1,743 central portal adverts are furnished; the cheaper market runs through Avito, Facebook and brokers. Short-let listings rose 24% to 5,038 (AirDNA via TelQuel, 2026-07). Regional vacancy is about 13.6% on our calculation (HCP census, 2024). As of October 2026.

CostOut of reach

Unfurnished one-bed (bedroom plus lounge, 45–75 m²) in Maârif, Gauthier, Racine and Bourgogne: MAD 5,500–7,000, syndic usually included (small Mubawab sample, agency-leaning, 2026-10). No official city wage figure; in the prefecture 61–63% of declared jobs paid MAD 4,000 gross or less (OMTPME, 2024; pay has risen since), so the median is under MAD 3,730 net of CNSS and AMO: above 147–188%. Cross-check: CNSS national mean, MAD 5,716 net (2025, as reported by Aujourd'hui le Maroc): 96–122%. Floor: SMIG, 3,192 net. As of October 2026.

CompetitionSome

No figure exists for days online, enquiries per listing or how fast flats let in Casablanca. Supply is large: Avito listed 16,776 apartments to rent in the city, Mubawab 6,923 and Sarouty 1,347 (2026-10), and about 40 new Avito flat adverts were posted within one hour of our reading. Casablanca-Settat's urban vacancy (homes empty and meant for sale or rent) is about 13.6% on our calculation from the HCP census shares (2024), against 13.4% nationally. No reports of queues or bidding were found. As of October 2026.

Scam riskCommon

No police, prosecutor or court action against rental fraud aimed at flat-hunters in Casablanca or the towns bordering it, and no official warning on rental scams, was found for the last twelve months. Finances News Hebdo (20 January 2026) described the pattern in Morocco's big cities: Facebook and marketplace adverts with borrowed photos, a 'reservation' transfer and a copy of your ID card before any viewing, then silence; a victim lost over MAD 3,000 for a studio in Casablanca. As of October 2026.

White apartment blocks above a line of trees
White apartment blocks above a line of trees

What it costs

TypeTypical asking rentSource
Room in a shared flat (colocation)Our sample: the first page of Avito's flat-share category for Casablanca (551 adverts, read 23 October 2026) had 30 room adverts from MAD 900 to MAD 4,000, median about MAD 2,200, middle half MAD 1,800–2,500. Most were for women only or men only. Cheaper rooms were in Oulfa, Hay Hassani, 2 Mars and Sidi Maârouf (MAD 1,000–2,250); rooms in Maârif, Bourgogne, Belvédère and Casablanca Finance City were MAD 2,700–4,000.MAD 1,800–2,500 a month(€160–230 a month)Avito, flat shares in Casablanca (our sample, 23 October 2026), October 2026
One-bedroom ('studio' in many adverts: bedroom and living room, 45–75 m²), unfurnished, Maârif, Gauthier, Racine, BourgogneOur sample of Mubawab adverts in Maârif, Gauthier, Racine and Bourgogne (read 23 October 2026): flats listed with one bedroom (chambre) and 45–75 m², not furnished, had a median of MAD 6,000 where the advert said 'vide' (17 adverts, middle half MAD 5,500–6,500) and MAD 6,500 for all not marked furnished (35 adverts, middle half MAD 6,000–7,000). A small sample, leaning towards agency lets and new buildings. The syndic charge was usually included. Furnished one-beds in the same quartiers had a median of MAD 8,000 (468 adverts, middle half MAD 7,000–8,500), and MAD 10,000 in Casablanca Finance City. Water, electricity and internet are usually extra.MAD 5,500–7,000 a month(€500–640 a month)Mubawab, apartments to rent by quartier (our sample, 23 October 2026), October 2026
Two-bedroom (3 pièces), unfurnished, Maârif, Gauthier, Racine, BourgogneOur sample: two-bedroom flats of 60–130 m² not marked furnished on Mubawab in the four quartiers had a median of MAD 8,250 (106 adverts, middle half MAD 7,000–10,000) in October 2026. By quartier: Maârif MAD 7,500, Bourgogne Ouest MAD 8,250, Racine MAD 9,000, Gauthier MAD 10,000. Further out the same size costs less: MAD 6,000 in Sidi Maârouf and MAD 2,800–5,000 in Oulfa, Errahma and Roches Noires on Avito.MAD 7,000–10,000 a month(€640–910 a month)Mubawab, apartments to rent by quartier (our sample, 23 October 2026), October 2026

Asking rents on the portals; what people actually pay is often lower for older contracts and higher for furnished short lets. Deposits and what can legally be charged on top are on the Morocco page. The euro values are there to compare cities: rounded, a month, at the exchange rates of 23 October 2026 (how we convert).

An Art Deco building with a corner turret and balconies
An Art Deco building with a corner turret and balconies

Local tips

Gathered from local forums, city subreddits and expat groups, rewritten in our own words. They are what people who have done this say helped; none of it is a guarantee.

  1. Check what a 'studio' means in each advert

    In Casablanca adverts a 'studio' is usually a bedroom with a separate living room and kitchen, around 50 m²: about two in three Mubawab adverts titled 'studio' list 2 pièces, 1 chambre. Some list a single pièce, meaning one main room. Avito counts bedrooms ('chambres') and Mubawab counts rooms ('pièces', living room included), so check both numbers and the floor area before comparing prices. Our rent figures count flats listed with one bedroom, whatever the title.

    Source: Our sample of Mubawab and Avito adverts, October 2026

  2. Search for 'vide' to find unfurnished flats

    About three quarters of central adverts on Mubawab are furnished, and they cost more: a median of MAD 8,000 for a one-bed against MAD 6,000–6,500 unfurnished in Maârif, Gauthier, Racine and Bourgogne (October 2026). If you plan to stay a year or more, search the text for 'vide' or 'non meublé' and ask agents directly, because some unfurnished flats are not flagged in the filters.

    Source: Our sample of 1,743 Mubawab adverts, October 2026

  3. Count three to four months' rent before the keys

    Agency adverts in October 2026 asked for the first month's rent, a deposit of one or two months and an agency fee of one month, often quoted before VAT. For a MAD 6,500 one-bed that is about MAD 19,500–26,000, plus VAT on the fee. The deposit may not exceed two months' rent and must come back within a month of the keys (see the Morocco page). Ask for a receipt that splits deposit, rent and fee.

    Source: Mubawab adverts 8317891, 8413292, 8428354 and 8434565; Morocco page

  4. Ask whether the syndic is in the price

    Most adverts that mention the building's co-ownership charge include it ('syndic inclus'), but some add it on top, for example MAD 300 a month on a MAD 4,600 Belvédère flat. The charge is owed by the owner, and a tenant pays it only if the lease says so (see the Morocco page). Get the answer written into the lease.

    Source: Mubawab adverts 8316887, 8424674, 8404368 and 8372258 (October 2026); Morocco page

  5. Water and electricity: SRM, not Lydec

    Since 1 October 2024 water, electricity and sewerage in Casablanca are supplied by SRM Casablanca-Settat, which replaced Lydec. The commune's own website still gave Lydec's contacts in October 2026, so do not be misled by old pages or landlords. Bring your signed, legalised lease to open the contract in your name.

    Source: Le360, 30 September 2024; casablancacity.ma, Eau et électricité page (read October 2026)

  6. Legalise the lease at your arrondissement

    Have both signatures on the lease legalised at the arrondissement office. It gives the lease a provable date, and you will need the legalised lease to get a residence certificate, which for foreigners is issued by the police (see the Morocco page). Do it before paying the bulk of the money, with the owner present.

    Source: Morocco page; casablancacity.ma, Arrondissements

  7. Choose a flat near the tram or busway

    Casablanca's tram and busway network has 151 stations, with a tram or busway on average every eight minutes, on one ticket. Adverts in Quartier des Hôpitaux (Anoual and Abdelmoumen stops), Belvédère (near Casa Voyageurs station), Oasis and Casablanca Finance City sell tram access, and traffic makes it worth paying for. Check the stop on the network map before a viewing.

    Source: Casatramway & Casabusway, official site (October 2026); Mubawab adverts

  8. Rooms are usually for women only or men only

    Most flat-share adverts on Avito state who may apply: 'pour fille', 'pour homme', 'employé ou étudiant'. Rooms cost about MAD 1,800–2,500 a month (October 2026). Mixed shares are rare, so search with the right words and expect the landlord or main tenant to ask about your work or studies.

    Source: Avito flat-share adverts, Casablanca, October 2026

  9. Students: apply for the cité universitaire in late summer

    The student welfare office ONOUSC runs one hall of residence in Casablanca, on Route d'El Jadida at km 7, and takes applications once a year (20 August to 25 September in 2026). Otherwise students rent rooms or small furnished flats near the faculties, for example in Quartier des Hôpitaux near the Faculty of Medicine, where unfurnished one-beds asked about MAD 6,000 in October 2026.

    Source: ONOUSC, network of halls and 2026–2027 announcement; Mubawab adverts

  10. Ignore claims of a 2026 rent cap

    Some property websites describe a 'new legal framework for 2026' with caps on apartment rents. We found no such law: the starting rent is free and rises are limited to 8% every three years under Law 67-12. The government said in January 2026 that it was studying a 'regulated rent' about 20% below market rents, with no text published as of October 2026 (see the Morocco page).

    Source: Property websites' guides to the 2026 rules (read October 2026); Law 67-12; Morocco page

Neighbourhoods

  • Maârif and Maârif Extension mid-range

    The busy commercial centre around the Twin Center and Boulevard Zerktouni, with shops, offices and old and new blocks side by side. Mubawab had 222 apartments to rent in Maârif in October 2026: furnished one-beds had a median of MAD 7,000, unfurnished ones about MAD 4,000–6,500. Adverts on its western edge give the Ghandi stop of tram line T2 as nearby.

  • Gauthier and Racine higher rents

    Central, leafy and popular with expatriates and young professionals, close to the Parc de la Ligue Arabe and the city's cafés. Gauthier had 533 adverts and Racine 589 on Mubawab (October 2026), about 70–80% furnished: furnished one-beds had medians of MAD 8,000 and MAD 8,500, unfurnished ones about MAD 7,000, and two-beds MAD 9,000–10,000.

  • Bourgogne mid-range

    A dense residential quarter west of the centre, a short walk from the coast road. Bourgogne Ouest and Est had 417 adverts on Mubawab in October 2026; unfurnished one-beds had a median of MAD 6,500 and furnished ones about MAD 7,600, slightly below Gauthier for similar flats.

  • Quartier des Hôpitaux, Belvédère and Mers Sultan mid-range

    Older central districts on or near the tram, around the hospitals and the Faculty of Medicine, Boulevard Abdelmoumen and Casa Voyageurs station. Unfurnished one-beds had a median of MAD 6,000 in Quartier des Hôpitaux (29 adverts) and about MAD 4,500–6,000 in Belvédère and Mers Sultan on Mubawab and Avito (October 2026). Students and people working in the centre look here.

  • Oasis and Californie mid-range

    Quieter residential districts in the south, with villas, newer blocks, Oasis station and tram stops. Oasis had 324 adverts on Mubawab in October 2026, with unfurnished one-beds at a median of MAD 6,500 and furnished ones at MAD 8,000; Californie's unfurnished one-beds were about MAD 6,300 and two-beds MAD 8,000.

  • Casablanca Finance City, Anfa and Aïn Diab higher rents

    The new business district on the old Anfa airport site, plus the coast. CFC had 956 adverts on Mubawab in October 2026, mostly furnished flats in new residences with pools and gyms: furnished one-beds had a median of MAD 10,000, unfurnished ones MAD 9,000 and two-beds MAD 13,000. On the coast at Aïn Diab, furnished one-beds were about MAD 12,000. The tram and busway serve CFC.

  • Sidi Maârouf and Bouskoura mid-range

    The southern business parks, including Casanearshore, and the suburban town of Bouskoura. Sidi Maârouf's unfurnished one-beds had a median of MAD 5,250 and two-beds MAD 6,000 on Mubawab (October 2026). South of the city in Bouskoura, Avito and Yakeey showed two-beds from MAD 3,500 near the station to MAD 6,500 in a gated residence. A car or a long commute is part of the deal.

  • Hay Hassani, Oulfa, Roches Noires and Sidi Bernoussi lower rents

    Large working-class and lower-middle-class districts to the west and east, where most local renters live. Few appear on Mubawab, but Avito showed two-beds at MAD 2,800 in Errahma, MAD 3,500–4,000 in Oulfa and MAD 5,000 in Roches Noires, and one-bed flats from MAD 2,200 in Oulfa (October 2026). Check the commute: tram and busway coverage is thinner.

Rooftops and a slender tower against a sunset sky
Rooftops and a slender tower against a sunset sky

What landlords ask for

Have these ready as PDFs before the first viewing; in Casablanca the flat often goes to whoever sends a complete file first.

  • No law lists what a landlord may ask for, so what follows is what agency adverts and the lease law show. Ask the agent what the owner wants before you go to a viewing.
  • An identity document: the CNIE for Moroccans, a passport or residence card for foreigners. The lease must name each party's identity document (Law 67-12, art. 3). We found no rule requiring a residence card to sign, and several adverts were aimed directly at expatriates.
  • Proof that you can pay, when asked: some adverts in October 2026 stated 'justificatifs de revenus exigés' or asked for a stable income and a solid professional file, which in practice means a work contract, an employer's letter or recent payslips.
  • The money: the first month's rent, a deposit of one or two months (the legal maximum is two) and, through an agency, a fee of one month's rent, often plus VAT.
  • From your side, before paying: the owner's identity and proof that the person can let the flat (a title or a written mandate for an agent). If you are subletting, the main landlord's written consent (see the Morocco page).
  • On signing: a written lease with both signatures legalised, a detailed inventory (état des lieux) signed by both sides, and a receipt for every payment that says what it covers. You need the legalised lease for the SRM contract and for a residence certificate.

Scams typical of Casablanca

Scam risk here is rated 3 of 5. No police, prosecutor or court action against rental fraud aimed at flat-hunters in Casablanca or the towns bordering it, and no official warning on rental scams, was found for the last twelve months. Finances News Hebdo (20 January 2026) described the pattern in Morocco's big cities: Facebook and marketplace adverts with borrowed photos, a 'reservation' transfer and a copy of your ID card before any viewing, then silence; a victim lost over MAD 3,000 for a studio in Casablanca. The general patterns, and what to do if you have already paid, are in the scam guide.

  • Pay to 'reserve' before a viewing

    A flat at a good price is advertised on Facebook or a marketplace, often with real photos used without permission. The 'owner' or 'agent' says many people are interested and asks for a transfer to hold it before any viewing or contract, then disappears. Finances News Hebdo described this pattern in Morocco's big cities in January 2026, including a victim who lost over MAD 3,000 for a studio in Casablanca. Never pay before you have been inside the flat and met the person letting it.

  • A copy of 'their' ID, and a request for yours

    To look genuine, the scammer sends a photo of a national identity card that does not match the person you are dealing with, then asks for a copy of your CIN or passport and a transfer receipt to 'confirm' the booking (Finances News Hebdo, January 2026). Do not send ID documents to anyone you have not met, and check that the name on the owner's papers matches the person who signs.

  • A price far below the quartier

    A furnished one-bed in Gauthier or Racine for MAD 4,000, when similar flats ask about MAD 8,000 (Mubawab, October 2026), is a warning sign, especially with pressure to decide today. Compare the advert with others in the same quartier, run a reverse image search on the photos, and ask for a viewing in person.

  • A sublet with no landlord's consent

    Someone renting the flat offers it to you, or offers a room, without the owner's written consent. Under Law 67-12 the owner can have both of you removed by a court order, and the lease ends (see the Morocco page). Ask to see the main lease and the owner's written consent before you pay.

  • A holiday let presented as a long let

    Daily holiday lets appear in the same Avito feeds as monthly rentals, and some furnished flats are advertised for 'short or medium-term' stays. Lets of 30 days or less fall outside the lease law. Insist on a written lease of more than 30 days, legalised, with the deposit and rent stated, before paying more than the first month.

How long it takes

Allow two to four weeks for a furnished flat and three to six for an unfurnished one. Before you arrive, browse Mubawab and Avito by quartier to learn prices, and book a short stay so you can view in person. In your first week, call several agencies and private owners, and ask each one about the rent, whether the syndic is included, the deposit and the agency fee before any viewing. View flats in person, check the water, the electricity meter and the building's lift, and ask whether the syndic is paid up. When you choose, check the owner's identity and title, negotiate (some adverts say the rent is negotiable), and sign a written lease with an inventory, then legalise both signatures at the arrondissement. Pay by transfer against receipts that split rent, deposit and fee, open your SRM water and electricity contract with the lease, and then apply for a residence certificate. If you are defrauded, report it at once to the police with your messages and transfer receipts, and online through e-Blagh.

Where to get help

  • e-Blagh (national police, DGSN)The national police platform for reporting illegal content and behaviour online, including fraud. Use it for fake rental adverts and scam profiles; for a loss, also file a complaint at a police station or with the public prosecutor.
  • Mahakim: courts portal (Ministry of Justice)Tenancy disputes, such as a deposit not returned, a notice to vacate or a rent increase, go to the court of first instance where the flat is (see the Morocco page). This is the Ministry of Justice's portal for the courts. There is no rent tribunal or tenants' union in Casablanca, so most people use a lawyer.
  • Adala: Ministry of Justice legal databaseFree official texts of Law 67-12 on residential leases and the other laws behind the rules on this page and the Morocco page.
  • Commune de Casablanca: arrondissementsThe city's 16 arrondissements are where signatures are legalised, the step that gives a lease its provable date. Find the office for your district here and check its opening hours before you go with the landlord.

Questions people ask about renting in Casablanca

How much does a one-bedroom flat cost in central Casablanca?

In Maârif, Gauthier, Racine and Bourgogne, unfurnished one-bedroom flats of 45–75 m² asked MAD 5,500–7,000 a month on Mubawab in October 2026, with the syndic usually included; furnished ones had a median of MAD 8,000. In Casablanca Finance City furnished one-beds were about MAD 10,000. In Oulfa, Hay Hassani or Roches Noires, Avito showed flats from MAD 2,200 to MAD 5,000.

How much money do I need on signing?

Usually three to four months' rent: the first month, a deposit of one or two months and, through an agency, a fee of one month, often plus VAT (agency adverts, October 2026). For a MAD 6,500 flat that is about MAD 19,500–26,000 plus VAT on the fee. The deposit may not exceed two months' rent and must be returned within a month of handing back the keys (Law 67-12, art. 20).

Can I rent before I have a residence card?

Yes, in practice. The lease must name each party's identity document (Law 67-12, art. 3), and we found no rule requiring a residence card; agency adverts in October 2026 were aimed directly at expatriates. Some landlords ask for proof of income, such as a work contract or payslips. Keep the legalised lease: you need it for the residence certificate.

Is the syndic included in the advertised rent?

Usually, but check. Of the Mubawab adverts in our October 2026 sample that mentioned it, 16 of 19 included the syndic; others added it, for example MAD 300 a month. The co-ownership charge is the owner's unless the lease puts it on the tenant (see the Morocco page), so have the answer written into the lease.

Will the 2030 World Cup push rents up?

We found no figures showing it yet. Short-let listings in Casablanca grew 24% to 5,038 in a year (AirDNA, as reported by TelQuel in July 2026), so the pressure so far is on small furnished flats, which are increasingly let to visitors. The city's consumer price index for housing, water and energy rose only 1.1% in the year to August 2026 (HCP), but it follows rents already being paid. The short-let licence could still not be applied for in May 2026 (see the Morocco page).

Sources for this page (33)

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