Real estate in Saint-Louis

Neighbourhoods and property types in Saint-Louis

The island of Saint-Louis is the historic core. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is divided into the North and South districts around Place Faidherbe. Its orthogonal street plan and colonial architecture (balconied houses, galleries, tiled roofs) are protected by the Safeguarding and Enhancement Plan (PSMV) enacted by presidential decree n° 2008-694 of 30 June 2008. The plan is binding on third parties and regulates works, construction and development on the island (World Heritage zone), the quays, the Faidherbe bridge and the buffer zones (river, Langue de Barbarie, Sor banks). Any purchase or renovation project on the island must therefore be checked with the municipal services and, where applicable, a building permit or planning certificate obtained.

Nearby, Guet Ndar is a densely populated fishing village between the island and the Langue de Barbarie. Sor lies on the mainland south of the bridge. Further east, the Gol area hosts new office and mixed-use developments. Listings in Saint-Louis focus mainly on older houses, peripheral land and, increasingly, office space in these expanding zones.

Land title and property transfer in Senegal

Property in Senegal is governed by law n° 2011-07 of 30 March 2011 on the land tenure regime, which replaced the 26 July 1932 decree. The system is based on the land title and the land registry, which guarantee real rights. Every sale must be executed through an authentic deed drawn up by a notary, followed by registration in the land book.

Transfer costs include registration duties and transfer taxes set by the General Tax Code, notary's fees calculated on a sliding scale under decree n° 2006-1366 of 8 December 2006, plus land registry and publication fees. The notary provides a detailed estimate before the deed. Buyers should request a search of real rights at the land registry and a planning certificate for land intended for construction.

Renting: tenant and landlord rights

Residential leases in Senegal fall under the Code of Civil and Commercial Obligations (COCC). Decree n° 2023-382 of 24 February 2023, published in the Official Gazette n° 7605 of 28 February 2023, strictly caps entry costs for leases up to 500 000 FCFA per month. The security deposit is limited to two months' rent: one month payable on entry, the second spread over twelve monthly instalments. Rent is payable in arrears, no advance may be demanded, and agency fees are capped at half a month's rent. Above that threshold, no statutory deposit cap has been identified; the amount remains contractual.

The COCC requires written residential leases to run for at least three years, otherwise they are reclassified as indefinite-term leases. Notice must be served by bailiff. The 2023 decree sets no legal deadline for refunding the deposit: this gap makes it essential to write one into the contract and to carry out a contradictory move-in and move-out inventory. Disputes may be brought before the National Rent Regulation Commission (CONAREL), created by decree n° 2023-446 of 1 March 2023.

This answer is general and is not personal advice: before you commit, have your situation checked by a notary or a lawyer practising in Senegal.

Due diligence before committing

On the island, buyers and tenants must check whether the property lies in a PSMV-restricted zone and that the owner holds the necessary works permits. In riverside districts such as Guet Ndar and Sor, urban pressure and flood risk from the Senegal River and the Langue de Barbarie mean drainage and coastal defence works should be investigated. For peripheral land, a surveyor's boundary mark and a land-registry title check are essential.

On Imonga

Imonga lists new developments in Saint-Louis, including office space in Le Gol and residential projects. Read the Saint-Louis property guide for a deeper market overview, or compare it with the Dakar guide for regional context.