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Furnished Apartments for Rent in Dakar (Point E)

Apartments

There is one thing to understand about Point E before you look at a single listing: here, you almost never rent an apartment in a building. The neighborhood was built as low-rise villas on tree-planted plots, and what is called a "furnished apartment" usually means a floor of a house, a wing or an outbuilding — with a separate entrance, sometimes a patch of garden, almost always a tree outside the window.

That completely changes the list of questions to ask. The criteria for a building — elevator, property management, shared charges, a building caretaker — don't apply. The ones that matter are those of a shared house: whether the entrance is independent, whether the meter is, how the gate works, and who else lives on the plot.

A villa floor, not an apartment

Point E is one of the few neighborhoods in Dakar where you walk in the shade. The streets are tree-lined, the buildings are low, and traffic is calm because no major road runs through it. It is a long-established residential neighborhood of detached houses, many of which have been divided over the years to take in tenants.

The result is a very particular kind of rental. You get space, light, often a terrace or a small garden, and a calm that neither the Plateau nor the city's main roads can offer. In return, there is no elevator, no building services and none of the standardization that comes with them — every unit is its own layout, and two listings in the same neighborhood can't be compared line by line.

Four questions settle most of it, and it's best to ask them straight away to the owner, whose contact details you get as soon as you book. Is the entrance truly independent, or do you go through a shared space? Is the electricity meter separate, or is electricity split between occupants — in which case, ask how? Who else lives on the plot, and does the owner live on site? And how does the gate work: caretaker, key, hours?

These answers shape your day-to-day life far more than the floor area does. An independent garden-level unit with its own meter has nothing in common with a floor you reach by walking through the owners' living room, even if both listings say "60 m² furnished".

What a furnished rental in Point E really is

Villa floor with a separate entrance — the most common layout. Two to four rooms, generous space, a terrace or balcony. It's the best the neighborhood offers when the independence is real.

Garden-level unit — with direct access to a patch of garden, which is rare and valuable in Dakar. A format much sought after by families with young children; check for damp during the rainy season (hivernage).

Outbuilding or courtyard studio — a separate structure at the back of the plot, often the most affordable option in the area for a single person.

Small building of four to six units — they exist, in limited numbers, and come closer to the standard product, with separate meters and a shared caretaker.

Everyday life in the neighborhood

Point E sits in a central position, between the university and the corniche, and much of it is lived on foot. It's an area of restaurants, small local spots and low-key neighborhood life, busy in the evening with Dakar residents themselves — a marked contrast with the administrative center, which empties out.

The proximity of the university and major health facilities explains a good share of the demand for furnished rentals here: visiting lecturers, researchers, medical interns, PhD students, academic assignments. It's a neighborhood where you meet many stays of three to twelve months.

For getting around, you are central without being on a main road: it's comfortable to live in, and it means walking a few minutes to find a taxi at busy times. You can reach the rest of the city in every direction without going through the worst of the traffic jams.

One last thing to know: the neighborhood is calm, but it isn't silent. The plots adjoin each other, the gardens are open, and you hear life from one house to the next. That's part of its charm, and it's also what surprises people coming from an apartment building.

Staying several months

The trees make a real difference in the hot season. From March to June, a shaded home in Point E is much more bearable than a south-facing apartment in the concrete city center, and the greenery noticeably lowers the perceived temperature.

From July to October, the rainy season makes the neighborhood very green and very humid. That's when the question of damp really arises for garden-level units: ask how the home holds up in that season — it's a normal question and the owner will answer it frankly.

From November to May, the dry season is the best time, with cool mornings and mild evenings under the trees.

Availability follows the academic calendar: furnished rentals free up and get taken again around the start of each academic term, so book ahead if your dates fall around September.

Good to know & booking

One tip specific to this type of home: ask for photos of the access, not just the interior. The gate, the path, the outside staircase, the front door — that's where you can see how independent a villa floor really is, and it's what no listing shows on its own.

The neighborhood and its surroundings suit long stays well: Senegalese cooking classes are a good way in when you have a real kitchen, dyeing and batik workshops are nearby, and food evenings are part of life in the area.

This page groups the furnished rentals in Point E. For a home in an apartment building with more standard features, see the furnished apartments in Mermoz, just to the north. If you'd rather be welcomed and looked after than be fully independent, the guesthouses in Dakar cover that need. And the full offering is on the page of apartments for rent in Dakar.

You pay 20% of the total online to secure the home, then the balance to the owner on arrival, most often in cash. Since many owners live on the plot, the direct relationship starts as soon as you book, and that's precisely what lets you sort out access and meter questions before you arrive. Monthly discounts are negotiated with the owner. The tourist tax is added to the rate: allow 1,000 FCFA per person per night, paid on site to the owner. Senegal Rent does not collect it; the information is given for your budget.

Cancellation is free up to 7 days before arrival in low season (June 1 – October 31) and 14 days in high season (November 1 – May 31); after that the booking is firm and the 20% is non-refundable. A booking canceled within 24 hours of confirmation is fully refunded if arrival is more than seven days away. Last-minute bookings are firm as soon as they are confirmed, with one change of dates possible up to 48 hours before. If the owner cancels, we offer you an equivalent home in Point E, Fann or Mermoz, or refund all fees. The resident rate is shown on each listing for residents of Senegal and the Senegalese diaspora, on an account verified after a phone call.

Who is it for?

University and research stays, which the proximity of the campus and major health facilities naturally brings here, often for three to twelve months.

Families with young children, for whom a garden-level unit with a bit of outdoor space is better than a floor with no balcony, even a larger one.

Those looking for calm without leaving the center: Point E is one of the few places in Dakar where you get both at once.

And long stays that want life around them: the neighborhood is busy in the evening with Dakar residents themselves, which makes a big difference when you settle in for several months.

Frequently asked questions