Qatar's office, home rentals remain stable in Q1 

(MENAFN) A report issued by property consultant Asteco showed that Qatar's office and residential rentals remained stable during the first quarter, Arab News reported.

The report said that most of the demand continued to be for offices ranging between 100 and 500 square meters on a fully fitted basis at secondary-prime rental levels. This segment of the market is relatively under supplied.

Modern, good quality, functional office space available on a fully or partially fitted basis in this size range is comparatively scarce compared to prime, shell and core offices of 650 to 800 square meters, the report found.

The report also found that residential rental transactions improved significantly during the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter 2011, partly due to a number of established Qatari companies changing their housing policies by allowing employees to take direct leases with landlords, rather than employer-owned accommodation.

The location most in demand was the Pearl-Qatar, which remains to be Doha's prime development for expatriates, as new amenities are delivered and rental levels remain competitive in comparison to other locations.

Demand for one- and two-bedroom apartments was especially strong in Pearl-Qatar.