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Long-term rental marketplace in Dakar

Rent in Dakar — no agency, no scams.

Lokat connects property owners and tenants in Dakar directly. Verified listings, secure payment via Wave and Orange Money, and zero agency commission for tenants.

I'm looking to rent I own a property
  • Zero agency commission
  • Verified listing
  • Wave / Orange Money
  • Auto rent receipt

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Verified apartment, Almadies

Verified apartment, Almadies

Rental ads wall in Dakar — the informal rental market

The current market

Renting in Dakar today is rolling the dice.

Three problems show up in nearly every Dakar rental story — for tenants and owners alike.

  • Phantom listings

    Stolen photos, fake prices, apartments that don't exist, agents asking for a deposit before the visit. Free marketplaces are full of them.

    Sources: scam reports on Coin Afrique · Facebook Marketplace

  • Cash everywhere

    Rent paid in cash, no receipt, no record. The month it goes wrong, neither tenant nor owner has any proof in front of a judge.

    Senegalese law: rent receipt (quittance) is mandatory

  • Zero legal protection

    Verbal lease, unregulated deposits, ignored notice periods, condition reports never signed. When conflict comes, both sides lose.

    Decree 2023-382 · 2-month max deposit on residential rentals

How Lokat works

Four steps, no nasty surprises.

Same process for everyone — both tenants and owners are protected at each step.

The Lokat app — verified listing with Wave payment

  1. Verified listing

    The owner provides their property document and ID. Our team verifies the documents and confirms the property exists before the listing goes live.

    Timeframe: 48 hours

  2. Live video tour

    An interested tenant requests a visit. A Lokat agent goes on site with their phone and runs the tour live, in real time, on demand.

    Timeframe: On demand

  3. Lease signed online

    Lease compliant with Decree 2023-382, digital condition report, e-signature on both sides. The contract is legally valid.

    Timeframe: 24–48 hours

  4. Rent via Wave / Orange Money

    Automatic monthly payment, never cash. Receipt generated and sent for every transfer. Owner gets paid, tenant is protected.

    Timeframe: Every month

Why you can trust us

Trust isn't a slogan — it's a mechanism.

Here is exactly what Lokat verifies, secures, and automates — and who is behind the platform.

  • Direct marketplace

    Owners and tenants connect directly. Zero commission on the tenant side — that's our principle.

  • Real video tour

    A Lokat agent on site with their phone, on your request.

  • ID verified (CNI)

    Both parties verified via Smile ID.

  • Wave / Orange Money payment

    Rent paid via mobile money, never cash. Every transaction is traceable.

  • Automatic rent receipt

    Receipt (quittance) generated and emailed for every payment.

Pricing

Free for property owners. Zero commission for tenants.

No signup fee, no subscription, no agency commission. Lokat charges 2% only on rent that is actually collected through the platform — on the owner side. Tenants pay nothing to Lokat.

Portrait of the founder of Lokat

Krishnan Shankar

Founder · Lokat

I arrived in Dakar over 5 years ago and have rented apartments myself across several neighborhoods — Almadies, Mermoz, Plateau. Every move, the same circuit: an opaque agency, one month of commission, and no one answering the phone after the lease was signed.

Lokat is my answer to that circuit. A platform where landlord and tenant talk directly, without a middleman pocketing 30 % of one month's rent — with the protections (verified ID, Wave payment, automated receipts) an agency no longer even provides.

Partnership Lokat operates in partnership with a licensed Senegalese real estate firm (Carte Professionnelle, Decree 83-423). Partner announcement coming soon.

Waitlist · Early access

Be among the first to use Lokat.

Free signup. You will be notified the moment we open in early access, with priority access to Dakar's first verified listings.

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Frequently asked

Everything you want to know before renting or listing.

If a question is missing, write to us — we will add it.

How does Lokat verify a Dakar rental listing?
Before any listing goes live, Lokat requires three things from the owner: (1) a valid property document (title deed, lease, attestation), (2) their ID (CNI or passport) verified via Smile ID, and (3) a live video tour by our local agent confirming the property exists and matches the photos. If one of the three is missing, the listing does not go through. This is what filters out the phantom listings that circulate on free marketplaces.
How does rent payment via Wave or Orange Money work?
When the lease is signed, the tenant registers their Wave or Orange Money number. Each month, on the agreed date, an automatic reminder is sent. The tenant validates the payment from their phone, the owner immediately receives the amount minus a 2% Lokat fee, and an official rent receipt is generated and emailed to both parties. No cash changes hands. Everything is traceable and compliant with Senegal's Electronic Transactions Law (Law 2008-08).
How much does Lokat cost for a property owner?
Signup is completely free. No subscription, no listing fees, no hidden costs. Lokat charges 2% only on rent that is actually collected through the platform. If your unit is vacant, you pay nothing. If the tenant doesn't pay, you pay nothing. Our incentives are aligned with yours: we only earn when you do.
How much should I budget to rent an apartment in Dakar with Lokat?
With Lokat, you pay only two things upfront: (1) the first month's rent, (2) the deposit set by the property owner (between 1 and 2 months' rent maximum, per Decree 2023-382 — the owner decides the exact amount within that legal cap). Zero agency commission — that's the Lokat principle: we connect property owners and tenants directly, without a middleman taking 0.5 to 1 month's rent the way traditional agencies do. For a monthly rent of 850,000 CFA, that means you save between 425,000 and 850,000 CFA in agency fees compared to a traditional agency. On the owner side, you also pay nothing at signup: Lokat charges 2% only on rent actually collected through the platform.
What happens if the tenant pays rent late?
Lokat automatically sends the tenant a reminder on the due date, then again 3 and 7 days later if payment hasn't arrived. Beyond that, the owner can trigger an official formal notice (mise en demeure) directly from their dashboard, using a template compliant with Senegalese law. If non-payment persists, Lokat can help build the case file for an eviction action before the small-claims court, drawing on timestamped receipts and reminder records.
What is the legal notice period to terminate a lease in Senegal?
For an unfurnished residential lease, the legal notice period is 3 months on the tenant side and 6 months on the owner side, per Decree 2023-382. For a furnished lease, it's 1 month tenant-side and 3 months owner-side. Notice must be given in writing (registered letter or email with delivery receipt). Lokat provides a compliant notice template in every user's dashboard.
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