What a studio in Douala really earns as a rental in 2026

The question comes up every time an owner considers renting a property out: what does it actually earn? The answer usually comes as a gross yield, the annual rent divided by the purchase price. That figure is flattering and it is wrong.

Here is the full calculation, based on rents actually observed in Douala, with the 2026 tax rules that changed this year.

What a studio really rents for in Douala

Start from observed rents, not hoped for ones. Across rental listings published by landlords on Geloka, the median rent for a studio in Douala stands at 90,000 CFA francs per month in August 2026, within a range of 50,000 to 350,000 francs, based on eight listings analysed.

For comparison, the median for an apartment in Douala is 300,000 francs across twenty eight listings, and for a studio in Yaoundé 67,500 francs across twelve. The breakdown by city and property type is published in our rent barometer, updated from active listings.

Use the median rather than the average. A single upmarket furnished unit at 350,000 francs is enough to pull an average upwards and have you build a financing plan on a rent your neighbourhood does not pay.

From advertised rent to cash collected

Between the rent on the listing and the money reaching your account, three items sit in the way, and none of them is optional.

Vacancy. Between two tenants the property earns nothing while the costs continue. One empty month a year is a cautious and realistic assumption for a studio, which turns over faster than a family apartment. Against twelve months of rent, that is already eight percent gone.

Arrears. Even with solid vetting, part of the rent is lost every year: sudden departures, months eaten out of the deposit, end of tenancy arrangements. Five percent of the amount collected is a low assumption. Recovering those sums means a formal notice, a summons by bailiff and a court ruling, a chain that often costs more than the amount at stake. A written lease and numbered receipts are your best protection upstream.

Upkeep. Paint between tenants, taps, locks, wiring: five percent of gross rent is a minimum on an ageing property. Major repairs, roof and structure, are on you and are not in that figure.

What the tax authorities take in 2026

Two levies concern the landlord, and both changed this year.

The rent withholding falls from 15 to 10 percent. The 2026 finance act amended article 87 of the General Tax Code to align this rate with the final rate set out in article 89. Watch the mechanism: this withholding is deducted at source by the tenant when the tenant is a company, which pays it to the tax administration by the 15th of the following month. It is not an extra cost, it is an advance on tax you owe anyway. If your tenant is an individual, there is no withholding and you declare directly.

Property tax becomes progressive. Article C53 of the General Tax Code, reformed by the 2026 finance act, now applies three rates according to the value of the holdings: 0.1 percent below 500 million francs, 0.2 percent between 500 million and one billion, 0.3 percent above. The base is the market value of land and buildings declared on 1 January, the rate applies to the whole value rather than by band, and 10 percent of additional council cents must be added. Declaration and payment by 30 June at the latest.

An individual landlord holding one or two properties stays well inside the first band: 0.1 percent plus the additional cents, so 0.11 percent of the declared value.

The full calculation

Take the median Douala studio at 90,000 francs a month, with a declared value of 20 million francs.

Item	Calculation	Annual amount
Gross rent	90,000 × 12	1,080,000
Vacancy	1 month	- 90,000
Arrears	5 % of amount collected	- 49,500
Upkeep	5 % of gross rent	- 54,000
Rental income tax	10 % of amount collected	- 94,050
Property tax	20 M × 0.1 % × 1.10	- 22,000
Net income		770,450

That leaves 71 percent of the advertised rent. It is the first figure to remember, because it holds steady: whatever the rent, expect three francs in ten never to reach you.

The yield then depends on what the property cost you. We publish rents, not purchase prices, so replace the left column with your own figure.

Purchase price	Gross yield	Net yield
8,000,000	13.5 %	9.6 %
12,000,000	9.0 %	6.4 %
18,000,000	6.0 %	4.3 %
25,000,000	4.3 %	3.1 %

The gap between the two columns is what sellers of rental projects never put in their pitch. A yield advertised at nine percent is worth six and a half.

What actually moves the yield

• The purchase price, above all. Studio rents vary little within one neighbourhood. Purchase prices vary threefold. That is where your yield is decided, not in the 5,000 francs of rent you squeeze out of the tenant.
• How fast you re-let. Going from one empty month to two costs eight percent of annual income. Decent photographs, a rent in line with the neighbourhood and a visible listing beat a rent increase.
• The choice of tenant. Checking a file and writing a lease costs an hour. Six months of arrears costs half a year of income, and the courts will not give it back.
• Small repairs done on time. A leak treated for 30,000 francs becomes a 400,000 franc job if you wait two rainy seasons.
• The number of months demanded upfront. Asking for twelve months in advance sharply narrows your pool of candidates and lengthens vacancy. The trade rarely pays, as we set out in our article on the deposit and advance rent.

Key takeaways

• The median rent for a studio in Douala is 90,000 francs per month in August 2026, across listings published by landlords on Geloka.
• Between vacancy, arrears and upkeep, roughly 71 percent of the advertised rent survives before profitability even enters the conversation.
• The rent withholding fell from 15 to 10 percent with the 2026 finance act. It is not an extra cost, it is an advance on tax due.
• Property tax is now progressive: 0.1 percent below 500 million in holdings, plus 10 percent of additional council cents, payable by 30 June.
• A gross yield of 9 percent corresponds to a net yield of about 6.4 percent. Always reason in net terms.

Tax figures change every year with the finance act: have yours confirmed at your tax centre before building a financing plan.

If you have a property to let, Geloka puts it in front of tenants already searching your neighbourhood, with the rent, the entry terms and a direct line to you, with no middleman.