Shop houses are common throughout Southeast Asia. Combining a retail or commercial space on the ground floor with residential living space upstairs. It is an ideal setup for a small business in Cambodia.
The shop house is a typical building type throughout Southeast Asia, and can be commonly found in the Cambodian capital. When looking for a shop house for rent in Phnom Penh it is best to bare a few things in mind.
Traditionally shop houses are street-facing retail properties with the ground floor devoted to a shop and residential flats on the upper floors. In many cases the street level shop has been converted into another retail outlet such as a bar, restaurant or other walk-in business.
Rental rates vary widely across the Cambodian capital dependent upon the desirability of the area in which you are seeking a shop house for rent in Phnom Penh. Prices on the riverside and along major roads can be especially high.
Many shop houses have been repurposed as retail, restaurant and bar spaces, particularly in popular tourist and residential areas, such as BKK1 and Russian Market.
A shop house can be used as restaurant or bar, small office space, or a small workshop, and so can work for all kinds of businesses
Shop Houses in Borey
Although older shop house buildings can be found in downtown Phnom Penh in areas such as Daun Penh, Olympic, Chamkarmon and Russian Market, newer builds can be discovered along major roads across the country, as well as in borey.
Shop house play an essential commercial role in the latter. The presence of local commercial or retail facilities in borey contributes considerably to the liveability of these mini-communities.
Renting a Whole Shop House
Most of the older shop houses for rent in Phnom Penh have a mixed tenancy on the upper floors, although it is still possible to find some whole buildings available for rent, especially the further you move away from the centre of the city.
The older buildings tend to be a bit dilapidated and in need of renovation, but this should also reduce the rental cost.
If you are specifically looking for a retail outlet in the centre of Phnom Penh you will only be able to rent a ground floor property, due to the mixed tenancy of the buildings.
Buying a Shop House in Phnom Penh
Foreigners are not permitted to buy shop houses in Cambodia.
Any Cambodian looking to buy a shop house in Phnom Penh should note that you will only be able to purchase soft title for any property from the first floor and upwards and this is only possible in certain city centre districts.
