Ayat Condominium

Ayat condominium is the name people use for the government housing sites around Ayat, at the eastern end of the Addis Ababa light rail. The area holds several sites, from older low-rise blocks to 40/60 towers of up to 15 storeys. This page is about the government condominium sites. It is not about Ayat Real Estate, the private developer that gave the area its name.

Where the Ayat sites are

Ayat is in Lemi Kura sub-city, which the city formed in 2020 from parts of Bole and Yeka. Older papers say Bole Ayat or Bole Hayat. Listings use many local names for the sites:

• Ayat Chefe condominium. South-east of Ayat Square. OpenStreetMap places it at about 9.011 N, 38.895 E. A second Ayat Chefe site lies further south.
• Ayat 5 (Ayat Amest) condominium. West of Ayat Chefe, near the Ayat Zone 5 health center.
• Bole Ayat 40/60 site 3. Next to Ayat Chefe.
• Ayat 49. A 40/60 site with tall blocks. Listings often call it "Ayat 49 condominium". One listing calls it Ayat 1 site 3.
• Ayat 2 and Ayat site 4. Listed as 40/60 sites with units up to the 12th floor.

OpenStreetMap also marks residential zones named Ayat Zone 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 around the station.

Getting there

The Ayat light rail station is the eastern end of the east-west line. Trains run west through CMC and Megenagna to the city centre. Ayat Chefe is about 3 km south-east of the station.

OpenStreetMap lists these routes to Ayat Chefe Condominium:

• Anbessa city buses to Megenagna (AB049), 6 Kilo (AB083) and Legehar (AB061)
• Minibus taxis to Megenagna and 22 Mazoria
• Minibus taxis from Ayat to Bole Arabsa

History and housing programs

First-phase sites. A study of Bole sub-city, using data from the housing development design office, lists Bole Ayat 1 with 2,644 units and Bole Ayat 2 with 1,081 units. At the time of the survey, no one lived at Bole Ayat 2 yet. The road to Bole Ayat 1 was already asphalted. Both sites had more open space per resident than other sites in the sub-city.

40/60 sites. In 2015, the city listed two large 40/60 sites in Ayat. Bole Hayat had 133 blocks and 8,932 houses, under a contract from May 2014. Bole Hayat 2 had 50 blocks and 6,302 houses, under a contract from May 2015. Ayat 2 was a 40/60 site in the 14th lottery round in July 2022. In that round, 40/60 units cost Br 11,162.97 per square metre. Listings describe 40/60 blocks in Ayat as G+14 buildings.

20/80 units. The Reporter names Hayat among the 20/80 sites in the 2022 round. Listings also offer 20/80 units in Ayat.

Shops. In 2018, the city auctioned ground floor shops at Bole Ayat sites 3, 4 and 5.

Unit types and sizes

Some three-bedroom listings show two bathrooms.

Prices to buy

The table shows asking prices seen on listing portals in October 2026. Some listings were posted earlier in 2026.

A two-bedroom unit asks about ETB 5.6 to 7.5 million. A three-bedroom 40/60 unit asks about ETB 8.5 to 13 million, or about ETB 80,000 to 125,000 per square metre.

Rent

An unfurnished three-bedroom 40/60 unit of 105 m2 at Ayat 49, on the 3rd floor, is listed at ETB 37,000 a month. It has a fitted kitchen and two toilets. Smaller units rent for less. Browse current condominiums for rent in Addis Ababa.

Living in an Ayat condominium

The light rail is the main advantage of Ayat. You can reach Megenagna and the centre without a car. Banks and shops line the main road around Ayat Square. Ayat Chefe and the 40/60 sites are a long walk or a short taxi ride from the station.

In tall blocks, check the lift and the water pump. Ask neighbours how often water reaches your floor, and whether the lift runs during power cuts. Our Ayat neighborhood guide covers the wider area, including private estates and villas.

Buy or rent?

Buy in Ayat if you want a large 40/60 unit with a rail link, at a lower price than central sites such as Balderas. Rent if you want to test a block first, or if you work along the light rail line.

Checks before you buy

1. Site, block and scheme. Ayat has many sites. Confirm the exact site, block and scheme on the allocation papers.
2. Title. Several listings state that the unit has a title (ካርታ). Check that the name matches the seller's ID.
3. Loan balance. Ask the bank for the balance. Agree in writing who pays it.
4. The 40/60 court case. In 2019, the Federal High Court suspended title transfer for more than 18,000 40/60 units. Ask the housing agency whether the case affects the unit.
5. Occupancy rules. In 2024, the city housing corporation told owners of empty 40/60 units to move in or lose their contracts. Check the current rules if you plan to rent the unit out.
6. Lift, water and floor. Visit at different times of day.

Read our condominium guide, and browse condominiums for sale in Addis Ababa. Nearby sites include Tafo condominium to the north and Summit condominium to the south-west.