Best and worst months of the year to find a flat to rent in Poland?

Yet another flat, fairly good road but nothing special about the block -- it still gets the usual scrap metal men trawl through its bins and has a noisy building site not far away.

Landlord refused to talk about any sort of offer, and the agent insisted on 50% of the monthly rent from me as their fee, or 100% if I retain them to find me something else (as if!)

Seems to be a landlord's market here for flats sub 2000zł a month incl service charges. Most of the ones I recently took interest in were let in a week (via agents!).

Mostly the cr*p is all that's left hanging around. I'm probably leaving Wroc as just can't find any accommodation offering value.

(Some, occasional agents, don't charge tenants any fee - but most do.)

You don't like the idea of recycling?In Chicago any bigger piece of metal you put in the alley is gone within 15 minutes.

Ah, you're right! I just spotted her ad is still live, it says Data dodania: 13.02.13 (Data aktualizacji: 20.02.13) In her email she had told me the flat let the day after my offer was sent to her. Yet her update to the ad and date of her snotty email to me is days later on the 20th. She was perhaps telling porky pies or else she let the flat only on the day she emailed me, not the day she claimed.


Actually I don't mind them, my point is that the agent said it was such a secure gated estate etc, but actually it isn't, it's open to anyone to use as a shortcut.

By the way, re my post


-- I walked away, and within hours they got back in touch and told me OK OK we'll negotiate. Of course, now I've lost interest, because they had taken me for a bit of a rich twerp quite obviously. And I'm certainly not rich :D

Of course, not every flat has a lower rent this year than last year. But here's an example of a flat that was asking 1800zl last year, and is now available for 1500zl.

The tiles in the kitchen have changed but it's the same flat.

Another flat of the same size, however, in the same estate was let in 2 days for 1500zl. The above one has been hanging around for considerably longer.

Why, I don't know, it's all a bit strange.


This flat ^^ -- they didn't want to bargain with me initially but since I walked away they have been reduced to listing it for a full 10 percent less. And still no takers.

Meanwhile, another flat where the owner refused to split the deposit and first rent into two payments for me, is now listed with 2 more agents, at the same already quite low price per month. The majority of landlords volunteer to do an arrangement with me where I pay the deposit plus service charges and get the keys, then pay the first week or two's rent plus a month in advance 1 or 2 weeks later direct to their bank. Just a pity that those landlords never have flats I find attractive enough. I know I should be less fussy, but I want to live somewhere I like, at least a little bit!

I have seen property empty for years because the owners will not budge on rent, especially commercial property.

Me too, and there's such round Klecina and nearby, commercial stuff going begging because of unrealistic rent expectations.

One of the estate agents, I believe their catchphrase says 'friendly' or some such, doesn't even reply to my rental property enquiries (which are in proper Polish). So, some agents have sufficient tenants that they don't take an interest in new applicants. Also, some properties are letting in a week or two. In a nutshell: the market is patchy -- but the common theme is anything of good value does, of course, get a stampede.

On Gumtree, direct from landlords -- recognising a good few that I viewed a month ago and are still available at the same price (landlords either refused my offer or submitted a bad agreement)

Some of the flats on Gumtree in the sub 1400zl a month bracket are getting 100+ hits a day online. Yet, some are still not let.

Also, am noticing flats in the same block of the same size, just with a better sofa and maybe a TV on the wall -- 1000zl a month MORE than identical flats on the next floor. Hard to believe, but that's what some landlords are asking, despite the fact that a flat in adjoining block which is identical in size didn't even let at 1650 a month and has been reduced to 1500 and yet is still unlet (because its kitchen is a bit shabby and the flat has a bad colour scheme). Another on the same estate but the newer end is now reduced to 1450 having been on for much more since last August.

Landlords seem to try their luck, often for too long, and they lose thousands per month with no tenant. Why do they do that? Because every now and then some lucky landlord lets his or her over-priced flat for a very optimistic figure, and that sets a local price which landlords are reluctant to relinquish. As they hold on to their dream price aspiration, they lose tenant after tenant and the flat sits empty ("voided") for 6 months until they realise it ain't gonna happen at their price unless a big cheese from a big local corporate with an expense account just happens to take a shine to their leather settee and give them the stupid price they demand.

On one estate I leaflet dropped last weekend, nearly half the flats seem empty as the mailboxes are stuffed completely full with circulars and junk mail. I couldn't even get my little leaflet in, they were jammed. Yet will those owners or landlords get realistic on the price? Nie way, Jose.

That is puzzling. My knowledge of Polish business practices might be a little outdated, but is it possible that the landlords are holding out for bribes, or a good faith payments of some sort?

I've no idea! I hadn't thought of bribes! You mean I have to bribe them to take me as a tenant? Like in Japan where tenants have to give gifts to landlords or something like that! That'll be the day, they can kiss my hairy backside.

I recognise at least 3 more on Gumtree that I first saw a month or two ago. However, the price only seems to be down on one of them.

Despite 100 or so hits yesterday, one of them is still unlet and relisted today.

It's a patchy rental market, but on balance it seems that stuff isn't letting that quickly unless fresh and exciting. One that I like has been let, but of course who knows if it will go as quickly this time next year at that price. These are strange times it seems... assume nothing!

Guys, a lot of ads on the web are fake or long outdated. Agents just use them to catch a client: "oh I'm sorry I've just rented/sold it, but I have plenty more to show you"...

Heh... my own apartment is still "avaiable" for sale on some portals... I even called once and pretend I want to buy... :)

You're probably right. I think the expression in English is "Using a sprat to catch a mackerel." :o)

Viewed yet another yesterday, although am now tiring of trying to find anywhere. The flat has been empty for some time, the agent said someone lived there a month and was removed for being in debt. Not the best thing to say to me and I'm not sure how that can even be true, under the Kodeks. The flat itself had a strong odour of something not terrible but not good. The bathroom had a stronger and less pleasant odour. The agent said it all just needed ventilation. Well, I've seen empty flats before, they don't usually pong. This flat was built in 2004 or 2005 and is otherwise in fairly good condition. But the smell and talk of one month evictions puts me off, as does the price, and the agent's fee of 50% of one month's rent. I know many agents like to seem firm on price, and this one could capitulate if the flat doesn't let in a month or so. In which case I have to take a gamble on whether the smell will go, even if the agent did get the landlord to discount the rent by a good chunk (it'd take 15% off to get my interest). Seems to be a pattern emerging of landlords flying a kite more hopefully at this time of year, followed in a small percentage of cases by them getting real when it doesn't let. I was also enquiring about buying a garage -- there the market is quite buoyant for sure with them selling inside of 2 weeks each time I enquired ( 25000-28000PLN price bracket. )

I'm seeing enough flats still advertised a month or so after I first noticed them or viewed them to be able to say, fairly confidently, there looks like a bit of a slump in the 1500zł and above price range -- unless it's a sought after street or has something extra special about it.

Only a small number are reducing their price.

I am now offering at 15% below asking rents. I don't expect success, I have seen before that many are very stubborn and would rather lose 1500 a month for 3 or 4 months than take 250 less for 6 or 12 months. But that's up to them -- I'm sticking to offering only what common sense says the value is likely to be. And it has to be said, even then the prices are out of step with wages by a long chalk. In fact, I think many rents are about 40% too high.