Moving to a new country or city pretty much always means finding a new place to live. If you decided to relocate to Poland you should start thinking and actively looking for your accommodation in Poland sooner rather than later and leaving it to the last minute. It’s not easy to find something suitable that will meet your expectations, especially if you don’t speak Polish. This article will help you with the process of finding and renting a flat (or a room). We will cover information about different accommodation types, average rent prices in different cities and provide you with some tips that will make the task of finding your home in Poland much easier.
Prices of renting accommodation in different cities in Poland
With no doubt the cost of accommodation in Poland is lower than in France, Spain, Great Britain or Germany, however, in the last few years rent prices have been rising and are expected to continue to grow. Of course the monthly rent depends on many factors: location, type of accommodation, number of rooms and standard of the property to name just few. The most expensive properties are located in Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow, while in Lodz, Poznan and Gdansk flats can be rented cheaper.
The below infographic prepared by Pepe Housing shows average accommodation prices in different Polish cities. Price brackets depend on the size and location of the property. For example, newly refurbished room in the city center of Warsaw will be more expensive than a standard looking room located 20 minutes from the heart of the city.
Types of accommodation in Poland
Public and private dormitories in Poland
If you are a student, one of the best options for you may be staying in a public or private dormitory. This is the cheapest option, however the number of available places is usually limited and very often the standard is low or mediocre when it comes to public dormitories provided by universities. In larger Polish cities you can find private dormitories, but there are not many of them and sometimes prices can be almost as high as for a room in a private apartment. The best thing about dormitories is that you get to meet lots of people and you get to experience a real student life.
Shared accommodation in Poland
Sharing a flat with other people is common in Poland and most students or young professionals choose to flat share at least until they are able to afford to live alone or to buy a flat. As always, prices depend on the size, standard and location of the flat. The properties in Poland are usually furnished so there is no need to organise multiple trips to Ikea if you’re fine with the offered standard.
Private flats
If you can afford to rent a flat by yourself then probably this is your preferred option. Be careful with the flat ads. In Poland living rooms are counted as ‘rooms’ opposite to for example the UK where one bed flat means one bedroom AND a living room. You can find flats that are fully furnished (which is the most common) and flats that are pretty much empty except the kitchen and bathroom appliances. It’s not common to negotiate the price, but you can always try your luck.
Things to avoid and pay attention to when you are looking for a flat in Poland
Poland is no different to other countries when it comes to finding and renting accommodation. There are a few important things you should pay attention to and if you are careful you shouldn’t have any problems with renting and even more importantly leaving your accommodation. The below infographic presents five important rules that you should follow to rent a flat safely.
In addition to the advices above, remember to always use common sense when choosing a flat and carefully read the rental agreement.
Where to find accommodation offers
There are some services in Poland where you can find offers of flats and room for rent.
Pepe Housing – Pepe Housing is a marketplace that connects landlords with international students or working professionals from abroad. On the website you will find hundreds of verified offers with pictures, videos or 3D walks. If you are coming for only a few months this is a great place to look for accommodation as landlords agree to rent for shorter periods of time. The reservation and payment process is done online and is fully secure. Poland Unraveled is the partner of the Pepe Housing, so you are welcome to use UNRAV10 promo code to receive 10% off your booking fee. You can apply your code during the reservation process.
OLX, Gumtree, Gratka – on these websites you will find large numbers of offers from landlords and real estate agencies. A potential obstacle for people who do not speak Polish yet is to communicate with landlords as many of them have difficulties communicating in English. Another potential obstacle can be rental period – most of the landlords agree to rent the property only for 10-12 months, so if you are coming to study in Poland for one semester, it may be difficult to convince the owner to sign a contract for a short period.
University page – if you are a student it may be a good idea to check your university website as most of the universities share information about accommodation and allow people to post flat and room rental offers directly on their forums. Also information about public dormitories should be available there.
Renting a flat in Poland when your are an expat or a student
If you are a person from abroad and you are looking for accommodation in Poland, you may find some difficulties like language barrier or reluctance of landlords to rent for shorter periods of time. As it is very important where you are going to live, we advice you to start your research before your arrival to Poland. The sooner you start looking for a flat, the greater the chance that you will find an offer that meets your expectations.
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