The number of apartments for rent is increasing. September will be a breakthrough

August brought another increase in the number of apartments available for rent. However, the latest data shows that before the start of the academic year, tenants have not yet entered the market as strongly as could be expected. Now September will be crucial, when students usually intensify their search for accommodation.

Data from the real estate portal search engine Adradar show that in August, apartment owners and agents introduced approximately 61.5 thousand apartments to the market. new, unique rental offers. That’s 12 percent. more than in July. At the same time, approximately 55.5 thousand items disappeared from the market. offers, i.e. by almost 7 percent. less than a month earlier.

At the end of August, tenants had a choice of approximately 85.5 thousand. unique apartments. In July, there were approximately 79.5 thousand of them. Thus, the market almost made up for the previous drop in supply and approached this year’s maximum. In May, the number of available offers reached approximately 86,000.

– After a very strong July, an increase in tenant activity could be expected as the beginning of the academic year approaches. Meanwhile, it is not visible yet. Perhaps the peak of seasonal demand will fall only in September, says Marek Wielgo, an expert at GetHome.pl.

As the expert notes, this is not a unique situation. Also in August 2024 and 2025, the number of apartments rented or withdrawn from the market was lower than the month before. It is therefore possible that some students and other people looking for accommodation for the new academic year will wait until September to make their decision.

Gdańsk with the largest increase in supply

More apartments appeared in six of the seven analyzed metropolises. The offer increased the most in Gdańsk – from approximately 3.4 thousand. up to 4.2 thousand premises. This means an increase of as much as 24%.

– Such a large increase in supply in Gdańsk may be partially related to the seasonality of the market. After the end of the holiday season, some short-term apartments could return to the long-term rental market, says Marek Wielgo.

In other cities, the changes were much smaller. In Warsaw, the number of offers increased from 14.2 thousand. up to 15.3 thousand apartments, i.e. by 8%. In Łódź it increased from 2.9 thousand. up to 3.1 thousand (+7%), and in Poznań from 3.3 thousand. up to 3.5 thousand (+6%).

In Wrocław, the offer increased from 5.9 thousand. up to 6.1 thousand apartments (+3%), while in Krakow with 7.9 thousand up to 8 thousand (+1%). The only city where there was a decline was Katowice. There, the number of available premises decreased from 2.4 thousand. to 2.3 thousand, i.e. by 4%.

The comparison with August last year is even more interesting. In most of the largest cities, the offer is currently greater than 12 months ago. In Kraków, the increase was as much as 29 percent, in Gdańsk 17 percent, and in Wrocław 15 percent. Warsaw recorded an increase by 5% and Poznań by 3%. In Łódź and Katowice, the number of offers remained at a level similar to last year.

– In most of the largest cities, the offer of apartments for rent is larger today than a year ago. This is a significant change compared to the situation from a few years ago, when at the end of the holidays it was much more difficult to find an attractive place. Currently, tenants have much greater comfort in choosing, admits Wielgo.

More apartments, less pressure on rents

Greater supply also translates into the price situation. In August, the median monthly rent, i.e. the value in exactly half of all analyzed offers, remained stable or decreased in most metropolises.

In Warsaw, the median decreased from 4.4 thousand. up to 4.3 thousand PLN, and in Łódź from PLN 2.2 thousand. up to 2.1 thousand zloty. In Katowice it dropped below the level of 2,000. zloty. It remained unchanged in Wrocław, Gdańsk and Poznań. The only slight increase was recorded in Kraków, where the median increased from 3,000. up to 3.1 thousand zloty.

A similar picture can be seen when compared year to year. In Gdańsk, the median is currently 9% lower. than a year ago, in Łódź by almost 6%, and in Katowice by over 5%. In Warsaw the decline exceeds 4 percent, while in Wrocław it is approximately 3 percent. In Kraków and Poznań, the rates remain at a level similar to last year.

According to experts from the GetHome.pl portal, the large number of available apartments means that owners do not have as much space to increase rents today as in the periods when there were much fewer premises.

Students have a choice, but they should not wait forever

A larger offer is good news for people looking for an apartment for the new academic year. This does not mean, however, that the most attractive premises will be waiting for tenants for many weeks.

– A large offer gives tenants greater comfort in searching, but does not mean that they can delay the choice of apartment indefinitely. This especially applies to people who are looking for a place for the new academic year. Each week, finding a particularly attractively priced offer may be more and more difficult, says an expert from GetHome.pl.

The differences between cities remain very large. The lowest rents are currently found in Łódź and Katowice. The median rate for a studio apartment there is approximately PLN 1,500. PLN per month. For comparison, in Warsaw it is approximately 2.7 thousand. zloty.

According to experts from GetHome.pl, with a larger number of tenants, it may be more profitable to rent a two- or three-room apartment. In the capital, the median rent for two rooms is approximately PLN 3.8 thousand. PLN, and for three rooms about PLN 5.4 thousand. zloty. In Poznań, a two-room apartment costs approximately PLN 2,600. PLN, while in Łódź and Katowice about PLN 2,000. zloty.

– For students, jointly renting a two- or three-room apartment may be a cheaper alternative than renting a studio apartment on their own, because the costs are shared between several tenants – notes Wielgo.