January brought a sharp rebound in Poland’s rental market. Demand—measured by the number of enquiries on the Otodom platform—rose by as much as 29% month on month and 40% year on year. After December’s slowdown, supply also recovered (up 8% m/m). Combined with the typical New Year wave of relocation decisions, this suggests the market is emerging from a lull. If strong tenant activity continues and cost pressure remains limited, the coming months may bring moderate but steady growth.
In January, the number of apartment rental listings increased by around 1,700 month on month, reaching 23,600. Although a slight 2% decline was recorded year on year, this can be linked to the exceptionally strong developer-home sales at the end of 2025, when some former tenants became homeowners. The strongest momentum, however, is visible in the volume of new listings. In January, as many as 15,600 new ads entered the market—50% more than in December. At the same time, 20,800 listings were closed, also marking a clear double-digit increase of 27% m/m.
Among the 18 cities analysed, the vast majority followed the trend of rebuilding supply. The biggest increases were recorded in Kielce (+29%) and Bydgoszcz (+21%), but the undisputed leader was Olsztyn, where the number of listings surged by 62%. Declines were seen in only three cities: Białystok (-2%), Szczecin (-2%) and Sopot (-19%). At the same time, demand also picked up.
“Traditionally, the beginning of the year supports decisions to change apartments—old lease agreements expire, new career plans emerge, and households return to resolutions they postponed earlier,” explains Agata Stachowiak, a housing-market expert at Otodom. “A deeper look into the motivations of people searching for a new place to live is provided by the report ‘Happy Home. The Male Faces of Happiness’. According to it, men aged 46–55 make up a meaningful part of the group that decides to move due to unsatisfactory relationships with loved ones. These are potential tenants who not only often look for apartments available ‘right away’, but above all for a space that allows them to redefine their identity.”
Choosing a mature man as a tenant may bring additional benefits for property owners. Otodom’s report indicates that, more often than others, they demonstrate neighbourhood engagement. As many as 47% of all “Active Neighbours”—people for whom neighbourhood is not merely a spatial arrangement but a relationship based on reciprocity and mutual support—are aged 55+.
Tenants return, but rents remain stable
As Paweł Jarząbek, Otodom’s Manager for Market Research and Analysis, notes, “an additional factor boosting demand may be the relative stabilisation of prices, which reduces cost pressure and increases people’s willingness to actively search for apartments.” In January, the most sought-after units were still two-room apartments of around 40 square metres, accounting for 22% of all enquiries on Otodom. In total, two-room apartments generated more than half of overall demand on the platform. How do monthly rental costs compare against this backdrop?
“Despite a clear revival on the demand side, asking rents remain stable and there is no visible pressure for increases,” Jarząbek says. “In January, the average asking rent for an apartment in Poland was PLN 3,618 (PLN 71 per sq m). That is just under 1% lower than in December 2025 and close to the level recorded a year earlier.”
City-level analysis confirms the nationwide stabilisation trend. Month on month, rent movements in most locations did not exceed 1–2%. The largest increases were recorded in Łódź (+1.7%), Kielce (+1.6%) and Rzeszów (+0.6%). On the other side were Olsztyn (-4.1%), Zielona Góra (-2.4%) and Warsaw (-1.4%).
The year-on-year perspective reveals greater differentiation. Olsztyn was the leader in annual growth at +8.3%, despite the January correction. Noticeable increases over the year were also seen in Opole (+5.5%) and Bydgoszcz (+4.9%). Meanwhile, renters in Zielona Góra and Rzeszów can expect lower rents than a year ago: compared with January 2025, asking rents fell by 8.0% and 6.2%, respectively.
The highest average rents remain in Warsaw (PLN 4,900). Tenants also pay above PLN 3,000 per month in the Tri-City (PLN 3,200), Kraków (PLN 3,200) and Wrocław (PLN 3,100). The lowest rents are recorded in Białystok and Kielce—PLN 2,000.
“The start of 2026 therefore shows a rebound in both supply and demand while maintaining price balance,” Jarząbek concludes. “If strong tenant activity continues and cost pressure remains limited, the market may enter a phase of moderate but steady recovery. In the medium term, however, the key factors will remain macroeconomic—especially the situation in the mortgage market and any potential regulatory changes affecting rentals.”
