Whether you are renting a flat or letting your own, the question is the same: what would a similar home in the same area rent for today? Agents answer it in three steps, and you can do the same.
Step one: price per square metre
Portals and statistics offices publish average asking rents per m² by city and neighbourhood. Multiply by the size of the home and you have a first range. Our city guides list typical ranges for each neighbourhood, and the estimator below does the arithmetic.
Step two: comparable homes
Look at five to ten similar homes listed now in the same area: same size, bedrooms and condition. Note the asking rents and how long they have been listed. Homes that have sat for weeks are priced too high.
Step three: adjust for what makes this home different
| Feature | Typical effect on rent |
|---|---|
| Renovated or new | about +10% |
| Needs work | about −10% |
| Furnished | about +10% (more in short lets) |
| Terrace, balcony or garden | about +5% |
| Lift, in an old building | can be decisive for upper floors |
| Parking space included | depends on the city; large in central areas |
| Noisy street or ground floor | often −5 to −10% |
| Sea, lake or open views | can add a lot at the top of the market |
These are rules of thumb, not law. In tight markets a good home rents above the range; in quiet months below it.
Estimate a rent
Rent estimator
A fair range for a long-term rental, from current asking rents per m² in each neighbourhood. Owners can use it too, to price a home before letting it.
Fair rent for this home
Based on current asking rents per m² for long-term lets (see the city guide for sources). Furnished adds about 10%, a terrace about 5%. Actual rents depend on the floor, light, view and building.
Seasons matter
In holiday areas such as the Costa del Sol and Dubrovnik, many homes are let to tourists in summer and offered long-term only from autumn to spring. Long-term rents there are higher and supply thinner from April to October. In university cities, competition peaks in late summer.
For owners: pricing a home to let
Price within the range for your area and condition, then watch the response in the first week. Lots of viewing requests means you are at or below the market; silence after ten days means you are above it. A home that lets quickly at a fair rent usually earns more over a year than one that sits empty for a month at a higher price.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check the details with a local professional before you sign or pay anything.