If you’ve just learnt that you’ll be moving to Tri-City to start your dream job, we congratulate you on the perfect choice. Now, all you have to do is find the right place to stay and enjoy a successful career and life in this extraordinary city. Here are some useful tips on moving to Tri-City and looking for an apartment.
First Steps
When you arrive by bus or train, get off in the very centre of Gdansk or Gdynia. If you fly in , you will be able to conveniently get anywhere using the Fast Urban Railway (Szybka Kolej Miejska or SKM). Where to next? Try, for example, one of the local hostels where you’ll be able to stay for a couple of days and easily browse through apartments for rent that interest you. Before you move to Pomerania, make sure to check out such websites as Booking.com, Hotels.com or Airbnb. If you don’t need a four-star hotel, you’ll surely find interesting hostels there offering accommodation for less than a hundred zlotys per night. You should also look for special offers.
Offers on Dedicated Websites. Should You Rent an Apartment through Estate Agency?
Where to look for a permanent apartment? Everybody has got their specific needs and each and every Tri-city district is unique in their own way, so we can’t take the decision for you. However, we can make it easier by characterising each of the neighbourhoods in the tab “Plan Your Move“. Consider the potential costs, how far it is from your job and how easily you can get there. If you don’t have a car, we particularly recommend SKM, but it must be noted that public transport is a good alternative since the traffic in Tri-City is relatively light.
According to Bankier.pl website, in October 2018, the average monthly price for renting an apartment of up to 38 m2 in Gdansk was PLN 1658; in comparison, the price in Warsaw was PLN 2081. For larger apartments, the difference is also noticeable – PLN 2339 vs. PLN 2819 (38-60 m2) and PLN 3207 vs. 4366 (60-90 m2). But what are the differences in prices in individual districts? In Gdansk, Przymorze district, you will pay PLN 1250-2500 per month, in Wrzeszcz PLN 1200-2300 per month, and in the City Centre (Śródmieście) PLN 850-3500 per month. Lower prices in these districts, which are also well-connected with main business centres, should be considered as exceptions. But this shouldn’t discourage you from looking for special offers! Gdynia turns out to be relatively cheaper. For an apartment in Orłów, you will pay PLN 1700-1800, while rent in Redłowo is PLN 1400-1450 per month.
You will find interesting offers at OLX, Gratka or the real estate website Otodom. Sometimes you will rent directly from the landlord, in other instances an estate agent will be involved in the transaction. The latter solution may be more expensive since you will have to pay a one-time commission fee. However, sometimes the landlord pays the commission, especially when he does not have the time to look for tenants on his own.
Use Your Social Media
You should also look for recommendations. Ask your friends on social media. People often find interesting offers this way and, on top of this, it’s easier to trust someone whom we share friends with. Also make sure to visit dedicated Facebook groups. Tanie mieszkania i pokoje na wynajem, Trójmiasto, Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot and Mieszkania do wynajęcia Trójmiasto are just two examples of popular places were attractive offers are posted.
A Handful of Tips
What should you know about renting apartments, especially if this is your first lease? You will most likely have to pay a deposit, which acts as natural collateral for landlords and typically should not exceed the monthly rent. A standard rent agreement should contain, among other things, a notice period and a handover document. Today, apartment owners increasingly more often secure their interest by an occasional lease agreement. Honest tenants are not affected, but you must know that before signing the agreement, you must make an appointment with a notary to make a declaration to voluntarily be subjected to enforcement. Moreover, you should also present a document, which proves that you will have a place to stay in case you get evicted.
How to save up a couple of zlotys? Sometimes, you can just try and bargain over the price, but you’ll probably not be able to save more than PLN 100 per month. On the other hand, this would amount to a saving of PLN 1200 over the course of the year. If there is a parking space or basement allotted to the apartment that you’re not planning to use, ask the owner of the property for a sublease permission or treat this fact as an argument in your price negotiations.
