When to look for a rental in Warsaw and how much time to allow before moving
Rental seasonality in Warsaw from Otodom and Rentier data: when supply peaks, when competition is lowest and how many weeks before a move to start looking.
Start looking about 2–3 weeks before the date you want to move in, and allow more in August, September or when your requirements are narrow. That is our planning estimate, not a statistic: we did not find public data on how long tenants take to find a place in Warsaw. The figures do not support panic either: in August 2026 active listings across 17 cities were 24% higher than a year earlier (Rentier), and Warsaw’s average asking rent was 2.3% lower (Otodom).
Every figure below is labelled with its scope: Poland, 17 cities or Warsaw. Rents are always asking rents (ofertowe in Polish), meaning what landlords ask in listings, not what signed contracts say. Sources were checked on 07.10.2026 and are linked at the end.
When are there the most flats in Warsaw?
In the data we have, choice grows in late summer and early autumn (our reading of the figures below). We found no public listing count for Warsaw alone, so the data below covers Poland and 17 cities that include Warsaw.
| Period | What the data showed | Scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | about 26,000 active listings, 15% more than in August; 604,000 user responses, 40% above the previous year’s peak | Poland | Otodom, 15.10.2025 |
| August 2026 | 24,300 active listings, 6% more than in July | Poland | Otodom, 24.09.2026 |
| August 2026 | 42,102 new listings (+26% year on year) and 75,811 active (+24%) | 17 cities | Rentier, 21.09.2026 |
A response here means a user’s enquiry on a listing on the Otodom platform; the report does not explain how it is counted.
When is there the least competition?
In December. Otodom reports that in December 2025 supply in Poland fell 11% from November and demand, measured in responses to listings, fell 23%. Otodom says the same happened in 2023 and 2024. In Warsaw about 1,000 fewer listings were available, a drop of 15% (report of 16.01.2026).
In January demand came back: up 29% on December and 40% on January 2025 across Poland (Otodom, 17.02.2026). Otodom links this to old leases ending and new job plans starting at the turn of the year.
Our estimate: in winter fewer people turn up to the same viewing, but there are also fewer flats to pick from. A quiet month does not mean a better selection.
How much time should you allow for the search?
These are planning guides. They are an estimate, not a delivery time for any service and not a promise of results.
| Situation | When to start (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Flexible date, budget near the market average, a standard lease (umowa najmu) | usually 2–3 weeks ahead |
| Late August or September, or narrow criteria: close to a metro station, a pet, a below-average budget | better 4 weeks ahead or more |
| You need a najem okazjonalny (a notarised lease) | add time for the notary; details in the guide |
| Less than two weeks before the move | urgent mode, covered in a separate article |
Searching 2–3 months before the move is usually too early: listings tend to show the nearest vacancy date, and you risk spending time on flats that will not wait (our estimate). What you can do early is anything that does not depend on the market: settle the budget and districts, and collect your documents.
What changes in August and September?
July is the thinnest month for supply: in 2025 Poland had about 22,200 active listings, the year’s low, while responses rose 29% on June (Otodom, 18.08.2025). By August and September young people starting studies or their first jobs look for their own place, and owners who tried short-term letting over the summer return to long-term (Otodom, 15.10.2025).
The latest data:
- Rentier (17 cities): in every year from 2021 to 2025, new listings grew by up to 18% between August and September. In 2026 August brought +26% new listings year on year. Anton Bubiel, CEO of Rentier.io, asks whether the supply peak has moved from September to August. That is an analyst’s question, not an established fact.
- Otodom (Poland): September 2025 brought 604,000 responses, the highest of that year (Otodom, 24.09.2026). For September 2026 Otodom expects tenant activity to stay high; that is a forecast, not data.
- Prices (asking rents): Otodom puts Warsaw’s average at over 4,900 zł in September 2025 and 4,900 zł in August 2026 (−0.4% on July and −2.3% year on year). For comparison, across all Polish cities asking rents rose just 1% over the year to September 2025 (Otodom). Rentier measures differently: about 80 zł per m², roughly 3,996 zł for 50 m² (−0.1% year on year). Do not compare the two sets of numbers: their base and flat sizes differ.
A demand peak is not a price spike. In August 2025 Otodom warned that anyone waiting until September would have less choice and less time. The 2026 supply data is gentler, but neither source supports the claim that flats are taken within a day.
Is it cheaper to search in winter?
The average asking rent shows no clear winter discount. Otodom puts Warsaw’s average at about 5,000 zł at the end of 2025, 4,900 zł in January 2026 and 4,900 zł in August 2026. The spread is a couple of percent. In January, with demand rising, Otodom saw no pressure on rents to go up.
Our estimate, not a fact: in winter it is easier to negotiate the move-in date and terms because the landlord has fewer enquiries. The data does not confirm it, so do not postpone a move for the sake of a discount.
What should you prepare before you start?
- Your move-in date and how many days you can shift it.
- An all-in budget: czynsz najmu, czynsz administracyjny and utility bills. How they add up is explained in our article on bills.
- Start-up cash: the deposit (kaucja) and the first month, covered in what you need at the start.
- The district and your commute, who will live there, and whether you have a pet.
- Documents: a passport and proof of income, listed in our article on rental documents.
- Readiness to decide from video if you will be abroad during the viewings: how a remote rental works.
- A safe way to handle payments before you arrive: deposit, kaucja and transfers.
How can you speed up the search when the date is close?
Four things save days: criteria you do not change every day, documents ready, quick replies to the landlord, and willingness to move the date by a few days. If you are less than two weeks from the move, there is a separate guide: moving to Warsaw within a week.
Already know your move-in date? How do we start?
Let us start early. Fill in the form on the page for tenants and put your move-in day in the “From when?” field, adding your budget and district. Our search service for tenants costs 70% of one month’s rent (the rent itself, czynsz najmu, without czynsz administracyjny and utilities; for example 2,450 zł at a rent of 3,500 zł) and is paid after the rental agreement is signed. Our agents speak Ukrainian, Russian, English, Polish, German, Italian, Turkish and Spanish. Phone: +48 666 866 468.
Sources
Checked 07.10.2026.
- Otodom, “Boom bez podwyżek”, September 2025 data, published 15.10.2025: media.otodom.pl
- Otodom, July 2025 data, published 18.08.2025: media.otodom.pl
- Otodom, “Najem w rytmie sezonowości”, December 2025 data, published 16.01.2026: media.otodom.pl
- Otodom, January 2026 data, published 17.02.2026: media.otodom.pl
- Otodom, August 2026 data, published 24.09.2026: media.otodom.pl
- Rentier.io, August 2026 data, published 21.09.2026: rentier.io
Cover image: AI-generated illustration.
Common questions
How long does it usually take to find a flat in Warsaw?
We did not find a public statistic on how long tenants search in Warsaw. This is our planning estimate, not a guarantee: a standard lease (umowa najmu) with a flexible date usually needs 2–3 weeks, and in August and September or with narrow criteria it is safer to allow 4 weeks or more. Checked 07.10.2026.
Is it worth searching in summer?
Yes, but July is usually the thinnest month for choice: in July 2025 Poland had about 22,200 active listings, the lowest of the year (Otodom, 18.08.2025). In August 2026 supply grew: active listings across 17 cities were 24% higher than a year earlier (Rentier, 21.09.2026). For a September move-in, starting in August is sensible (our estimate).
Do flats get taken within a day?
We did not find data showing that Warsaw flats go within a day on average. In August 2025 Otodom noted that high demand makes new listings find tenants quickly, while Rentier reported supply up 24% year on year across 17 cities in September 2026. Good flats go fast, but the data does not support panic.
Can I agree a move-in date a month ahead?
It is possible if the landlord is willing to wait: the move-in date is negotiable and not fixed by any rule. Put agreements in writing and do not transfer money before the contract is signed. We have a separate article on payments before arrival, linked in the section on what to prepare. Checked 07.10.2026.
When will the next Otodom data come out?
There is no fixed schedule. Reports have appeared between the 15th and 24th of the following month: 15.10.2025 for September 2025 and 24.09.2026 for August 2026. On that pattern, the September 2026 report can be expected in mid or late October 2026.