Too expensive apartments, disproportionate height rent in relation to the location, an increase in the rental price without notice or agreement, old furniture and white goods, windows through which the wind blows, are just some of the most common shortcomings that tenants in Serbia complain about, and which were pointed out in a survey conducted by the specialized real estate advertising portal 4zida.
Tenants in Belgrade generally believe that it is difficult to find apartments that have been renovated, in a decent location, with decent people renting them out, and that the rent price is in line with salaries in Serbia. They are also bothered by the invasion of privacy, and they cite discrimination regarding pets as special problems. Tenants who rent real estate outside of Belgrade mostly complain that the apartments are unkempt and neglected, that the landlords do not invest in their renovation, as well as inadequate heating and noise from the neighborhood, due to poor insulation, writes 4zida.
Rent in Belgrade and in the interior of Serbia?
High prices are the dominant problem of tenants in Serbia, regardless of whether they rent real estate in Belgrade or outside the capital, and more than 80 percent of respondents pointed to this.
Tenants in Belgrade believe that rent prices are too high, and as many as 60,7 percent of them declared that they are completely unrealistic in relation to salaries. In the interior, that gap is a little smaller, so 51,4 percent, that is, every second respondent said that rents are too expensive.
The results of the 4zida survey also showed that every fourth tenant (25 percent) in Belgrade gives more than half of their salary for rent, while 23,6 percent allocate up to 30 percent of their salary for an apartment, and 44,3 percent up to 50 percent of their earnings. In the interior, the situation is slightly different, and as many as 85,9 percent of tenants allocate up to 50 percent of their earnings for rent.
When it comes to monthly rent, the majority of tenants who do not live in the capital pay up to 300 euros per month, as many as 69,2 percent of them, while Belgrade tenants have larger budgets, given that the rents are also significantly higher.
In Belgrade, 36,4 percent of tenants are in the category of citizens who pay rent between 300 and 500 euros, and even 10 percent of respondents have a budget for rent that is greater than 500 euros, while 7,1 percent pay more than 700 euros per month for an apartment. In places outside the capital, that percentage is significantly lower and only 7,6 percent pay rent of more than 500 euros.
Photo: FoNet /021.rs / printscreenDo landlords dictate the rules without restrictions
Rent dictates life plans
How much the price of rent affects those who rent real estate is shown by the fact that as many as 90 percent of respondents in Belgrade and 83,2 percent in the rest of Serbia declared that they were forced to change their life plans because of it.
About 60 percent of tenants who participated in the survey declared that they had signed a lease agreement.
However, it is worrying that even about 40 percent do not have a signed contract, which should protect the rights of landlords and tenants. The survey also showed that the majority of tenants think they know their rights, but the number of those who declared that they do not know what rights they have as tenants is not negligible either, as many as 15 percent of tenants in Belgrade and about 17 percent in the interior.
They look at 30 apartments to find the right one
In Belgrade, an additional problem is the insufficient supply of quality real estate for rent, which was complained about by as many as 31,4 percent of the surveyed citizens, while in the interior, that percentage is lower and amounts to 24,3 percent.
Tenants in Belgrade, on average, spend longer looking for a suitable apartment, compared to people who rent real estate in the rest of Serbia. According to the survey data, 42,2 percent of respondents answered that they found a suitable apartment in cities outside of Belgrade in less than a month, while in the capital, only 32,1 percent were lucky enough to find the accommodation they wanted in the first month. Belgrade has a higher percentage of long searches, because almost every third respondent, i.e. 29,3 percent, searched for a suitable rental property for more than six months.
Photo: Tanjug/Branko LukićNew construction
As many as 29,3 percent of respondents answered that they had to look at more than 30 properties before choosing a suitable apartment. Exactly 35 percent of tenants found suitable accommodation for rent, and that they inspected up to five apartments, while in the interior the percentage is slightly higher and amounts to 38,4 percent.
In some of the answers to 4zida's questions, it can be seen that there is a huge gap between the high prices and the quality they offer. Tenants mostly indicate that the amount of rent and deposit is not proportionate to the location, condition of the property and its equipment. They note that it also happens that owners bring old furniture and appliances into a new apartment, and ask for rent as if everything is brand new.
When it comes to interpersonal relations, it bothers them that the landlord does not respect privacy and enters the apartment in the absence of the tenant, that they do not provide a lease agreement and that they do not register the tenants. The survey showed that among the tenants there are those who are satisfied and have no objections, neither to the landlords, nor to the neighborhood, but the majority points out that housing prices could certainly be lower and more in line with salaries.
Source: 4walls
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