Rent prices have risen significantly across Europe – Euronews reports.
According to Euronews, rent increases are outpacing overall inflation in many European countries. The figures are based on the latest data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Overall, actual rental payments for housing in the EU rose by an average of 3% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in the previous year.
The situation varies considerably across EU member states. For example, rents remained unchanged in Finland over the year, while they increased by 43.5% in Romania and 40.1% in Croatia. Over the same period, overall inflation stood at 9.5% in Romania and 4.8% in Croatia. After adjusting for inflation, rents rose by more than 30% in both countries.
Note: Real rent growth is calculated by adjusting for inflation and shows how much housing rents have increased relative to the overall change in prices in a country. For example, if rents rise by 10% while overall inflation is 4%, the real increase in rents is approximately 6%.
According to Euronews, the Romanian government attributes the sharp increase in housing rents mainly to higher administered rents for properties owned by the state and local authorities.
In Croatia, the sharp increase is attributed to a decision by local authorities in the capital, Zagreb, to raise rental prices for a category of social housing.
Slovenia recorded the third-highest rent increase among EU countries, with an annual rise of 10%.
Georgia is also included in the statistical data. According to figures published by Euronews based on Eurostat data, housing rents in Georgia increased by 3.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. This figure is slightly above the EU average of 3% and is identical to the rates recorded in Italy and Sweden.
When EU candidate countries and members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are included, Turkey recorded the highest rent inflation. In the second quarter of 2026, rents increased by 49.6% compared with the same period in the previous year.
However, unlike Romania and Croatia, Turkey did not experience a sudden sharp rise in rental prices. Instead, rents increased gradually. Overall inflation in the country also exceeded 30% over the same period, meaning that the real increase in rents, after adjusting for inflation, was lower than in Romania and Croatia.
Rents also rose by double digits in Serbia, increasing by 12.5%. Rent increases exceeded 5% in Bulgaria (9.9%), North Macedonia (9.2%), Iceland (8.6%), Greece (7.5%), Czechia (6.2%), Albania (6%), Slovakia (5.3%), Lithuania (5.3%) and Portugal (5.2%).
In Italy, rents rose by 3.5%, while increases reached 2.5% in Spain, 2.1% in Germany and 1.6% in France.
Among these countries, rents did not rise in real terms in Spain, Germany or France after adjusting for overall inflation. The same was true for Belgium, Estonia, Finland and Luxembourg.
According to Emma Rosser, Living Research Director at international real estate consultancy JLL, a shortage of available rental housing and strong demand in European cities are driving higher rental prices, particularly for new tenancies. She noted that rent growth for new lettings is higher than the overall figures reported by Eurostat suggest.
Dr Nóra Teller, a researcher at the Budapest-based Metropolitan Research Institute, attributes rising rents to economic and demographic factors, as well as supply-side constraints. According to Teller, the sharp increase in borrowing costs since 2022 has pushed many prospective homebuyers out of the property market and into the private rental sector, increasing demand for rental housing. At the same time, investment funds and private investors increasingly view residential real estate as a source of income, further contributing to rising rental prices.
Source: Euronews, Eurostat
Author: Lika Kasradze
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