Finding an accommodation
Finding accommodation is always a difficult task. Even more so, when a person is faced with language barriers. Research and higher education institutions in Slovenia usually try to help their students and researchers to find suitable accommodation. Under certain conditions foreign students can use student dormitories. If such help is not available, you can always try one of the websites listing accommodation offers. Some of such sites are:
- Nepremičnine.net (EN interface)
- ABC Real Estate (EN interface)
- Flatfy – Ljubljana (SL interface)
- Mojcimer – coastal region, student oriented (SL interface)
- Gohome
You can also use any of the real estate agencies (they usually charge one or two months’ rent for their services).
Renting
If you wish to rent an apartment, you can expect monthly rent prices (without running costs) between 150 EUR and 2.000 EUR (e.g. for a 50 m2 apartment in Ljubljana, you can expect to pay 600 EUR). Actual rent depends on the location, size of the apartment, etc. Running costs (i.e. electricity, water, heating, communal services, etc.) differ between different municipalities and can be from one to several hundred Euro per month.
Buying
Buying prices are very fluctuating and in vicinity of 2,700 EUR per square meter in Ljubljana and other urban areas. The right to purchase is limited to citizens of countries with reciprocity (i.e. citizens of Slovenia can buy real estate in that country too). We recommend to contact real estate agency (List of certified real estate agents and agencies.
What to keep in mind when renting
- Sign a written renting agreement (it does not have to be certified by the notary to be valid).
- Be sure to ask the landlord for registration of temporary residence – this is something that you, as a foreign citizen, will have to do.
- Together with landlord write a handover check list when moving in. Write down status of the counters (e.g. water) and any issues that you notice. Take pictures of the apartment and counters.
- Check that everything is working order.
- Check that all the previous invoices were paid.
- Clarify whether the visits are allowed.
- Ask as many questions as you need before you sign anything.
- Try to avoid cash payments.