How much can you earn renting out an apartment in Podgorica?
Long-term letting of an apartment in Podgorica in 2026 produces a gross yield of roughly 4.5 to 6.5 per cent a year across our contracts, depending on the neighbourhood and the price the apartment was bought at. The highest yields come from smaller furnished apartments in City Kvart, Master Kvart and Centar, where tenant demand is strongest. Net yield is typically one to one and a half percentage points lower, once void months, maintenance, agency fees and rental income tax are deducted.
By Gordana Bulatović — Director & founder, Trust Real Estate MNE
Gordana Bulatović founded Trust Real Estate MNE (registry no. 51113264) and has led residential and land transactions across Podgorica for family buyers, investors and relocating foreigners. She works daily with notaries, the cadastre and Montenegrin mortgage banks, and personally oversees every transaction the agency handles.
A realistic look at what a Podgorica apartment actually earns once void months, maintenance and obligations to the state come out of the rent.
Who rents in Podgorica
Unlike the coast, Podgorica is not a seasonal market. Tenants are mostly people employed in administration, banking, IT and healthcare, students at the University of Montenegro, and foreigners relocating for work or residence. That means steady demand throughout the year and contracts that are usually signed for twelve months rather than for a few summer weeks.
The practical consequence is that the fastest-letting properties in Podgorica are furnished apartments of 40 to 70 square metres, close to work and shops, with a lift and parking. Large unfurnished apartments on the outskirts let more slowly and at a lower price per square metre, even though they cost more to buy.
Rents and yields by neighbourhood
The table below shows monthly rents we contracted during 2026 for a furnished one-bedroom apartment of around 55 square metres, and the gross yield that implies against a typical purchase price in the same neighbourhood. Gross yield means annual rent divided by purchase price, before costs.
| Neighbourhood | Rent EUR/month | Gross yield | Time to let |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Kvart | 550 – 700 | 5.5 – 6.5% | 1 – 3 weeks |
| Master Kvart | 530 – 680 | 5.5 – 6.5% | 1 – 3 weeks |
| Centar | 550 – 720 | 5.0 – 6.0% | 1 – 3 weeks |
| Stari Aerodrom | 420 – 550 | 5.0 – 6.0% | 2 – 5 weeks |
| Zabjelo | 380 – 500 | 4.5 – 5.5% | 2 – 6 weeks |
| Momišići | 330 – 450 | 4.5 – 5.5% | 3 – 6 weeks |
What eats the gap between gross and net yield
Owners who count only gross yield are regularly disappointed at the end of the first year. Between the advertised rent and what stays in the account sit several items that recur with every apartment.
- Void months between tenants — realistically budget one month a year, even in a sought-after quarter
- Tax on income from letting property, declared and paid under the rules in force
- Maintenance and replacement of white goods — a furnished apartment wears itself out faster than an empty one
- Building management charges and utility obligations that stay with the owner under the contract
- Agency fee for finding and vetting the tenant, if you are not letting it yourself
The contract that actually protects you
A verbal agreement and a message on your phone are not a lease. A written contract should clearly set out the term, the rent and payment date, the deposit and the conditions for returning it, who pays which utilities, who covers minor repairs, and the notice period on both sides. The contract should always be accompanied by a handover record with meter readings and an inventory of furniture and appliances, signed and photographed on the day of move-in.
For owners living outside Montenegro this is the most sensitive point. If you are not in the country to inspect the apartment, you need someone who handles the handover, tracks payments and responds to a breakdown at three in the afternoon. That is the difference between a yield on paper and a yield in the bank.
Bottom line: key takeaways
- Long-term letting in Podgorica in 2026 delivers a gross yield of roughly 4.5 to 6.5 per cent, depending on neighbourhood and purchase price.
- The fastest lets are furnished apartments of 40 to 70 square metres with a lift and parking in City Kvart, Master Kvart and Centar.
- Podgorica is a year-round rental market, so contracts are mostly signed for twelve months, without the seasonal swings seen on the coast.
- Net yield is typically one to one and a half percentage points below gross yield because of voids, tax, maintenance and fees.
- A written lease with a deposit and a signed handover record is the owner's only real protection in a dispute with a tenant.
Sources and further reading
- MONSTAT — Reference for population, employment and housing data shaping rental demand in the capital.
- Poreska uprava Crne Gore — Authority for declaring and paying tax on income from letting property.
- Zakon o obligacionim odnosima Crne Gore — Legal framework for lease contracts, deposits and notice periods described in this article.
- Trust Real Estate MNE — Rents and yields derived from lease contracts the agency brokered in Podgorica during 2026; details on request.