Finding an apartment in Vilnius as a foreigner
Have you ever tried to rent an apartment in a country where you can't read most of the listings? That's the reality for a lot of people moving to Vilnius. The market keeps moving, prices are creeping up, and most landlords still write their ads in Lithuanian. None of that is a deal-breaker, but it helps to know what you're walking into before you start scrolling at 2am.
What the market actually looks like in 2026
Vilnius is not London or Berlin, but it's also not the cheap post-Soviet capital some people still imagine. As of January 2026, the average rent in Vilnius sits around 15.20 EUR per square meter, according to Investropa's 2026 rental data. In the old town and renovated central buildings, you'll see 16 to 20 EUR per square meter. Outer districts like Pašilaičiai or Šeškinė can drop to 11 to 14 EUR.
In practice that means a furnished one-bedroom in central neighborhoods like Naujamiestis, Šnipiškės, or Senamiestis costs around 550 to 850 EUR per month. A two-bedroom usually lands between 700 and 1,200 EUR. Studios start around 450 EUR if you're willing to live further out and accept some Soviet-era charm.
Prices keep going up, roughly 4% year-over-year, and the vacancy rate hovers around 4%. That number matters more than people realize. When you find a decent place at a fair price, you have hours, not days. People who treat the search like a slow weekend project usually end up paying more for a worse apartment.
Where everyone looks (and where they should)
The two main websites are Aruodas.lt and Domoplius.lt. Both are mostly in Lithuanian, but Chrome's translate function is enough to get you through. Filtering by "be tarpininkų" means "no agents," which saves you the broker fee that some listings include. Facebook groups like "Butų nuoma Vilniuje" are also active, and that's where landlords often post before going to the bigger sites.
If you don't speak Lithuanian, a real-estate agent makes life easier. The standard fee is one month's rent, paid by the tenant, and good agents will negotiate, translate the contract, and walk you through the residency paperwork. Whether they're worth it depends on how much time you have and how nervous you are about signing contracts in a foreign language.
One quiet warning. Some landlords still openly say "no foreigners" in their ads. It's frustrating, often illegal, and worth ignoring rather than fighting. Move on. There are plenty of landlords in Vilnius who rent to expats happily, especially in Naujamiestis and Šnipiškės where the IT and fintech crowd lives.
The paperwork you can't skip
You'll need a passport and proof of income, usually a work contract or three months of payslips. Most landlords ask for a deposit equal to one or two months of rent, plus a signed contract. Always sign a written contract. Verbal agreements are not unusual here, but they make it impossible to argue about damage or deposits later.
The thing many foreigners miss is the "deklaracija," the residency declaration. Once you have a residence permit, you have to declare your address officially with the migration department. The landlord has to give written consent for this, and not every landlord does. If yours refuses, walk away. Without a registered address you'll have problems with banks, healthcare, and your residence permit renewal. Decline anything that starts with "we'll figure it out later."
The basic rules are laid out by LithuaniaLaw.com, but the short version is that the deposit must be returned at the end of the contract minus any documented damages, and landlords cannot raise the rent mid-contract unless the agreement allows it.
Coliving, shared flats, and the furniture question
Most apartments in Vilnius come furnished. That sounds obvious if you're from Eastern Europe, but it surprises people from the UK, Germany, or the US, where unfurnished is the default. A nicely furnished flat will cost you 50 to 150 EUR more per month than a comparable empty one, and many landlords list every item in the contract, from the couch to the toaster. You're liable if any of it gets damaged, so read that list before you sign and take photos on day one.
If you don't want to commit to a year-long contract right away, coliving spaces have become a popular option in Vilnius. Local operators like Youston, Solo Society, and Shed offer monthly stays in fully furnished apartments with utilities, internet, and cleaning included. Private rooms run roughly 700 to 1,000 EUR per month, which sounds like a lot until you remember there's no year-long lease, and no need to buy a hairdryer. It's the easiest way to settle in for a month or two while you actually look at neighborhoods in person.
Shared flats are also more common than people expect, and given the typical Vilnius salary that math makes sense for anyone in their first year here. We covered the numbers in detail in our post on what counts as a good salary in Vilnius, but a private room for 350 to 500 EUR is a perfectly reasonable starting point. Facebook groups like "Vilnius Roommates" are where most of the listings appear.
One last thing worth knowing. Heating in older Soviet-era buildings can hit 150 EUR a month from November to March. Newer "naujas namas" buildings cut that in half but charge more rent. If you can, ask the landlord for the previous winter's bills before you sign.
The first apartment you rent in a new country is rarely the one you'll love. Take the year, learn the neighborhoods, and the second one will be the place you actually want to come home to.