Renting in Sofia

There are a lot of affordable options in Sofia on AirBNB. I would use one of them  instead of renting out an apartment. It would cost about the same but you wouldn't be tied into a lease and you wouldn't have to deal with upkeep throughout the year. (In my experience, Bulgarian landlords pretty much do nothing to upkeep the apartments they rent- when you are renting it is almost like you are owning as far as all of the maintenance).

But that's just me.

Yes, that appears to be a good alternative.

But having a fixed address and available without informing anyone outweighs the disadvantages.

What are maintenance charges for buildings without elevators ?
And which areas in Sofia provide convenience of cost and location ? And what rents?
Size of the apartment is not important.

Could anyone shed light on this?

Regards.

Hi Sandy,

Generally you have two options - either to hire a flat for an year or to hire it for 5 days every month. Short lets are more expensive than long lets as a rule. So directly calculate number of days for a short lat by hiring price and see if you can get a better deal for a long let.

In both cases you'll have additional costs for electricity, water, heating etc. which should be more or less the same.

In the short let case you will have to search for an accommodation every single time you're visiting Bulgaria.

Audit based approach .... I am an auditor myself.

Hmm..
A 1-year rental  agreement appears  reasonable.

What would rents for a studio apartment in city centre cost ?
And how much for utilities monthly ?

Is there any recent thread I can look up ?

Thanks for inputs.

Could be in very broad limits .... depends on the condition of the flat, furniture, equipment, location, floor, whether in a new or old building .... probably 300 EUR.

Have you selected an area already ??

Monthly costs for electricity will be approximately 30 EUR if not used for heating and probably 70 if heating. Water will probably be sth. like 15 EUR.

Quite roughly, I'll check for some websites whre you can take a look but better find and agency and check several different flats.

No idea about areas but travel to city centre and airport using public transportation is of prime importance.

And combine with a minimum rental cost if possible.

I don't have issues about areas, safety, greenery,etc.
Convenienence in travel & cheap rent is required.

So then select an area close to the subway Line 1. And close to a stop too. Safety is not an issue here. Green areas are everywhere but you'll be working.
Convenience in travelling is guaranteed if close to the subway. Cheap rent depends on your budget, check several properties for best results.

I'd better put you throug a real estate agency. I am renting two properties via them and they do quite a good job for more than 10 yrs. now.

That's a good idea to stay near a subway station, airport line.

Is it cheaper near the airport where I can walk to the airport from the rented place ?

Living near the airport is just out of the question .... neither a living area, nor a pleasant one .... in addition walking to the airport is also not an option.

I spend much of my time in Sofia in the Hadji Dimitar district where my parents in laws live. I've grown to like it. More affordable than closer to downtown/vitosha areas but it's only about a five minute ride on the tram to get to downtown. Very quick by taxi too.

Where we stay there's a Billa across the street to one side, a Fantastico two minutes in the other direction, a school, a market, then right around the corner both a bus stop and an area with dozens of taxis. Plenty of shops or places to get your hair cut, stuff like that nearby. There's also a subway line being built for that district which will add yet another quick option for getting to downtown.

Get an apartment by Serdika station, everything is right there, city center, metro, restaurants, shops, government buildings... A studio should run you €200-€250, airbnb apt in that area will be €20-€30 per night all utilities included.