Finishing a Flat for Rent – Standard, Budget and What Pays Back

Finishing a flat to let is an investment, not decorating an interior for yourself: what counts is durability, a quick start to the tenancy and how many years it takes for the rent to repay the money spent. For a 30 m² studio in Wroclaw, finishing with furnishings costs roughly PLN 60–140k and pays back from the rent after about 3–7 years, depending on the standard. Below we show which materials to choose, what the flat must contain, how taxes treat these expenses and how the finishing standard affects profitability – using a studio from our offer as the example.

Key facts

• Average rent according to the NBP (first quarter of 2026): PLN 85.1/m² in Warsaw and PLN 67.5/m² in the group of 6 large cities including Wroclaw – excluding service charges and utilities.
• A 29.13 m² studio for PLN 495 210 (Krzyki): finishing and furnishing outlay of about PLN 62–138k, net yield 3.0–3.5%, payback of the outlay after 3.2–7.2 years.
• A higher standard only "holds up" if it raises the rent: by about 5% for medium, by about 14% for high compared with economy – to keep the same yield.
• With the flat-rate tax on private rental (8.5% up to PLN 100 000 of revenue) you cannot deduct finishing costs – but outlays documented with invoices will reduce the tax on a sale before 5 years have passed.
• A finishing service in a residential unit of up to 150 m² can carry 8% VAT, including on materials supplied by the contractor; materials you buy yourself – 23%.

How to finish a flat to let – an investor's rules

You finish a flat for yourself to your own taste. A flat to let – for a tenant you do not know yet, and for several changes of tenants over a decade. Four rules follow from this:

• Neutral and bright. White or light-grey walls, a wood-tone floor, simple fronts. Such a unit looks good in the listing photos and suits most tenants.
• Durability over effect. Every repair between tenants costs money and days of vacancy. Choose materials resistant to water, scratches and scrubbing.
• Easy replacement. Popular tile formats, standard door and appliance dimensions, paints from the manufacturer's palette – so that a damaged element can be bought again in a few years.
• Quickly to the market. Every month of works is a month without rent. A 30 m² studio usually means about 6–8 weeks of finishing – the order of works is described in our guide Finishing a developer-standard flat step by step.

Durable materials for rental – where not to save

The floor, walls and kitchen fronts wear out the most. It is worth paying extra here, because the difference in material price is small compared with the cost of later replacement together with labour.

• Floor: SPC vinyl or porcelain stoneware. SPC vinyl panels are waterproof and cope well with heavy use – in DIY stores they cost about PLN 50–110/m² (most often PLN 70–100/m²). AC4 laminate is cheaper (about PLN 25–50/m²), but copes worse with water in the kitchenette and the hallway. In the bathroom, hallway and by the kitchen, glazed porcelain stoneware tiles of 60×60 (about PLN 40–100/m²) work well. You will find a comparison of materials in the article laminate, wood or vinyl.
• Walls: latex paints with high scrub resistance. Wet scrub resistance is defined by the PN-EN 13300 standard (classes 1–5; the lower the class, the more durable the coating). In a rental flat choose class 1 or 2 and one colour in all rooms – you can touch up between tenants from a single tin.
• Kitchen: laminated board fronts, a moisture-resistant worktop. Laminated fronts are cheaper and less sensitive to knocks than high-gloss lacquered ones. Handles instead of "push" systems – they fail less often.
• Bathroom: a shower instead of a bath, mid-range fittings. The cheapest tap and cistern are the most common failures reported by tenants. We write about bathroom costs in the article bathroom finishing cost.

Material prices: indicative ranges from DIY store price lists, September 2026. Where can you save without harming the tenancy? On decorative lighting, made-to-measure built-ins outside the kitchen, stucco mouldings, wallpapers and expensive large-format tiles – a tenant will rarely pay more for them.

Furnishing a rental flat – list and costs

The rental market is dominated by furnished units with a full set of appliances. A per-m² rate from a finishing firm usually does not include a made-to-measure kitchen, wardrobes, furniture and appliances – they must be added separately. A minimum list for a studio:

Item	Indicative price	Notes
Kitchenette of about 3 running metres (without appliances)	PLN 7 500–18 000	economy about PLN 2 500–3 500 per running metre; laminated fronts
Induction hob	PLN 900–3 700	in a small kitchenette 2–3 zones are enough
Built-in fridge	PLN 1 500–4 500	height about 177–194 cm
45 cm built-in dishwasher	PLN 1 050–2 900	increasingly expected by tenants
Washing machine	PLN 880–3 500	in a narrow bathroom – a slim model
Sofa bed or 140×200 bed with mattress	PLN 1 000–3 100	in a studio a sofa often replaces the bed
Wardrobe (modular or built-in)	PLN 3 400–4 700	made-to-measure 2-door alcove wardrobe in Wroclaw
Table and 2 chairs	PLN 270–700	ready-made sets for two
Lighting (ceiling lamps)	PLN 30–150 each	3–5 points in a studio

After adding it up and including small items (a cooker hood or recirculating extractor, blinds, a mirror, curtain rails, hooks) we assume three furnishing budgets for a studio: about PLN 18k (economy), about PLN 28k (medium) and about PLN 42k (high). Bedding, crockery and small appliances (kettle, vacuum cleaner) are another PLN 1–2k – some owners leave them, some do not. We discuss layouts and furniture for smaller floor areas in the articles how to furnish a studio and how to furnish a 2-room flat.

A flat to let – finishing versus cost and yield (calculation)

Let us take a specific studio from our offer: Apartamenty Krakowska 8 in Wroclaw's Krzyki district, a 1-room unit of 29.13 m² for PLN 495 210 (PLN 17 000/m²), in a building that is already in use – according to data from the TM Invest offer, as at 27.09.2026. A completed building is an important advantage for an investment: letting can start right after finishing.

Assumptions (using the method from the article rental yield of a flat):

• rent = 29.13 m² × PLN 67.5/m² (NBP average for 6 cities) = PLN 1 966 per month, PLN 23 592 per year;
• 95% occupancy, 8.5% flat-rate tax on revenue, property tax PLN 1.25/m², a reserve for repairs and insurance of 5% of rent; service charges are paid by the tenant – net income of PLN 19 291 per year;
• finishing – the middle of the range for Wroclaw: PLN 1 500 / 2 200 / 3 300 per m² (economy / medium / high), plus furnishing of PLN 18 / 28 / 42k;
• transaction costs (notary's fee, court fees) of about PLN 2k – details in the article costs of buying a flat from a developer; purchase for cash.

Standard	Finishing	Furnishing	Total outlay	Total cost	Gross yield	Net yield	Payback of outlay
Economy	PLN 43 695	PLN 18 000	PLN 61 695	PLN 558 905	4.2%	3.45%	3.2 years
Medium	PLN 64 086	PLN 28 000	PLN 92 086	PLN 589 296	4.0%	3.27%	4.8 years
High	PLN 96 129	PLN 42 000	PLN 138 129	PLN 635 339	3.7%	3.04%	7.2 years

How to read it? With the same rent rate, every extra thousand zloty in finishing lowers the yield. The medium option costs about PLN 30k more than the economy one – for it to give the same net yield (3.45%), the rent would have to rise by about PLN 107 per month (about 5%). The high option would require a rent higher by about PLN 268 (about 14%). The first scenario is realistic – a well-kept flat with a dishwasher and a decent floor usually lets faster and for more than the "cheapest" in the area. The second – in a studio in Krzyki rather hard to achieve.

The table does not yet show two things. First, cheap furnishings wear out faster, so replacement after a few years "eats" part of the savings. Second, a better standard usually shortens vacancies and attracts more stable tenants. That is why, in our assessment, the break-even point for a typical rental flat is the medium standard with durable materials, not "premium" finishing. We discuss the overall balance of opportunities and risks of such an investment in the guide a flat as an investment.

Looking for a flat that will still add up well after finishing? Our experts will compare offers in Wroclaw's Krzyki district and in other districts in terms of price per m², completion date and rental potential. Help in buying a flat from a developer is in most cases without a commission for the buyer – the developer usually pays our fee.

Studio or 2 rooms – where does finishing weigh less on the return?

A bathroom and a kitchenette cost similar amounts in a studio and in a 2-room flat, so in the smaller unit the outlay per m² is higher. In our example the medium option is about PLN 3 060 for every m² of the studio. For a typical 2-room flat in Wroclaw (median in our offer: 40.8 m², PLN 662 405), medium-standard finishing and furnishing for about PLN 32k give about PLN 2 980/m² and a net yield of about 3.4% – at the same NBP rate per m².

In practice studios often achieve a higher rate per m² than larger units, which offsets the higher finishing cost. A larger floor area, on the other hand, gives a wider group of tenants (couples, flatmates) and usually longer agreements. You will find a detailed comparison in the article studio or 2 rooms to let.

Taxes: flat-rate tax, sale within 5 years and 8% VAT

Flat-rate tax on rental – no deduction of costs. Since 2023 private rental has been taxed only through the flat-rate tax on recorded revenue: 8.5% up to PLN 100 000 of revenue in the year and 12.5% on the excess. You pay tax on the rent, without reducing it by any costs – so expenses on finishing, furniture or appliances will not lower the rental tax. More: tax on flat rental.

Sale within 5 years – outlays count. If you sell the flat before 5 years have passed, counted from the end of the year of acquisition, you will pay 19% tax on the income. The costs then include not only the purchase price but also documented outlays that increased the value of the unit (art. 22(6c) of the Personal Income Tax Act). The outlays are established on the basis of VAT invoices and documents confirming administrative charges (art. 22(6e)). Practical conclusion: take invoices for the finishing, even if you do not plan to sell today. A receipt or an agreement without an invoice may not be enough. Details: tax on selling a flat within 5 years.

8% VAT on a finishing service. Finishing works in a residential unit of up to 150 m² can be taxed at 8% – this also applies to materials that the contractor supplies as part of the service. The same tiles or panels bought yourself in a shop carry 23%. Freestanding furniture and appliances carry the standard rate. When a firm can apply the lower rate is explained in the article 8% VAT on flat finishing.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

Finishing a flat to let is a compromise between durability and cost. Materials resistant to water and scrubbing, a neutral look and a full set of appliances help you find a tenant quickly, but every extra zloty has to come back in the rent. In our studio example from Krzyki the outlay pays back after 3–7 years, and the net yield falls from 3.45% to 3.04% when you choose the high standard instead of economy. Work it out on your own figures before you order a design.

Looking for a flat to let where a budget will remain for sensible finishing? We will help you choose and buy a flat from a developer – in most cases no commission for the buyer, the developer usually pays our fee. You will find current offers in the catalogue new flats in Wroclaw.

Legal position as at September 2026. The calculations are indicative: they are based on the NBP average rental rate, the middle of the ranges from price lists of firms and shops, and the assumptions described in the text. Actual rents and costs may differ. The text is not tax advice or an investment recommendation.

Sources

• Information on housing prices and the situation on the residential and commercial real estate market in Poland in the first quarter of 2026 – Narodowy Bank Polski (rental rates).
• Act on the flat-rate income tax on certain revenues earned by natural persons – consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 843 as amended (art. 12(1)(4)).
• Personal Income Tax Act – consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 592 (art. 9a(6), art. 10(1)(8), art. 22(6c) and (6e), art. 30e).
• Settling revenue from private rental – Ministry of Finance, podatki.gov.pl.
• Value Added Tax Act – consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 775 as amended (art. 41(12)–(12c), art. 146ef).
• Standard PN-EN 13300 – wet scrub resistance classes of paints (after paint manufacturers' technical data sheets).
• Costs of finishing, materials, furniture and appliances: indicative ranges from price lists of finishing firms, DIY stores and shops, September 2026.
• Flat prices: TM Invest development catalogue, as at 27.09.2026.