Long-term apartment rental in Batumi: for a year, for winter and for living

A long-term apartment rental in Batumi is a lease for six months, a year or longer at a monthly price, with a deposit and an inventory. It is chosen by people who live here all year round: families, people who have moved here to work, and those getting to know the city before buying. We help find an apartment that is comfortable to live in during winter, not just for looking at the sea in summer, and draw up a lease that protects both sides.

Long-term apartment rental in Batumi: when to look

The long-term rental market depends on the season. From autumn to spring owners of apartments by the sea are more willing to let for a long term, because there are few short-term guests. In spring some of them offer a lease only until June, so that they can return to short-term letting in summer. If you need an apartment for a year rather than until the start of the season, look at buildings where the apartments are not designed for tourists: in the centre, on Heroes Alley, in Boni-Gorodok and in the Airport district.

We fix the term in the lease straight away. The wording "for a long period" without a date guarantees nothing, and the owner may ask you to move out by summer.

The price: for a year, for winter and in which currency

The monthly price is given in dollars or lari. If the lease is in dollars and your income is in another currency, the exchange rate becomes part of the price too. A lease for a year often works out cheaper per month than a winter lease with moving out in May, but this depends on the owner and the apartment.

We record whether the rent changes during the term. If the owner wants to raise the price for the summer or on renewal, this must be in the lease in advance, with the amount or the way it is calculated. Then there will be no conversation in July about new prices for the season.

Utility payments and bills

In Batumi the bills for electricity, water and gas are issued by Energo-Pro Georgia, Batumis Tskali and SOCAR Georgia Gas, and they are usually in the owner's name. The tenant pays by the meters, directly or through the owner, and the internet and the building's service charge are split according to the lease. Ask to see last winter's bills: they show what heating and air conditioning will cost.

We record the meter readings in the report on moving-in day and on moving-out day. If the apartment has utility debts, the owner clears them before you move in, and we check this against the bills too.

Winter, damp and heating

Humidity in Batumi rarely drops below 70 %, and in winter rain comes in spells of several days. An apartment that seems dry in September may have stains behind the wardrobe by January. At the viewing we check the corners, the window reveals and wardrobes against outside walls, and ask how the apartment is heated and whether there is a dehumidifier.

New buildings are more often heated with air conditioners, while some buildings have a gas boiler. A boiler needs servicing before winter, and the lease should say who is responsible for this and who pays.

A lease for a long term

The longer the lease, the more important the clauses nobody thinks about on the first day. How to give notice of leaving early and what happens to the deposit then. Who pays to repair appliances that broke down from age rather than through the tenant's fault. Whether pets are allowed, who may live with you and whether the apartment may be sublet. What happens to the lease if the owner sells the apartment.

The inventory of furniture and appliances with photos will be your main document when you move out. The lease and the deposit are covered in detail on our page about the rental agreement. A lease with a handover report and inventory starts from 240 ₾.

Furniture, appliances and a place to work

Long-term apartments in Batumi are most often let furnished. But what is enough for a tourist for a week is often not enough for living: there is no oven, no clothes airer, no proper desk and chair, no storage space. If something is missing, agree it with the owner before signing and record the purchase in the lease or the inventory.

If you work from home, check the internet before signing: the speed, the provider and whether another one can be connected. In a building with short-term apartments the corridors and the pool area are noisy in summer, and this too is better found out in advance. If you are renting with a view to buying later, a comparison of the two routes is on our page buy or rent.

If you are an owner

Long-term letting gives an even income and less hassle than a stream of guests. Finding a long-term tenant costs 90–120 % of one month's rent, and if you have no time to run the rental yourself, management costs 15–18 % of the monthly rent. How we let apartments is explained on our page rent out an apartment, and what we do after the tenant moves in on our page about long-term rental management.

How much help with a long-term rental costs

Finding a rental apartment for a tenant costs 90–120 % of one month's rent: the search, viewings, checking the owner and help with the lease. A lease with a handover report and inventory starts from 240 ₾, a consultation with a property lawyer of up to an hour from 155 ₾.

The final price is set after we review the task and agree the scope of work. You pay the deposit and the rent to the owner, and they are not part of our fee.