
Tourists, even beyond the summer season, are keeping rental prices high in Tirana. Especially in the area near the center of the capital, including the Bazaar and the New Boulevard, Elbasan Street, the "Air Albania" stadium or the former Block, the monthly rent for an apartment ranges from 700 to 1,500 euros.
"Today, as we speak, there are several companies that rent apartments on Booking or AirBnb that have 40 apartments each. Especially in areas near the center of Tirana, tourism has made rents very expensive," says Erjon Alimema, a real estate agent.
And as tourist flows continue to grow, with most of them "stuck" in Tirana, real estate agents warn of more headaches for everyone.
"A situation is being created where the resident of Tirana is competing with the tourist for the same apartment. And when the offer for families decreases, the price automatically increases. If this continues, we will find it increasingly difficult to find apartments at affordable prices ," declares Gjin Gjoka, an entrepreneur in "Real Estate".
According to data from AirDNA, which analyzes statistics on daily rental accommodation structures from the Airbnb platform, the number of apartments and houses listed for daily rental in Tirana has reached around 50 thousand.
"There must be a balance between tourism and the needs of the city. Not every apartment can be turned into an accommodation unit, because in the end Tirana should be a city where people actually live, not just a destination where tourists stay ," says Gjin Gjoka, an entrepreneur in "Real Estate".
According to studies by the Bank of Albania, apartment sales prices in the capital are softening, but the opposite is happening with rents. /A2