PRESS RELEASE

European leaders share private rental housing experience in Bratislava

European leaders gathered in Bratislava to share experience from mature markets of private, institutionally financed rental housing, with the aim of inspiring Slovak and regional real estate market players.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – The Rented Residential Summit 2026, held on 20 January 2026 at the Sheraton Bratislava Hotel, brought together more than 100 investors, developers, operators, banks, and city representatives who are shaping the private rental housing market - including build-to-rent (BTR), student housing, and co-living - across Europe.

The conference was organised by BONARD, a global private rental housing data provider delivering analytics and research to leading institutional investors. BONARD’s data highlight a significant structural gap in Slovakia’s rental housing market: only around 7% of the population currently lives in rental housing, compared to an EU average of 32% and as much as 53% in Germany. Despite this low share, vacancy rates in Slovak rental housing remain very low, at approximately 4-7%, indicating that high housing prices are making home ownership increasingly unaffordable - not only for owner-occupiers but also for individual buy-to-let investors.

Conference discussions focused on the key pillars of sector development - planning and regulation, financing, building operations, investments, and development. The summit opened with a special panel featuring the chief architects of Porto, Gdańsk, and Bratislava, including Juraj Šujan, Chief Architect of Slovakia’s capital city.

Throughout the programme, speakers repeatedly emphasised the need for clear and predictable regulatory frameworks as a prerequisite for effective dialogue between cities and the private sector. The summit focused on market-oriented, private, and institutional rental housing in its modern form, as seen in mature Western European markets.

Samuel Vetrák, CEO of BONARD, commented:

“Central and Eastern Europe is entering a phase where modern private rental housing is becoming a natural part of the market. The goal of the summit was to bring experience from mature European markets to Bratislava and create space for a fact-based discussion grounded in data and real-world practice.”

The panel dedicated to financing highlighted growing capital interest in residential segments, while discussions on building operations underlined the importance of professional management, service quality, and experienced operators. In the investment and development panel, speakers noted that entry into the private rental housing market is gradually becoming easier; however, lengthy permitting processes and regulatory uncertainty remain key barriers. Further market growth will depend on new supply delivered by developers.

The need for the first reference projects was also repeatedly stressed, as these would establish benchmarks and enable further institutional capital to enter the market.

Michal Rehák, Country Managing Director Slovakia at Penta Real Estate, added:

“Demand for high-quality private rental housing in the region remains strong. However, clarity in regulation, planning processes, and long-term market direction is essential for further development. Events like this help align perspectives across all stakeholders.”

Event Partners

Penta Real Estate, Tatra banka, Crowdberry, EY Slovakia, CMS

About BONARD

BONARD is an independent data company specialising in private rental housing, including student housing, senior living, co-living, and build-to-rent. It provides building-level data and benchmarking across Europe to support informed investment and development decisions.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Jakub Ligac PR & Communications Manager
BONARD
tel: +421 918 547 287

Event Photos