Housing

Steps

1. Look for your home. The listing websites cited by the IOM and Go Vilnius: Aruodas, Domoplius, Rebaltic, Skelbiu, Ober-Haus. Flat-shares are common, especially among young people (IOM). Before the September start of term, prices go up because of students.
2. Visit the property in person and check that the person you are dealing with really is the owner. An extract from the real estate register (Nekilnojamojo turto registras) can be ordered from the Registrų centras; if you are not the owner, you must state why you are requesting it, and issue is not automatic.
3. Read and sign a written lease, preferably in Lithuanian and English (IOM advice). It must specify the rent, the duration, the running costs (heating, water, electricity, waste: included or billed separately), the inventory of furniture and the conditions for leaving.
4. Pay the deposit and the first month's rent only after signing, preferably by bank transfer to keep a record.
5. If you want to protect your lease, register it at the Registrų centras: online in the self-service (qualified electronic signature of all parties: mobile signature, LT ID, etc.), by email, by post, at the counter or at a notary. The online service exists only in Lithuanian.
6. Declare your residence within the month (sheet LT-ADMINISTRATIONS-TOUS-001): when renting, the landlord must give their written agreement, or confirm it online within 5 working days.
7. Do a check-out inspection when you leave to get your deposit back.

Documents

• Passport or identity card (at the Registrų centras counter, a passport, identity card or driving licence issued in the EU or EEA is accepted).
• The lease signed by all parties, with its annexes (inventory), and the unique number (unikalus numeris) of the property if it is to be registered.
• For the declaration of residence: the landlord's agreement.
• Often requested by landlords: employment contract or proof of income (common practice, not required by any official source consulted).

Costs and timelines

• Indicative rents: in Vilnius, from €410 per month for a studio and €650 for a two-room flat; Kaunas from €320 and €470; Klaipėda about €300 and €400 (EURES, April 2025 page). For the larger cities, the IOM gives from €270 on the outskirts to more than €700 plus running costs in the centre for a one-bedroom (undated page).
• Deposit: "generally 1 to 3 months' rent" according to the IOM. The Civil Code sets no ceiling: the contract decides (checked in the official version up to date as of 30/06/2022).
• Registration of the lease (Registrų centras, 2026): €8.19 in 5 working days, €10.65 in 3 days, €16.38 in 1 day.
• Real estate register extract (2026): €2.64 in electronic version.
• Declaration of residence: free of charge.
• Notice (Civil Code, Art. 6.609 and 6.614): you, as tenant, can end the lease at any time by giving the landlord written notice one month in advance; otherwise they can claim damages from you. A landlord who rents out on a commercial basis can end an open-ended lease only by giving you six months' written notice. A fixed-term lease ends at its term.

Common pitfalls

• Paying before you have seen the property and the contract. This is the IOM's warning No 1: no remote transfer to "reserve" a flat.
• A lease that is not in writing or not registered. A lease of more than one year must be in writing (Article 6.478 of the Civil Code); if not registered, it remains valid between you and the landlord, but cannot be enforced against a buyer if the property is sold.
• A landlord who refuses the declaration of residence. Without a declared residence, many procedures get blocked (health, taxes, bank): have it stated in the lease before signing. For the declaration itself, the Migration Department accepts a signed lease: it requires neither a notary nor registration at the Registrų centras (MIGRIS).
• Forgotten running costs. In Lithuania, heating can weigh heavily in winter: ask for the previous winter's bills.
• A contract only in Lithuanian. Ask for a version in a language you understand, also signed.

What changes by country of origin

• EU and EEA citizens, Swiss citizens: same rental rules as Lithuanians.
• British citizens (Scots included): same lease; the declaration of residence follows the granting of the residence permit (sheet LT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).
• Everyone: online registration of the lease requires a qualified electronic signature (mobile signature, LT ID); without one, go through the counter or a notary.