Demand for rental apartments in Ukraine: where people will be looking for housing the most in 2026
14 April 12:46
This year, demand for rental apartments has risen in most regional centers across Ukraine. The OLX Real Estate team investigated which cities have the highest demand by analyzing the number of responses per long-term rental listing in March 2026, according to "Komersant Ukrainian", citing data from OLX.
The analysis covers the segments of 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom apartments and shows which cities have the highest competition for rental housing.
Where is the highest demand for 1-bedroom apartments?
Searcher activity was highest in Zaporizhzhia in March 2026: nearly 40 responses per listing for a 1-bedroom apartment. This is nearly four times higher than in March 2025. A noticeable increase in demand was also observed in Kharkiv: 30 responses per listing (a threefold increase).
High demand was also recorded in Sumy, with 25 responses per listing. However, compared to last year, it is 56% lower. The same level of activity is seen in Zhytomyr, with 25 responses per listing, though here there is a 48% increase compared to March 2025.
Demand at the level of 20–24 responses per listing for a one-bedroom apartment was observed in a number of cities, including:
- Kropyvnytskyi, 24 responses per listing
- Chernivtsi, 23 responses per listing
- Uzhhorod and Cherkasy, 20 responses per listing
In contrast, in major regional centers, demand for one-bedroom apartments was recorded at 11–15 responses. However, while this figure is higher than last year in some cities (Lviv +40%, Dnipro +3% ), demand has decreased in others (Odesa -28%, Kyiv -15% ).
Where are 2-bedroom apartments most in demand?
In the 2-bedroom apartment rental segment, Zaporizhzhia also leads in terms of demand: in March 2026, there were 38 responses per listing. Kharkiv ranks second, with 37 responses per listing. In both cities, these figures are nearly four times higher than in March 2025. Sumy recorded 27 responses per listing, which, conversely, is 51% lower compared to last year.
In Kropyvnytskyi, demand stands at 23 responses per listing for 2-bedroom apartment rentals. Figures ranging from 20 to 21 responses per listing were observed in Kherson and Lutsk. Overall, searcher activity in these cities has increased compared to last year.
Demand in the 2-bedroom apartment rental segment is somewhat lower in Cherkasy ( 19 responses per listing), Zhytomyr ( 18), and Uzhhorod ( 16).
There were 12 responses per listing in Lviv (46%). Demand also increased in Dnipro: by 12% to 9 responses per listing. In Kyiv and Odesa, demand fell to 10 responses per listing (by -6% and -29%, respectively).
What is the demand for renting 3-bedroom apartments?
Demand is lower in the 3-bedroom apartment rental segment, but in certain cities it is still noticeably higher than in others.
Among them, as in other segments, is Zaporizhzhia, where searcher activity increased nearly fourfold: to 29 responses in March 2026. In Sumy , however, the figure fell by 37%, to 28 responses per listing this year.
Demand in Kharkiv and Cherkasy was recorded at 20–22 responses per listing for a 3-bedroom apartment. In Uzhhorod, Kherson, and Zhytomyr , activity ranged from 15 to 17 responses per listing in March 2026.
In major cities, demand ranges from 5 to 7 responses per listing. In Odesa and Kyiv, this is lower than in March 2025. In Lviv and Dnipro, however, demand has increased.
Why demand for apartment rentals is growing
Demand for rentals is generally rising, though the trend varies by region: the most significant growth is observed in frontline cities and some central cities, driven by population migration, demand from the military, and, in some cases, limited housing supply.
In large cities, there has been a slight decline in activity, which can be attributed to both security concerns and seasonal fluctuations in demand.
At the same time, western regions maintain consistently high interest in rentals with a gradual increase.
That said, the highest demand in all cities is traditionally concentrated in the 1- and 2-bedroom apartment segment.
Where is the demand for apartment rentals highest overall
When evaluating all segments together, the main leaders in the apartment rental market in March 2026 were:
- Zaporizhzhia;
- Kharkiv;
- Sumy;
- Zhytomyr;
- Kropyvnytskyi;
- Cherkasy;
- Uzhhorod.
It was in these cities that the number of responses per listing was highest, indicating fierce competition among renters.
What types of apartments are most frequently sought
As before, the highest demand in most cities is concentrated in the segment of 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments.
These types of housing remain the most sought-after among those looking for long-term rentals.
