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A real case study from Lodz: a client inherited an apartment after her grandmother and asked us whether it made more sense to sell it or to put it on the long-term rental market. We did the numbers, did the renovation and rented it room by room to students. Here is exactly what we did, why and what the final result looks like.
Our client inherited a fairly large apartment on Pomorska in Lodz – a flat with several rooms, a separate kitchen, a tight bathroom and a hallway that, after years of use, looked far from inviting. The starting point was tough: dark wood panelling, worn-out floors, old kitchen and bathroom fittings and outdated electrics. The client did not live in Lodz and did not want to manage the apartment herself.
The first question was straightforward – sell or rent? We sat down with the numbers in front of us. Selling would bring a one-off, sizeable amount, but the rental market in Lodz, especially the student segment, is very stable. The apartment is located in a part of the city well connected with the main universities, so demand for rooms is genuinely high all year round.
We presented the client with two scenarios. The first one – renting the entire apartment to one family or a group of flatmates – gave a predictable but lower return. The second one – renting the rooms separately – meant a noticeably higher monthly income, but required slightly more attention to layout, common areas and the standard of finish. After running the math, we went with the second option.
The biggest room with a balcony, originally used as a living room, was repurposed as a separate, fully equipped room for a tenant. That single decision had a major impact on the budget: instead of a shared space we got another full rental room, with its own bed, desk, wardrobe and direct access to a private balcony.
The next challenge was the smallest room. In many similar apartments this kind of space ends up as storage or a walk-in closet. We took a different route – we designed the layout so that even on a few square metres a student gets everything they need: a comfortable daybed, a proper desk by the window and storage tailored to the dimensions of the room.
Thanks to that we squeezed one more rental room out of the apartment, which directly translated into the final rate of return. From the tenant point of view it is a fully functional room, not the leftover space – and that matters when it comes to attracting good, long-term tenants.
The renovation was full-scope. We started with the basics – new electrics, fresh paint, sanded floors and new interior doors. The biggest visual change happened in the kitchen and the bathroom, the two spaces that decide whether a tenant signs the lease and stays for the long haul.
In the kitchen we went for anthracite fronts and a light wooden worktop. A simple, neutral combination that does not get tiring, is easy to keep clean and looks great in photos for the listing. We added a built-in oven, induction hob, fridge and a kettle – everything ready to go on day one.
The bathroom got a full refresh – white tiles, black fittings, a walk-in shower and a built-in washing machine. Compact but well thought-out: a wash basin with a cabinet, a tall storage unit for personal items and good lighting in front of the mirror.
Each room was set up to a similar, repeatable standard – daybed, desk with drawers, wardrobe, swivel chair and ceiling light. Identical equipment in every room makes the apartment easier to manage and treats every tenant fairly.
The room with the balcony – originally the largest space – works really well. The blue daybed with cushions, the wall shelves and direct access to the balcony make it the most popular room when we show the apartment to candidates.
A second view of the same room shows the desk area. There is enough space to lay out books, set up two monitors and still keep enough free surface for daily life.
The smallest of the bigger rooms got a long desk with two drawer units, plenty of natural light and a full-height wardrobe – a typical study and sleep combination.
The smallest room turned out a real surprise – thanks to a custom-fit layout it does not feel cramped at all and is fully usable as a separate rental unit.
Another tenant room – identical equipment standard, but a different layout that takes advantage of the natural light and the shape of the walls.
A close-up on the workstation by the window. We deliberately put a long desk with drawers in every room: thinking about students, it had to be a place that is genuinely good for studying, not just a decoration.
The hallway is the first space every tenant and every visitor sees, so we cared about its standard. Wall mirrors, a shoe cabinet, an empty wall to add posters or photos – a simple, neutral base that anyone can make their own.
In the bathroom, on top of the visual change, what counts most is functionality: an actually usable cabinet under the wash basin, a tall storage column for personal items and a built-in washing machine. Small details, but they are what make tenants comfortable from day one.
After the renovation the apartment was let to students within days. Each room is rented separately under a long-term contract, with a unified standard and the same equipment in every space. From the client perspective this means a steady, predictable income every month – much higher than what renting the apartment as a single unit would have produced.
What is just as important – we took the entire process off the client plate, from the design and the renovation all the way to finding the tenants and signing the contracts. The client made the key decisions; we took care of everything in between.
If you have inherited an apartment, or you are considering buying one with rental in mind, it is worth weighing up renting room by room – especially in cities with a strong student presence like Lodz. The key elements are: a well thought-out layout (no lost rooms), a renovation built around durability and repeatability, identical equipment standard in every room, and good photos plus a clear lease.
Want us to run the numbers for your apartment and tell you whether renting room by room makes sense? You can book a consultation or check out our service packages.
Author: Konrad Kopczyński
The above text is a case study based on a real project carried out by GoldenSquare. Some financial details and personal information have been adjusted to protect the client privacy. The content is informational in nature and does not constitute investment, legal or tax advice.
