Apartment Search in Tbilisi: Long-Term Rentals and Purchases
Anyone can open a few listing sites. The harder part is finding an apartment that fits your everyday life: your budget, the commute to university or work, heating, parking, a dog, children and the contract terms people usually start thinking about only after the viewing.
I offer a personal apartment search in Tbilisi for long-term rentals and purchases. We start with questions, not a list of properties: why you need the apartment, who will live there, where you need to go every day, what's essential, what's flexible and what budget is realistic.
I moved to Tbilisi in 2023. I lived in Tabakhmela first and now live in Shindisi, so I know from experience how much the same city changes depending on where you wake up and how long it takes to get anywhere. I've been practising law in St Petersburg for more than twenty years, which is why I read a contract as carefully as I look at an apartment.
Long-term rental apartment search
I work with long-term rentals, not holiday accommodation. This is especially useful for people relocating to Tbilisi, parents of students, families with children or pets, and anyone who wants a home that works in ordinary life, not just one that looks good in a listing.
Once we have the brief, I search current options, contact owners and agents, clarify the terms and arrange viewings.
If you're still getting to know the local market, start with my practical guide to renting an apartment in Tbilisi.
Apartment search for buyers
When you're buying, my first question isn't which apartment to show you but why you're buying. A home for yourself, an apartment for rental income and a property that should be easy to resell can lead to very different choices of neighbourhood, building and unit.
I help you define what to look for, compare areas and properties, arrange viewings and judge each option by the purpose of the purchase, not just by its photos. If formal due diligence under Georgian law is needed, a licensed Georgian lawyer is brought in.
For the process, documents and practical questions, see Buying Property in Tbilisi.
How the search works
1. The brief. You send me your search details on WhatsApp, using the list below.
2. The shortlist. I review the market against your brief, remove anything unsuitable, check availability and key terms and keep only the options worth considering.
3. Contact and viewings. I speak to owners or agents, ask the questions a listing can't answer and arrange viewings.
4. Terms before a decision. For a rental, that means lease length, payments, deposit, currency, utilities, repairs and who is responsible for what. For a purchase, it means the transaction documents and, where needed, separate legal due diligence by a Georgian specialist.
Commission
In most cases, there's no commission for the tenant: the owner pays it. If the owner of a particular apartment doesn't, my commission is 50% of one month's rent. I always tell you this in advance, before you decide on the apartment.
For purchases, the buyer usually doesn't pay a commission either: the seller pays it. If the seller of a particular property doesn't, my commission is 3% of the purchase price. I tell you this in advance too, before you decide on the property.
A neighbourhood that fits your life
There's no single best neighbourhood in Tbilisi. Vake can be an excellent choice and still be wrong for a particular person. Saburtalo sometimes wins not on postcard looks but on the metro, a school, a university or a shorter commute. In Vera, the individual building can matter as much as the neighbourhood. For a family with a car, or anyone who wants a quieter pace, Bagebi, Lisi or Krtsanisi may work better than the centre.
So the useful question isn't “Which neighbourhood is best?” but “Which neighbourhood works for the way you live?” My guide to the best neighbourhoods in Tbilisi is a good place to start.
Who this is for
You can get in touch if you're:
- relocating and don't know the city well yet;
- looking for housing for a son or daughter coming to study;
- moving with your family;
- renting with a dog or cat;
- still living abroad;
- not keen to spend days phoning about listings;
- planning to buy and want to understand what kind of property fits your purpose.
What to send me
For a useful first message on WhatsApp, include:
- renting or buying;
- timeframe;
- budget;
- number of people and bedrooms;
- university, school or workplace;
- preferred area, if you have one;
- children or pets;
- anything else that's essential.
If you don't know the neighbourhood yet, that's fine. Sometimes the right search starts with working out where you'd actually be comfortable living, and only then opening the listings.
Who will handle your search
Frequently asked questions
Yes. I don't set an artificial minimum before I understand the brief. What's realistic depends on the neighbourhood, the number of rooms, the dates, the condition of the apartment and your other requirements, so it's best to send me the details first.
Yes. The exact university or campus matters here, because distance on a map doesn't always show the real daily journey in Tbilisi.
Yes, but mention pets from the start. It narrows the choice, but it means we don't waste time on apartments whose owners won't accept a dog or cat anyway.
Yes. We can agree on the budget, neighbourhoods and requirements in advance, see what's on the market and have options ready for your arrival. The exact process depends on your timing and on whether you're renting or buying.
Yes, closely. More than twenty years of legal practice taught me to read the whole contract: payments, responsibilities and any wording that could cause problems later. If you need a formal opinion under Georgian law, I recommend a separate review by a licensed Georgian lawyer.