Swedish housing giant is negotiating with leading developers. It has now 1,400 premises, and in five years it wants to have even seven times as many.

Heimstaden is the third-largest player on the European PRS (private rented sector) market, i.e. the sector of institutional rental housing. So far, it has operated mainly in Scandinavia, but a few years ago it also appeared in the Benelux countries, and recently also in Germany and the Czech Republic. In Poland, in December last year, it bought 640 apartments for rent in Warsaw from Eiffage, and in January 650 from Marvipol. This, however, did not satisfy the appetites of the Swedish tycoon.

"I hope we will have several thousand apartments this year, although I cannot say whether it will be 2,000 or 3,000. In five years the number will reach 5,000-10,000," Stanislav Kubáček, head of the European acquisitions team for CEE and Germany in Heimstaden, said.

He is counting on another significant purchase in the spring. He does not reveal the details.

"We are not limited to Warsaw, our plans apply to the largest cities: Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, and Gdańsk. We are closely monitoring the local markets," he added.

In his opinion, the advantage of our market is also – unlike in the Czech Republic or Hungary – a significant demographic decentralization and a lot of strong urban centers. There is also little competition in the apartment rental segment, and obtaining building permits is shorter and easier than in the Czech Republic.

"As a result, perhaps 20 skyscrapers have been erected in Warsaw over the last decade, while in Prague just one," Czech noted.

(Puls Biznesu)