Ireland’s Bartek Real Estate targets private rental sector in Poland

Irish investor group, Bartek Real Estate, is seeking to capitalize on the burgeoning private rental sector in Poland. 

Bartek Real Estate

Backed by prominent financial and legal figures, including Niall Molloy and David Dillon, the Dublin-based firm aims to raise €20-40 mln to invest in Polish rental properties.
The company will kick off with the 133-unit Project Art in Lodz and is assessing over 50 urban developments in cities like Łódź and Wrocław, aiming to generate attractive, ESG-aligned returns for investors.
Bartek is partnering with Polish developer OPG Property Professionals, of which experienced Irish investor William Gleeson is the founder and chairman. It plans to use a combination of equity and debt for development, with a long-term "build-and-hold" strategy.
Poland's appeal lies in its significant housing shortage, strong rental demand, and the absence of rent control laws. Bartek notes that only 0.1% of Polish housing is currently owned by institutional PRS investors, whereas Savills estimates this figure to be around 20% in Dublin. 
PwC's analysis of the Polish PRS market indicates rapid growth, with institutional rental stock increasing by 32% in the past year, reaching about 20,000 units, and projected to quadruple by 2028.
Contributing to this demand is a high overcrowding rate of nearly 37% (according to Eurostat), far exceeding the EU average, along with a substantial need to modernize its aging housing stock, primarily consisting of outdated, prefabricated flats. 
The investors believe this presents a unique opportunity to establish a strong position in a rapidly growing market with significant potential for institutional investment.