A lease looks like paperwork until something breaks, the landlord decides to sell, or you want your deposit back. At that point two things matter: what the contract says, and what the Obligations and Contracts Act (ЗЗД) says where the contract is silent. This guide looks at renting from the tenant's side. Rules verified October 2026.

What the lease should contain

Bulgarian law does not require a residential lease to be notarised, but a written contract is your only reliable argument in a dispute. Make sure it covers:

The parties and the property — names and personal or foreign-resident ID numbers, the exact address, floor, area, and any storage room or parking space included. Ask to see the title deed: the lease should be signed by the owner or by someone holding the owner's power of attorney.
Term — fixed (for example one year) or open-ended. Under Art. 229 ЗЗД a lease cannot run for more than 10 years unless it is a commercial transaction.
Rent in euro, the payment date and method — by bank transfer, so every payment is documented.
Indexation. The law does not raise rent automatically. On leases over a year, it is better to agree how and when rent may change (say, once a year with advance notice) than to argue about it later.
Deposit — the amount, what it can be applied to and when it is returned. The law sets neither the size nor the return deadline; both are for the parties to agree.
Bills and charges — who pays electricity, water, heating, internet and the building's service charge (see below).
Notice and early termination — how much notice, and in what form.
Pets, smoking, subletting, landlord visits — anything that matters to you should be written down.

Tax on the rent is the landlord's liability, as are property tax and the municipal waste fee. We cover these in our guide to letting out property and our article on property tax and the waste fee; as a tenant you owe none of them to the state or the municipality.

The handover report and photos

After the lease, this is the most important document. Under Art. 233 ЗЗД you are presumed to have received the property in good condition unless the contrary is proven. If there is a scratched floor, a cracked tile or a broken water heater at move-in and nobody wrote it down, it will be hard to show at move-out that you did not cause it.

The handover report (приемо-предавателен протокол) should record:

electricity, water and heat meter readings;
an inventory of furniture and appliances with make and condition;
every visible defect;
the number of keys and remotes handed over.

Take dated photos and video of every room and send them to the landlord by email or message, so you both hold the same record.

Repairs: yours or the landlord's

Where the lease says nothing different, the Act sets a clear rule:

Situation	Who pays	Legal basis
Property not fit for use when handed over	Landlord	Art. 230(1) ЗЗД
Minor repairs from ordinary use — dirty walls, worn taps and locks, blockages	Tenant	Art. 231(1) ЗЗД
All other damage not caused by the tenant's fault (water heater, plumbing, wiring, windows)	Landlord	Art. 231(2) ЗЗД
Damage caused by you, your household or your guests	Tenant	Art. 233(1) ЗЗД

If the landlord does not fix a defect that is theirs to fix, you can ask for the repair, a proportionate rent reduction, or terminate the lease (Art. 230(2) read with Art. 231(2) ЗЗД). If you carry out the repair yourself with the care of a prudent owner, the law lets you set its cost off against the rent. In practice: notify in writing first, allow a reasonable time, keep the invoices.

You also have to report damage promptly (Art. 233(2) ЗЗД) — a leak you kept quiet about can become your liability.

Use of the home and landlord visits

The lease gives you the right to use the property for the agreed term — for the purpose stated in the lease or, failing that, its normal purpose (Art. 232 ЗЗД). The Act gives the landlord no express right to enter whenever they like. It is sensible to agree in the lease when and with how much notice the landlord may visit — for repairs, or to show the property to future tenants or buyers.

Subletting

Under Art. 234 ЗЗД, unless the lease says otherwise, a tenant may sublet parts of the property without the landlord's consent — but remains liable under the lease, and the subtenant cannot have more rights than the tenant. Most leases expressly prohibit subletting, so read the clause before offering a room to a friend. Short-term letting through platforms without the owner's consent is almost always a breach.

The building and its shared costs

As a tenant you are an "occupant" (обитател) under the Condominium Management Act (ЗУЕС, § 1(5) of its Additional Provisions). Occupants carry the owners' obligations, with two exceptions (Art. 6(3) ЗУЕС):

they do not pay contributions to the building's repair and renovation fund or major repairs to common parts — those stay with the owner;
they do not file the declaration for the building register — the owner does.

Running and upkeep costs of the common parts (cleaning, stairwell lighting, the lift) are as a rule split per person (Art. 51(1) ЗУЕС), so they do relate to you and your household. Whether you pay them directly or the landlord covers them from the rent is something to agree expressly. Under Art. 235 ЗЗД a tenant must follow the building's house rules.

Term, notice and ending the lease

A fixed-term lease ends on the agreed date. Leaving early is possible if the lease provides for it — usually with notice and sometimes a penalty.
An open-ended lease can be ended by either party on one month's notice (Art. 238 ЗЗД), unless agreed otherwise.
If you keep living in the property after the term expires, with the landlord's knowledge and without objection, the lease is treated as renewed for an indefinite term (Art. 236(1) ЗЗД).

Give notice in writing and keep proof that it was received.

If the landlord sells

Under Art. 237 ЗЗД a lease entered in the Property Register stays in force against the new owner. Leases for more than one year can be registered (Art. 112(e) of the Property Act). A lease with a certain date (for example, with notarised signatures) binds the buyer for its agreed term but no more than one year from the sale. If you plan to stay long, registration is in your interest.

Getting the deposit back

The deposit is not the last month's rent unless you agreed so. When you move out:

Sign a return report with the same readings and inventory as at move-in.
Ordinary wear and tear is not damage — you answer for harm, not for the passage of time (Art. 233 ЗЗД).
Ask in writing for an itemised statement of any deduction — final bills, specific repairs with prices.
The return deadline is whatever the lease says, so agree it at the start.

Registering your address as a tenant

You can register your current address (настоящ адрес) at the rented home. Under Art. 92 of the Civil Registration Act, besides the lease you need the owner's written consent on the prescribed declaration form; the lease alone does not replace it. A change of current address must be reported to the municipality within 30 days. If you need the registration — for a nursery, school or GP — agree the consent when you sign.

Checklist before you sign

Owner's title deed and identity
Term, rent in euro, indexation, deposit and its return deadline
Who pays bills and building charges
Handover report with photos and meter readings
Rules on repairs, visits, subletting and notice
Consent to address registration, if you need it

This article is general information, not legal advice for a specific case.

If you are looking for a home to rent, or would like someone to read the lease before you sign it, call us or visit our office.

Renting a home in Bulgaria: tenant rights and obligations — the lease, deposit, repairs, notice and address registration