Zadar harbour under the old walls: crowd-sourced gross yields for Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik and Zagreb

Croatia rental yields in 2026: the published figures, and the rules around them.

Croatia rental yields. Published figures. The let rules. Brinkman Data brand card.

// Short answer

Numbeo's crowd-sourced data, last updated 21 September 2026, puts Croatia's average gross rental yield at 3.48% for city-centre property and 3.42% outside centres. City-centre figures range from 3.2% in Split to 5.0% in Osijek. These are gross, user-submitted long-term-rent figures, not audited data and not a Brinkman Data calculation.

Rules and rates as of September 2026. The consent rule for non-EU buyers ends for OECD nationals the day Croatia joins the OECD, which had not happened when this was written, and municipalities set their own property tax, so check the dated items again before you sign. Every figure links to its source.

What is the average rental yield in Croatia?

Numbeo puts Croatia's average gross rental yield at 3.48% in city centres and 3.42% outside them, in data last updated 21 September 2026, drawn from 1,143 entries by 182 contributors over 18 months. These are that source's figures, gross, for long-term rent.

A gross yield is rent before any cost. Numbeo's data is crowd-sourced, not audited. Global Property Guide's Croatia page could not be read for this article, so its figures are not quoted.

What are rental yields in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar?

Per Numbeo's September 2026 data, gross yields in the city centre are 3.6% in Zagreb, 3.2% in Split, 3.5% in Dubrovnik and 4.1% in Zadar. Outside the centre they are 3.9%, 3.2%, 4.4% and 3.5%. All are crowd-sourced long-term-rent figures.

Location (Numbeo, September 2026)City centreOutside centre
Croatia average3.48%3.42%
Zagreb3.6%3.9%
Split3.2%3.2%
Rijeka3.6%2.8%
Zadar4.1%3.5%
Dubrovnik3.5%4.4%
Pula3.5%3.2%
Osijek5.0%4.2%

The question that matters is never the city average. It is the building, the unit and the rent it can actually get.

What comes off a gross rental yield in Croatia?

Tax on the rent, at 12% after a flat 30% deduction on a long let. The annual property tax of €0.60 to €8.00 per m², unless the home is let long term, 10 months or more, to a tenant living there. Building reserve fund contributions, for which no official norm was found. Vacancy and letting costs.

The long-let exemption from property tax is worth modelling: a home let to tourists pays it, a home let long term does not. Detail: Croatia property tax for foreigners.

Can a foreign owner run a holiday let in Croatia?

It depends on nationality. The Hospitality Industry Act limits household hospitality services, renting rooms, apartments or holiday houses the provider owns, to natural persons who are citizens of Croatia, other EEA states or Switzerland. A third-country national cannot run a household holiday let in their own name.

This has high consequences for a non-EU buyer planning holiday income, and the paragraph numbering within Article 30 was not confirmed, so check it with a Croatian lawyer before you buy. Household accommodation is also capped at 10 rooms or 20 beds.

Do you need the neighbours' consent for a holiday let in a Croatian apartment block?

Yes, in a form set by regulation. Among the conditions for an approval to provide accommodation, the Hospitality Industry Act requires the co-owners' prior written consent to short-term rental. The share of co-owners required is set in a separate regulation and was not found for this page.

Approvals are also issued in line with local council decisions on the number, type and capacity of accommodation, for part or all of a municipality, and applications are decided in the order received. That is the legal basis for local caps; check your town's decisions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good rental yield in Croatia?
This page does not grade yields. The published reference point is Numbeo's September 2026 crowd-sourced average of 3.48% gross for city-centre property in Croatia.
Which Croatian city shows the highest yield on Numbeo?
Osijek, at 5.0% gross in the city centre, in Numbeo's September 2026 data.
Can an American Airbnb an apartment in Croatia?
Not under the household regime in their own name: the Hospitality Industry Act limits it to Croatian, EEA and Swiss citizens. Confirm with a Croatian lawyer.
Are holiday lets exempt from Croatian property tax?
No. Homes used as a permanent residence or let long term (10+ months) are exempt; property let to tourists is not.

Header photo: Deizenov, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.

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Disclaimer

Brinkman Data Analytics is an independent research service. Not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. All yield figures are estimates based on historical research data and are not guaranteed. International real estate carries risk of partial or total loss of capital.