Why are investors paying attention to rental apartments in Da Nang?

"Hit the jackpot" by renting apartments to foreign guests

Completing an apartment in The Panoma tower, part of the Sun Cosmo Residence project along the Han River early this year, Mr. Dang Tran Minh earns 35 million VND per month for a 2-bedroom apartment. The South Korean expert immediately booked a 12-month rental deposit when the broker took him to visit Mr. Minh's apartment, one of the earliest apartments to be utilized in The Panoma tower.

Mr. Minh's neighbors have also successively completed interior furnishings for foreign experts to rent, with "dream" prices: a studio apartment is rented for 18 million VND/month, while a 1-bedroom +1 apartment reaches 25 million VND.

"Spending less than 5 billion VND, I now receive 35 million VND in rent each month. Meanwhile, my current apartment in Ha Noi is valued at 10 billion VND, but the tenant only pays 15 million VND due to its location far from the center. I never dreamed that one day the rent for houses in Da Nang would be double that of the Capital," said Mr. Minh.

This impressive rental price stems from the scarcity of apartments in the central area along the Han River, combined with soaring demand from foreign experts. Amidst a volatile global landscape, Vietnam's safety and tranquility serve as a leverage, making Da Nang an ideal haven for the international community.

The main source of customers comes from the Northeast Asia region (accounting for over 60%), followed by groups of customers from Europe, America, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Among them, a significant portion are remote workers (digital nomads) – they are willing to come to Da Nang to live, a force that has helped Da Nang rank among the fastest-growing destinations on the Nomads.com platform. The remainder are senior experts, coming to work in Da Nang in the context of the city shaping itself into an open economic center, attracting FDI capital into logistics, high technology, and services.

“Livable City” is the perfect choice for settling down for the international expert community and "digital nomads" globally. Photo: Anh Duong.

This intellectual customer group has stringent living standards, willing to pay high prices to fully enjoy the rhythm of life, amenities, and ecological space in the coastal city. This customer segment is expected to expand even more strongly in the future, when the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and International Financial Center are officially established.

Not just a "privilege" of the high-end segment, the increasing number of international tourists also brings impressive exploitation efficiency for many other types of accommodation. For example, at Ms. Bich Ngoc's mini-apartment building (An Hai ward), rental prices always increase steadily by 10 - 15%/year. Thanks to its central location, close to the Han River and the beach, the 1-2 bedroom apartments here are always fully booked despite current rental prices reaching 6.5 - 8.4 million VND/month.

The success of investors is a vivid testament to the bright real estate picture in Da Nang. Maintaining rental profit margins at 8 - 9% has helped this coastal city far surpass the 2 - 3% level in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

A report on the real estate market in the first 2 months of 2026 by DKRA Consulting states that the apartment segment maintains strong appeal. With 15 new projects from reputable developers such as Sun Group, FUTA Land, FPT City, apartment supply has increased 2.5 times, while the liquidity ratio is also 10.4 times higher compared to the same period.

The heat of rental apartments is further "fueled" by the breakthrough of the non-smoke industry. The city welcoming 4.2 million tourist arrivals in Q1/2026 (up 15.3%), with international visitors reaching 2.34 million (up 16.2%), has turned apartment units into "egg-laying golden chickens" with short-term rental profit margins reaching 6-7%. The abundant flow of tourists also helps projects maintain ideal occupancy rates, pushing rental prices in bustling spots like Hai Chau, Son Tra, or Ngu Hanh Son up by over 10% compared to last year.

The breakthrough of the non-smoke industry has turned Da Nang into a priority destination for cash flow real estate investors. Photo: Anh Duong.

Unlock long-term growth potential

Not only solving the rental problem, apartment products in Da Nang also possess strong price appreciation potential. According to the Vietnam Real Estate Market Research Institute (VARS IRE), compared to Q1/2019, the apartment price index here has increased by about 68%. Currently, primary selling prices maintain an increase of 10 - 15%/year, while secondary transaction prices have increased by up to 30 - 35%.

Many investors fear the market has peaked, but according to the assessment of Mr. Tran Xuan Hieu, Director of LTT Land Real Estate JSC, the current price level has only reached 2/3 of the peak. “Apartments will remain hot until the end of 2026, so this is a golden time for investors to 'pour money in' before capital shifts to other segments,” he commented.

Facing a unique profit-making opportunity, investors are also becoming more demanding and only choose projects with clear planning, synchronized infrastructure, and complete legal status.

“Choosing an apartment Sun Cosmo Residence from developer Sun Group, I am completely assured about the legal aspects. 6 months ago, I received the handover of the house and am now eligible for the issuance of the ownership certificate,” Mr. Dang Tran Minh shared. His sister decided to buy an apartment at Sun Symphony Residence, Tower 2, and is also starting to receive handover and complete interior furnishings for rent.

Close-up view of the upcoming Symphony 5 tower, part of the Sun Symphony Residence project. Photo: Sun Property.

A commonality among apartment projects along the Han River, especially those by Sun Group, is their prime, iconic locations in Da Nang, with very scarce supply while demand from tourists and foreign experts seeking rental apartments is very high. Coupled with the city's upcoming booming summer tourist season with the DIFF International Fireworks Festival and the success of delivered projects, Symphony 5 tower, part of the upcoming Sun Symphony Residence project, promises to hit the market's sweet spot.

Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) is a "lever" that causes high-end accommodation demand along the Han River to explode strongly every summer. Photo: Anh Duong.

Investing in apartments in Da Nang means holding valuable cash-flow real estate with "dual benefits": both having stable rental income and increasing long-term value.