Renting a flat in Poland: deposits, fees, contracts and what to expect

Renting a flat in Poland is usually straightforward once you understand what the advertised price actually includes.

A listing may show one monthly figure but expect you to pay a separate czynsz administracyjny — an administrative or building charge — plus electricity, gas, internet or other utilities. You may also need a deposit, the first month's rent and, where an estate agency represents you, an agency fee before moving in.

The safest approach is to calculate the total monthly and upfront cost, read the contract before transferring money and document the condition of the flat when you receive the keys.

At a glance

• The price displayed in a rental advert may not be your total monthly housing cost.
• Ask separately about czynsz najmu, czynsz administracyjny and media.
• A deposit is called kaucja.
• For an ordinary residential lease, the statutory maximum deposit can be as high as 12 times the monthly rent, although market deposits are usually far below that legal ceiling.
• Under najem okazjonalny and najem instytucjonalny, the statutory maximum deposit is six times the monthly rent.
• A detailed protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy — handover protocol — is one of the most important documents you can complete when moving in.
• Normal wear from proper use is not the same thing as damage.
• The landlord must provide the tenant with the required energy-performance certificate or copy when the flat is rented.

1. Work out the real monthly price

The word czynsz can be confusing in Polish rental adverts because it may be used for more than one payment.

The first amount to identify is: czynsz najmu — the rent paid to the landlord for the use of the flat.

You may then see: czynsz administracyjny — the administrative or building charge paid through the owner to the housing community, cooperative or building manager.

This can cover items such as building administration, cleaning and maintenance of common areas, refuse collection, advances for water, central heating, building repair funds and other communal charges.

What is included varies from building to building.

On top of that, you may need to pay media — utilities — such as electricity, gas, water above included advances, heating adjustments, internet and television.

Current rental listings commonly separate the headline rent from an additional administrative charge and utilities, so comparing flats only by the first advertised number can be misleading.

Before agreeing to a viewing or signing anything, ask: What is the total expected monthly cost for one or two people, including rent, administrative charges and normal utilities?

2. Ask exactly what is included in the administrative charge

A czynsz administracyjny is not the same thing in every building.

For example, one building may include advances for heating and water. Another may charge those separately.

Ask for a breakdown.

• Is heating included?
• Is hot water included?
• Is cold water included?
• Is rubbish collection included?
• Are there monthly water advances?
• How are overpayments or underpayments settled?
• Is electricity separate?
• Is gas separate?
• Is internet included?
• Can the administrative charge change during the lease?

3. How much deposit can a landlord ask for?

A rental deposit is called kaucja.

Its purpose is to secure amounts that may be due to the landlord when the tenancy ends.

For an ordinary residential lease covered by the Tenant Protection Act, the deposit cannot exceed 12 times the monthly rent calculated using the rent applicable when the tenancy begins. The Act provides for its return within one month after the tenant vacates, after permitted amounts due to the landlord have been deducted.

That is a statutory ceiling, not a recommended deposit.

In the private market, actual deposits are commonly much smaller and should be stated clearly in the offer and contract.

Paying by bank transfer gives you a clear record. If you pay cash, obtain written confirmation.

• the exact deposit amount;
• what it secures;
• when it must be paid;
• how it will be returned;
• which deductions the landlord believes can be made.

4. What can be deducted from the deposit?

The deposit is not supposed to function automatically as the landlord's final month's rent.

It can secure legitimate amounts due under the tenancy, such as unpaid rent or other liabilities and damage for which the tenant is responsible.

But the Civil Code makes an important distinction: at the end of a tenancy, the tenant must return the property without deterioration, except for wear resulting from proper use.

That means an older floor becoming slightly more worn after normal use is not necessarily the same as damaging it.

The practical difficulty is proving what was already present when you moved in. That is why the handover protocol matters so much.

5. Always complete a handover protocol

The Polish term is: protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy — handover and acceptance protocol.

The Tenant Protection Act provides for a protocol recording the technical condition and degree of wear of installations and equipment before the flat is handed to the tenant, and identifies it as the basis for settlement when the property is returned. For private housing, the parties can contractually modify some of the statutory repair and maintenance allocation, which makes the actual contract and protocol particularly important.

Do not treat the protocol as a formality.

If the landlord's protocol simply says “stan dobry” — good condition, add specific existing defects rather than assuming photographs alone will settle a future disagreement.

Both parties should retain a copy.

• condition of walls and floors;
• scratches or damaged furniture;
• stains;
• damaged tiles;
• condition of appliances;
• windows and doors;
• bathroom fittings;
• number of keys;
• meter readings;
• furniture and equipment supplied;
• any existing defects.

6. Record the meter readings when you move in

Your handover protocol should include the readings of any relevant electricity meter, gas meter, water meters, and heating meters or allocators where applicable.

Take photographs of the readings. This prevents you from later being asked to pay for consumption from before your tenancy began.

Also establish whether utility contracts remain in the landlord's name or will be transferred to you. There is no single arrangement used across Poland.

7. Check who you are actually renting from

Before transferring a deposit, make sure the person signing the lease has the right to rent the flat to you.

That may be the owner, a co-owner acting with the required authority, a person with a relevant legal right to the flat, or an authorised representative.

Where appropriate, ask to see evidence of ownership or authority.

Polish land and mortgage registers — księgi wieczyste — can provide information about property ownership where the property has such a register, but not every rental situation can be resolved simply by searching a register.

If an agent is involved, remember that the agency is not necessarily the owner.

Do not transfer a deposit to an unknown person merely because you have received photographs, keys or a convincing-looking contract.

8. Read the contract before paying the deposit

For a property lease longer than one year, the Civil Code provides that the agreement should be in writing; if that form is not observed, it is treated as having been concluded for an indefinite period.

In practice, you should insist on a written contract even for a shorter tenancy.

Do not rely on a WhatsApp message for something important that contradicts the written contract.

The next PolandExpatsHub guide in this series covers rental-contract clauses in more detail.

• landlord and tenant;
• address of the flat;
• duration of the tenancy;
• rent;
• administrative charges;
• utility arrangements;
• deposit;
• payment date and bank account;
• notice rules;
• responsibility for repairs;
• rules on pets;
• subletting;
• number of occupants;
• furniture and equipment;
• handover procedure.

9. Fixed-term and indefinite contracts work differently

A lease may be for czas określony — a fixed period — or czas nieokreślony — an indefinite period.

This distinction matters particularly for termination.

Under the Civil Code, where a lease is indefinite, termination follows the contractual notice periods or, where none have been agreed, statutory periods.

For a fixed-term lease, the parties can terminate early in the situations specified in the contract.

Do not assume that signing a 12-month contract automatically means you can leave at any moment by giving one month's notice.

Check the termination clause before signing, especially if your work or immigration situation could change.

10. What is najem okazjonalny?

You will frequently encounter najem okazjonalny — occasional tenancy — in private rental adverts.

Despite the name, it does not mean a short holiday rental.

It is a specific form of residential tenancy available to a private owner who is a natural person and is not running a business in the rental of premises. It must be for a fixed period of no more than ten years.

The tenant normally has to provide additional documents, including a notarial declaration submitting to enforcement and agreeing to leave the flat when legally required, identification of another property where the tenant could live if enforcement became necessary, and consent from the person entitled to that alternative property.

The owner must report the occasional tenancy to the relevant tax office within 14 days from the start of the tenancy. At the tenant's request, the owner must provide confirmation of that notification.

For an occasional tenancy, the deposit cannot exceed six times the monthly rent and must normally be returned within one month after the flat is vacated, after permitted deductions.

11. Why might najem okazjonalny be difficult for a foreigner?

The practical difficulty is often the requirement to identify an alternative dwelling.

A newcomer who has just moved to Poland may not know anyone able or willing to provide the required declaration.

If a landlord says the tenancy will be najem okazjonalny, raise this immediately rather than discovering the requirement after you have negotiated everything else.

Do not invent an address or ask someone to sign a declaration they do not understand.

The notarial element also means there is an additional formal step before the tenancy structure is complete.

12. What is najem instytucjonalny?

Najem instytucjonalny — institutional tenancy — is used by landlords conducting a business in the rental of premises.

It also involves a notarial declaration from the tenant concerning enforcement and vacating the property, but unlike an occasional tenancy, the statutory model does not require the tenant to identify an alternative flat in the same way.

The deposit can be no more than six times the monthly rent.

You are more likely to encounter this when renting from a professional rental company or institutional landlord.

13. What about an estate-agent commission?

A pośrednik nieruchomości is a real-estate intermediary.

Polish law defines property brokerage as paid activity aimed at bringing about transactions including residential leases. The scope of the intermediary's work is determined by the brokerage agreement, which must be in writing or electronic form to be valid.

If an agency expects you to pay a fee, establish before proceeding whether you are actually entering into a brokerage agreement, how much the fee is, whether VAT is included, when the fee becomes payable, and what service the agent is providing to you.

Do not assume that because an advert was posted by an agency, the tenant automatically owes that agency a particular standard commission. There is no single statutory percentage that every tenant pays.

In September 2026 the government announced proposed reforms to property-brokerage rules, including a proposed prohibition on an intermediary charging both sides of the same transaction. Those changes were still at proposal/consultation stage when this guide was checked and should not be treated as current law.

14. Ask for the energy-performance certificate

When a flat is rented, the landlord is required to provide the tenant with a copy or printout of the świadectwo charakterystyki energetycznej — energy-performance certificate — where the statutory requirement applies.

The tenant cannot waive the right to receive it.

The certificate describes the property's calculated energy requirements.

It will not predict your exact electricity or heating bill, but it can help you understand the energy characteristics of the property.

This is particularly worth checking in an older flat where heating costs could materially affect your total monthly budget.

15. Who is responsible for repairs?

The answer comes partly from legislation and partly from your contract.

The Civil Code generally requires the landlord to provide the rented property in a condition suitable for the agreed use and maintain it accordingly, while minor expenditure associated with ordinary use falls to the tenant.

The Tenant Protection Act contains more detailed provisions on landlord and tenant duties.

However, for privately owned housing outside the public housing stock, the parties can agree different arrangements for several of those repair and maintenance responsibilities in their contract.

So before signing, check who pays if the washing machine fails, the boiler breaks, a tap leaks, a window mechanism stops working, the fridge needs replacing, or walls require repainting.

A vague clause making the tenant responsible for “all repairs” deserves careful reading.

16. You are not responsible for every sign of age

Polish Civil Code rules distinguish deterioration caused by the tenant from normal wear resulting from proper use.

When the tenancy ends, the tenant must return the property without deterioration beyond that ordinary wear.

This is another reason photographs and a detailed move-in protocol are important.

A landlord cannot reasonably judge the condition at move-out without some record of the condition at move-in.

17. Can you sublet the flat or have someone else live there?

Do not assume so.

The Tenant Protection Act allows a landlord, in specified circumstances, to terminate a residential tenancy where the tenant has rented, sublet or given the flat or part of it for free use without the required written consent.

If your partner, family member or flatmate will live with you, make sure the contract accurately reflects the intended occupants.

If you plan to sublet a room later, get the landlord's written agreement first where required.

18. What should you pay before receiving the keys?

Depending on the arrangement, upfront costs can include first month's rent, deposit, estate-agency commission where applicable, and costs connected with a notarial declaration for an occasional or institutional tenancy.

Before transferring significant money, you should know who is receiving it, what each payment is for, whether it is refundable, what contract or reservation agreement governs it, and when you receive the keys.

Avoid paying substantial sums purely to “hold” a flat without clear written terms.

19. Check the flat itself, not just the photographs

During the viewing, test things that will affect everyday life.

Check water pressure, hot water, heating, windows, signs of mould or persistent damp, appliances, mobile reception, noise from roads, trams and neighbours, lift where relevant, storage, parking arrangements and rubbish facilities.

Ask how the flat is heated.

Central district heating can produce a very different billing arrangement from an individual gas boiler or electric heating.

If the landlord cannot tell you what previous utility costs looked like, budget cautiously.

20. A practical checklist before you sign

Before committing to a Polish rental, make sure you can answer all of these:

1. What is the rent paid to the landlord?
2. What is the current administrative charge?
3. Which utilities are additional?
4. How are water and heating reconciled?
5. How much is the deposit?
6. What can be deducted from it?
7. Is this ordinary, occasional or institutional tenancy?
8. How long is the contract?
9. Under what circumstances can I end it early?
10. Who pays for repairs?
11. Are pets permitted?
12. Who is allowed to live in the flat?
13. Is an agency commission payable?
14. Have I seen evidence that the landlord can rent the property?
15. Will we complete a detailed handover protocol?
16. Will meter readings be recorded?
17. Have I received the required energy-performance certificate?

If the financial or contractual position is unclear before you move in, it is unlikely to become clearer after a dispute begins.

What to do next

• Read the PolandExpatsHub guide to rental contracts in Poland before signing.
• Calculate the full monthly cost including administrative charges and utilities.
• Prepare a detailed move-in protocol and photographs.
• Check how your utility bills will be settled.
• Keep your contract and housing documents accessible if you later need them for zameldowanie or other administrative procedures.

Official sources

• Polish Electronic Legislation Database — Act on the Protection of Tenants' Rightshttps://eli.gov.pl/eli/DU/2023/725/ogl
• Polish Electronic Legislation Database — Civil Code, consolidated text 2026https://eli.gov.pl/eli/DU/2026/795/ogl
• Ministry of Development and Technology — Energy-performance certificateshttps://www.gov.pl/web/rozwoj-technologia/Swiadectwa-charakterystyki-energetycznej
• Polish Electronic Legislation Database — Real-estate brokerage rules in the Real Estate Management Acthttps://eli.gov.pl/

Last checked: 27 September 2026