Private accommodation

Private accommodation in Poland – general rules:
Key words
Description
If you are non-UE
citizent and you
must legalize your
stay in Poland
ATTENTION – If you are non-EU Citizen and your visa expires before the end of your study, you
will be obliged to legalize your stay in Poland. One of the condition to do it is to have the
confirmation of temporary accommodation in Poland (zaświadczenie o zameldowaniu). In fact the
owner of the flat usually does not agree to ask for such document for the tenant, so if you plan to
legalize your stay I recommend you to find the place in student’s dormitory.
Attention- According to the recent news, the zaświadczenie o zameldowaniu are not going to be
required, but please check this information in Mazowiecki Urząd Wojewódzki first.
Most of advertisements regarding renting a flat in Warsaw are serviced by real – estate agencies.
Real –estate offers
When you use the service of the real – estate agency you must remember about the following things:
Payment to the real
–estate agency
You can use the service of any agency in Warsaw and you are not OBLIGED to pay ANYTHING to
the Agency before it find you a flat and you will sign the tenancy contract. If the agency requires any
payments earlier- change the agency, because it is dishonest.
Commission
Most agencies want to sing so called – in Polish- “Umowa pośrednictwa najmu/wynajmu”, in English
this means that you give the agency the right to find a flat on behave of you. When the agency finds
you a flat and you sign the contract with the landlord you are obliged to pay the agency the
commission – usually from 50% to 100% of monthly rent + VAT (Value added tax – 23% of the
whole price).
The amount of commission should be stated in the contract with the agency. Keep in mind that the
commission is usually negotiable.
Agency agreement
Remember that you can sign the contact “Umowa pośrednictwa najmu/wynajmu” with many agencies,
not only one. However you must be aware that if you actually find the flat and sign the tenancy
agreement with the landlord, you must inform all other agencies, that you do not need their assistance
any more.
It is advisable then to receive from other agencies the confirmation of contract cancellation.
Avoid
exclusive
agreement
While signing the contract please pay your attention to the words “umowa na wyłączność/ na
Tenancy agreement
Deposit
Usually you are obliged to pay one monthly rent as deposit (called in Polish "kaucja").
zasadach wyłączności”, becasue this means that you ensure the agency an exclusive right to find you
the flat and you CAN NOT use service of any other agency.
This amount will be returned to you after you left the flat (assuming no damage was caused to it)
Administrative rent
Every legal owner of the flat is obliged to pay so called “czynsz administracyjny. Remember to ask
the owner if this payment is included in the whole rent. You may discover that a flat which should
cost you 1000 zlotych, costs in fact 1400, because the “administrative rent” is 400 and this is your
additional cost.
Additional costs
Remember that you should also add the costs of living like: telephone, Internet, electric heating, etc.
The payment for using hot and cold water, garbage and lift is usually included in the “administrative
rent”, but in many flats there is a water meter. The "administrative rent" is usually paid to a manager
company or one of tenants responsible for the management over the building.
Invoices and other
documents
Draft
of
the
agreement
You have the right to receive from the owner invoices regarding the payments- to check the actual use
of energy, water etc.
Remember that in case of any doubts you can always pick up some Polish student to help you with the
tenancy agreement. You also have the right to ask for the electronic version of the agreement to be
sent in advance on your e-mail address.
Dictionary
Please find below some “accommodation dictionary” to help you in searching for the flat.
Polish
English
Comments
Typ nieruchomości
Type of property/ real estate
The information if the property is flat, house, room etc.
Typ transakcji
Type of transaction
Usually you have to types- sell or rent
Lokalizacja
Location
Where the property is situated
Powierzchnia lokalu
floorage of the premises
How big is the property
Cena
Price
Sprzedaż
Sale
Wynajem
Hire, lease , rental
Rynek pierwotny
Primary market
New buildings
Rynek wtórny
Secondary market
Old building, usually from 60’s, 70’s or 80’s
Mieszkanie/ mieszkania
Flat/ flats
Pokój/ pokoje
Room/ rooms
Warszawa
Warsaw
Dzielnica w Warszawie
District in Warsaw
Śródmieście or Centrum
Center of Warsaw
Usually monthly rent
(be careful if the rent includes the “administrative rent”- see
more above)
Very good district, usually very near the WUT, however
usually quite expensive
Ursynów
Good district because of access to the underground
Mokotów
Good district because of access to the underground
Ochota
Not far from the centre
Praga Północ
Not far from the centre
Praga Południe
Not far from the centre
Bemowo
Quite far from the centre
Białołęka
Quite far from the centre
Rembertów
Quite far from the centre
Targówek
Quite far from the centre
Ursus
Quite far from the centre
Wawer
Quite far from the centre
Wesoła
Quite far from the centre
Wilanów
Quite far from the centre
Włochy
Quite far from the centre
Wola
Quite far from the centre
Czynsz
Rent
Winda
Lift/ Elevator
Słowo kluczowe
Key word
Pokaż tylko oferty ze zdjęciami
Show only the
advertisements/ offers with
photos
Oferty agencji
Advertisements/ Offers from
real –estate agency
Remember that the real rent for the flat may be higher
because of “administrative rent”, which is paid by every flat
owner. See the detailed information above.
Remember that the real-estate agency takes the commission
for their service (usually 50-100%) of the monthly rent
Polish
English
Comments
Oferty bezpośrednie
Direct offers/ advertisements
Offers directly from the owner without the real estate agency
Sortuj według
Sort out according to
Wyszukiwanie zaawansowane
Advanced searching
Ceny za całość
Price for the whole
Jakości ofert
Quality of offers
Ulicy / ulica/ ulice
Street / streets
Liczby pokoi
The number of rooms
Piętro/ piętra
The floor / floors
Data/ daty
The date/ dates
Na wynajem
To rent
Do wynajęcia
To rent
piękne
Beautiful
Zadbane/ zadbany
Well-cared-for
W dobrym stanie
In good condition
zmywarka
Dishwasher
Pralka
Washing machine
parking
Parking place
Zielona okolica
Green area
okna
windows
Północ/ północna
North
Południe/ południowa
South
Zachód/ zachodnia
West
Wschód/ wschodnia
East
Drzwi
Door
Kuchnia
Kitchen
łazienka
Bathroom
Przedpokój
hall
balkon
Balcony / Loggia
Umeblowane
Furnished
Nie umeblowane
Without furniture
Ładne
pretty
strzeżone
Protected/ secured
zamknięte
Closed
Osiedle
Housing estate
Oddzielna np. kuchnia
Separate
(for example: separate
kitchen)
Blisko do centrum
Close to the centre
Opłaty licznikowe
Counter Charges
odległość
Distance
Bezpośrednio
Directly
Autobusy
Buses
Tramwaje
Trams