Kraków Property Resources – Groups, Pages etc

The Kraków property market has been under a great deal of pressure due largely to the influx of displaced persons following the invasion of our Ukrainian neighbours.  But not only; the large student population, and of course, us – the ever growing International community, all place demands on property availability, and affect prices. 

Sadly this comes with a hike in rental prices and a significant increase in prices per m₂ for property sales. There is also a recurring theme of foreigners having difficulties with unscrupulous landlords, withholding part or all of the deposit, and even in some cases refusing to rent to foreigners.  

It’s worth remembering that not all landlords are dodgy scammers, looking to rip off tenants, however a little bit of common sense on your part will go a long way.

List of Property Groups & Pages
We prepared this list originally to support the urgent need for refugee accommodation.  It includes the main Kraków property groups and websites.

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   List of Property Groups & Pages (pdf file)

Avoiding the 3 P’s
This article is intended principally as an easy to use, directory of the main places to start your search, rather than go into detail of the 3 P’s – Potential Property Pitfalls – or to offer advice.  That said, the following tips come to mind, to hopefully point you in the right direction,.

• Never ever pay anything upfront before viewing a property – this a common scam.
• Always have a contract
• Read it, understand it, if you don’t ‘get it’ seek assistance of an expert (not FB!!!)
• It’s always advisable to have a photo or video record of the property, and of course a detailed inventory.  Point out and document any damage, stains etc.
• Should you use an estate agent? –  It’s up to you, there are good ones and bad ones.  If in doubt ask in one of the property or expat groups and google the agent, check their reviews etc.
• Keep in mind that bizarrely the agent here receives commission from the seller/landlord AND the buyer tenant.
• Typical deposit should be one month rental, some try to charge more.
• There is almost always an administration fee (Czynsz), covering services like, rubbish collection, cleaning of common areas, security, maintenance etc. This varies depending on many factors.
• It is also typical for the landlord to ask you to pay for utilities such as gas, electricity, water etc, on a per use basis – Ask for receipts and documentation. Keep a spreadsheet.
• In paid parking areas you can obtain a heavily discounted annual residents parking permit, subject to a few conditions, ie you and the car are registered at that adress, copy of contract etc.