Stancja or a flat? A rental guide for students

When to start looking

University cities have a clear rental cycle. From July to the end of September first-years, returning students and international students all search at once. That is when most listings appear, but also when they disappear fastest and prices are least negotiable.

• June to early July: the best time to check prices and see first viewings (oglądanie).
• July to August: peak supply. Have your budget, documents and flatmates sorted.
• September: shrinking choice, rising pressure, and peak season for scammers.
• October to February: fewer listings, but landlords who missed September are often more willing to negotiate.

Set up alerts instead of refreshing portals all day: on Flats.pl you can save a search with your filters in saved searches and get notified about new listings. A complete tenant profile helps you introduce yourself quickly when a dozen people message the same landlord.

Browse listings in Kraków, Warsaw, Wrocław or anywhere else via search.

Dorm, stancja, room, studio or a flat with friends

• University dorm (akademik): usually the cheapest, utilities included, but places are limited and rooms are often shared. Private student residences cost more but offer single rooms and services.
• Stancja: a room in a flat or house where the owner lives. Often quiet and affordable, but you live by the host's rules (guests, kitchen, quiet hours).
• Room in a shared flat (pokój): you rent a room and share the kitchen and bathroom with other tenants. The most common student choice; usually a separate lease per room.
• Studio (kawalerka): full privacy and your own lease, but you pay the whole rent, admin fee and utilities alone.
• Flat with friends: you rent a whole flat together. Often cheaper per person, but you set the rules and share the responsibility.

Indicative figures (October 2026), per person per month, for comparison only. Prices vary a lot by district, standard, distance to campus and whether utilities are included. Check current listings for Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław.

Mind the difference between rent (czynsz najmu), which goes to the landlord, and the admin fee (czynsz administracyjny) paid to the building's community or cooperative. On top come metered utilities (media): electricity, gas, internet. "1800 zł + fees" can mean several hundred zł more. Agencies often charge a commission (prowizja) of 50-100% of one month's rent.

Splitting costs with flatmates

• Rent by room size: the biggest room or the one with a balcony pays more. Split rent in proportion to room area and share common areas equally.
• Utilities and admin fee equally, unless someone clearly uses much more.
• Deposit (kaucja): each person pays their share and gets it back on moving out; write down who paid what. The deposit may not exceed 12 times the monthly rent and is returned within one month of vacating the flat, minus what the landlord is owed under the lease (Tenant Protection Act, art. 6).
• One name on the lease or everyone? If only one person signs, they alone answer to the landlord; the others are formally guests or subtenants, and subletting requires the landlord's consent (Civil Code art. 688(2)). It is safer if everyone signs.

Civil Code art. 688(1): adults permanently living with the tenant are jointly liable with the tenant for rent and other charges. In practice, if one flatmate stops paying, the landlord can claim the full amount from any of you. In a dispute, ask a lawyer how this applies to you.

So write a short flatmate agreement: who pays what share, how utilities are split, payment deadlines, what happens if someone leaves early (e.g. finding a replacement accepted by the others and the landlord), cleaning and guests. It does not bind the landlord but keeps things clear between you. Use the rental calculators to work out your budget and deposit shares.

The room lease: what to include

Renting a room is an ordinary lease (umowa najmu) of part of a flat. Get it in writing, signed by both sides. Check:

1. Parties: the landlord's details and yours; check that the person renting out is the owner or allowed to sublet.
2. The room, its furniture and which shared areas you may use (kitchen, bathroom, balcony, washing machine).
3. Term: fixed or indefinite. A fixed-term lease can be terminated early only in cases set out in the contract (Civil Code art. 673 § 3), so add a clause if you may leave for Erasmus.
4. Rent and charges: amount, whether utilities and the admin fee are included, flat rate or by meter, due date.
5. Deposit: amount, return deadline and conditions.
6. House rules: guests, quiet hours, smoking, pets, cleaning, kitchen use.
7. Notice and moving out, including the handover protocol.

The Flats.pl lease generator also supports a room lease. More on clauses in the flat lease guide, and on what a landlord may and may not do in tenant rights.

Handover protocol: photos and meter readings

When you get the keys, fill in a handover protocol (protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy) with the landlord. It decides later whether you get your whole deposit back. Normal wear from proper use is not your cost, but without a record it is hard to prove a scratch was already there.

• Condition of the room and shared areas: walls, floors, windows, furniture, appliances.
• Dated photos of every defect and of each room; email them to the landlord.
• Meter readings: electricity, gas, water (photo with the meter number).
• Number of keys, remotes, intercom cards, and a list of furnishings.

Prepare one with the handover protocol tool; our handover protocol guide walks you through it.

Scams in student season

• Reservation fee: "Five people want it; send 500 zł and I'll hold it for you." Then silence.
• Fake listing: photos copied from another site or a short-term rental platform, a price well below market, no exact address.
• "I'm abroad": the owner cannot show the flat but will send the keys by courier or via a "secure deposit service" once you pay the deposit and first rent.
• Fake agent or student "handing over" their room and asking for a transfer before meeting.

No exceptions: pay nothing before you have seen the place (in person or on a live video call where the owner shows the flat and documents) and signed the lease. Ask for the land register number and check the owner in the electronic land registers. If you are scammed, report it to the police (112) and keep transfer confirmations and messages.

International students are frequent targets. See also renting a flat as a foreigner: you do not need a PESEL to rent, and it covers address registration.

Viewing checklist

• Commute: real travel time to campus at rush hour; nearby stops, shops, night transport.
• Damp and mould: look behind wardrobes, in corners and the bathroom; check the windows.
• Heating: district, gas or electric? Electric heating can push winter bills up a lot.
• Internet: provider, speed, whose name the contract is in.
• Noise: street, trams, neighbours, bars below.
• Flatmates: who lives there, for how long, their routine.
• Costs: exact rent, admin fee and average utility bills of recent months.
• Appliances: washing machine, fridge, cooker, desk and chair; do they work?
• Documents: who owns the flat (land register) and whether the signer may rent it out.
• Rules: guests, pets, smoking, address registration (zameldowanie).

More tips on the for tenants page, and rooms and flats in Flats.pl search.

Sources and caveats

• Act of 21 June 2001 on the protection of tenants' rights (u.o.p.l.): art. 6 (deposit).
• Civil Code (Kodeks cywilny): art. 673, 688(1), 688(2).
• Electronic land registers: check who owns a flat.
• Free legal aid (nieodpłatna pomoc prawna): free advice by appointment.

This guide is for information only and is not legal advice. Prices are indicative (October 2026). Laws change, so check the current text or ask a lawyer before signing.