Thursday, 13 August 2026
Poland’s residential rental market is entering a new stage of debate over how the sector should be governed, with research showing that both property owners and tenants see room for changes to the existing framework.
A study by the Instytut Rynku Najmu (IRN) found that 64.6% of landlords would support additional regulation of the rental market, while 12.2% would prefer fewer rules. Tenants were less decisive, although 41.9% also favoured greater regulation, compared with 16% supporting a reduction.
The results suggest that the debate is not simply divided between landlords seeking greater freedom and tenants demanding stronger protection. Instead, there appears to be considerable interest on both sides in making the system easier to understand and more predictable.
Poland’s private rental sector currently operates through several areas of legislation and different forms of rental agreement rather than through a single framework covering the entire market. Traditional leases coexist with occasional and institutional rental arrangements, while other housing models are subject to their own requirements.
This structure can create uncertainty over the rights and responsibilities of the parties involved, particularly for private individuals who may have limited experience of rental law. The findings indicate that simplifying the system could therefore be as important as deciding whether individual protections should be strengthened or relaxed.
The research also reveals a considerable difference in how the two sides view their position within the market.
Some 52.4% of landlords believe the mechanisms available to protect their interests are inadequate. Among tenants, the corresponding figure is 28.2%, while 38.6% were unable to give a clear assessment of whether the current protections work effectively.
More than half of landlords, 52.6%, also believe tenants hold the stronger position under the existing system, while 22.4% consider landlords to have the advantage.
Previous problems with tenants appear to influence these concerns. The survey found that 38.6% of landlords had experienced difficulties during a tenancy. Within this group, 64.8% reported problems involving rent that was unpaid or received late, while 54.4% had encountered damage to a property.
One of the study’s more significant findings concerns the difference between landlords’ perception of eviction risk and how frequently the process is actually encountered.
Among owners who had experienced tenant-related problems, 95.4% were concerned about potentially having to pursue an eviction. However, only 14% of landlords in this group had actually experienced such proceedings. Across the entire landlord sample, this represents approximately 5.4%.
The figures indicate that difficult cases can have a substantial influence on sentiment even though they affect a relatively small proportion of the overall market. This distinction could become increasingly relevant as policymakers consider future changes to rental legislation.
It also matters for the development of Poland’s professional rental sector. Greater certainty over contracts, payment obligations, property protection and the procedures available when a tenancy breaks down can influence the way investors assess residential rental risk.
For tenants, clearer arrangements could similarly provide greater confidence over the security of their homes and the obligations that landlords must meet.
The survey covered 1,500 respondents, including 1,000 tenants and 500 landlords. Foreign nationals represented 16% of the tenant group, giving the research an additional perspective on a rental market that has become increasingly international.
The findings ultimately point towards a rental market looking for greater certainty rather than simply more or less regulation. As Poland’s residential investment market develops and professional rental operators become a larger part of the housing landscape, the ability to establish rules that are understandable and workable for both sides is likely to become increasingly important.
IRN intends to use the research as part of its continuing work on rental-market standards and discussions concerning the future structure of Poland’s residential rental sector.
