Can I demand a receipt for every cash payment?

Yes. A person who performs an obligation may ask the creditor for a receipt (art. 462 § 1 of the Civil Code, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 795, checked 7 October 2026). If the landlord refuses, you may withhold the payment or deposit it with a court (art. 463). In practice, if a receipt is refused, offer a bank transfer instead.

Must the landlord give me a written contract?

Not always by law. A tenancy can be agreed orally, but one for more than a year should be in writing, and if it is not, it is treated as concluded for an indefinite period (art. 660 of the Civil Code). A najem okazjonalny must be in writing and comes with a notarial statement. Asking for a written lease is still reasonable: it is your main proof of the terms.

Can the landlord take a cash deposit and not return it?

The law says the deposit must be returned within a month of vacating the flat, less the landlord's dues under the tenancy (art. 6 ust. 4 of the Tenant Protection Act, Dz.U. 2023 item 725). But whoever relies on a fact must prove it (art. 6 of the Civil Code), so you must be able to show that you paid. A signed receipt or a lease clause stating the deposit was received does that.

Do I need a written contract to register my address (meldunek)?

The office asks for the owner's or another title-holder's confirmation of your stay and a document proving the title to the flat. The Act names a civil-law contract, such as a lease, among such documents (art. 28 ust. 2 and 2b of the Population Register Act, Dz.U. 2026 item 384). Practice differs by office, so ask the office first. Deadlines depend on citizenship: see our article on PESEL and meldunek.

Is a cash-only landlord a scam?

Not necessarily. Cash is legal, and many private landlords in Poland take it. The warning is the combination: cash, no written lease, no receipts, and a fee that nobody can explain. In that case do not pay, ask in writing what the money is for, and compare with the list of fake-listing signs in our article.

Cash-only rent and an extra fee for a contract in Warsaw: is it normal, and what does a foreign tenant risk?

Q: How much does your flat search cost?

The fee is 70% of one month's rent (czynsz najmu only, without czynsz administracyjny and utilities), paid after the tenancy agreement is signed, on an invoice without VAT. For example, rent of 3,500 zł means a fee of 2,450 zł. Help with PESEL and the office visit is included in these 70%.

Paying rent and deposit in cash is legal in Poland. The risk is not the banknotes but the missing paper: with no written lease and no receipts you will struggle to prove that you paid the deposit and the rent, and to show an address when an office asks for one. The minimum protection is a written tenancy agreement, a receipt for every payment (you may ask for one under art. 462 of the Civil Code) and a handover protocol. A separate fee “for the contract” is a warning sign. Checked on 7 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Newcomers ask this all the time, usually after the landlord has already said “that is how it is done here”. Below is what the law says, what to do before you hand over money, and how to repair the situation if you already did.

Is it legal to pay rent in cash in Poland?

Yes. The Civil Code does not require rent or a deposit to be paid by transfer. The only cash ceiling people quote, 15,000 zł, sits in art. 19 of the Entrepreneurs’ Law (consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 1480). It applies when a payment relates to a business and the other side is also an entrepreneur, and the transaction exceeds 15,000 zł. A private landlord and a private tenant are outside it. The limit is counted on the value of the whole transaction, “regardless of the number of payments” arising from it, not on a single payment, but it matters only when both sides act as businesses.

If a company rents the flat for you, ask its accountant: then both sides may be acting as businesses. A bill tabled by MPs in April 2026 (Sejm print 2806) would raise the limit to 25,000 zł from 2027. As of 7 October 2026 it is only a proposal, referred to first reading on 15 July 2026.

“Legal” does not mean “wise”, though. The next section explains why.

What does a tenant risk without a written contract?

A tenancy without a written lease does not become void. A lease for more than a year should be in writing, and if it is not, it is treated as concluded for an indefinite period (art. 660 of the Civil Code). The problem is proof. Under art. 6 of the Civil Code, the person who relies on a fact must prove it. If the landlord later says “you never paid the deposit”, the burden is on you, and cash leaves no bank trace.

In practice there are four risks:

Deposit. The landlord must return it within a month of vacating the flat, after deducting what is owed to them under the tenancy (art. 6 ust. 4 of the Tenant Protection Act). Without a receipt you cannot show how much you paid. See our article on the deposit.
Rent disputes. “You did not pay for November” is hard to answer without a receipt for November.
Condition of the flat. Without a handover protocol it is your word against the landlord’s about scratches and meter readings.
Address. For meldunek the office wants a confirmation of your stay and a document proving the title to the flat. The Act lists a civil-law contract, such as a lease, among such documents (art. 28 ust. 2 and 2b of the Population Register Act; gov.pl page updated 11.03.2026). The owner’s confirmation on the form is needed either way, and without a written lease the rest of the paperwork is harder to put together. How to register and by when: PESEL and meldunek. Other institutions may also ask for a paper showing where you live, so ask the one in question what it accepts. We do not give immigration advice.

What should a receipt for a cash payment contain?

The Civil Code gives you the right to ask for a receipt when you pay. You may also ask for a particular form if you have an interest in it (art. 462 § 1-2). The costs of the receipt are yours unless agreed otherwise (§ 3). If the creditor refuses, you may withhold the payment or deposit it with a court (art. 463). Few tenants want to test that in practice, so a refusal is itself a reason to propose a transfer.

A good receipt names:

the date;
the amount in figures and in words;
what it is for: czynsz (rent), kaucja (deposit), media (utilities);
which month, and the address of the flat;
full names of both sides, and their addresses;
signatures of both sides, one copy each.

Hand over the cash only when the signed receipt is in your hand. A simple Polish wording that any landlord will understand:

Pokwitowanie. Ja, [imię i nazwisko wynajmującego], potwierdzam, że dnia [data] otrzymałem/am od [imię i nazwisko najemcy] gotówką kwotę [kwota] zł (słownie: [kwota słownie]) tytułem [czynszu za miesiąc / kaucji] za lokal przy [adres]. Podpis wynajmującego.

Take a photo of the signed receipt on the spot. Better still, put the deposit amount and the date of receipt into the lease itself.

Why are an extra fee for the contract and “a different amount in the contract” warning signs?

Neither the Civil Code nor the Tenant Protection Act knows a charge “for drawing up the lease”. Parties may agree many things (art. 353¹), so a fee is not automatically illegal, but it should have a name, a recipient and a basis. If someone says it is an agent’s fee, ask for the intermediary agreement: under art. 180 ust. 3 of the Real Estate Management Act it must be in writing or electronic form, or it is void.

A contract that states a different rent from the one you actually pay creates its own problem. A declaration made for appearance, with the other side’s consent, is void, and what counts is the transaction it hides (art. 83 § 1 of the Civil Code). In a dispute you would have to prove the real terms, and the paper in your hand would say something else. “Cheaper without a contract” costs you the protection described above.

You do not need to discuss the landlord’s reasons or accuse anyone. Ask calmly, in writing:

“What is this fee for, who receives it, and is it written into the contract?”
“Could the contract state the actual rent and each payment I make, so we both have clear papers?”

If the answer is a refusal, the decision whether to take the flat is yours. There are many other flats.

How can I pay by transfer if I have no Polish account yet?

Ask the landlord for the account number and make sure the account holder is the person named in the lease. From abroad you can send euros or zlotys from your home bank. Before confirming, compare the exchange rate, the fee, any charge taken by the receiving bank and the expected arrival time. Put “czynsz [month], [address]” or “kaucja, [address]” in the transfer title and keep the confirmation. For the order of payments before you travel, see paying before you arrive.

Can you open a Polish account with only a passport? There is no single rule, because each bank sets its own conditions. Some banks open accounts for foreigners without a PESEL at a branch, on a passport and a document confirming legal stay, while some fully online accounts require a PESEL. So ask the bank before you go which documents it needs for your status, and whether it asks for a Polish phone number or proof of address.

I have already paid in cash and have no contract. What now?

Collect evidence. Messages about amounts and dates, photos of the key handover, a bank statement showing a cash withdrawal (it supports your story, it does not prove the payment alone), and the names of anyone who was present.
Ask for confirmation. Write neutrally: “Could you sign a short statement confirming that on [date] I paid you [amount] zł as deposit and [amount] zł as rent for [month]?” Sign it with today’s real date and write that it confirms earlier payments. Do not backdate anything.
Ask for a written lease and, from now on, a receipt for every payment or a transfer.
Make a protocol of the flat’s condition with photos and meter readings, signed by both sides.
If the landlord refuses everything, keep your evidence and talk to a lawyer. If it looks like a fake listing, read how to recognise one and report it to the police.

What does this look like when an agent finds the flat for you?

Our advice to every tenant is the one in this article: a written tenancy agreement (umowa najmu), a receipt or a transfer confirmation for each payment, and a protocol when you get the keys. The agent speaks to the owner directly and, if you ask, raises the questions about the form of payment and the contract before you commit. How to sign at a distance: signing a lease online or by courier.

Our fee is 70% of one month’s rent (czynsz najmu only, without czynsz administracyjny and utilities), paid after the tenancy agreement is signed, on an invoice without VAT. For example, rent of 3,500 zł means a fee of 2,450 zł. Help with PESEL and the office visit is included in these 70%.

Sources (checked 7 October 2026): Civil Code, art. 6, 83, 353¹, 462, 463, 659, 660 (consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 795, isap.sejm.gov.pl); Tenant Protection Act, art. 6 and 19a (Dz.U. 2023 item 725); Entrepreneurs’ Law, art. 19 (Dz.U. 2025 item 1480); Sejm print 2806 of 15 April 2026 (proposal, not law); Population Register Act, art. 28 (Dz.U. 2026 item 384); gov.pl, “Zamelduj się na pobyt czasowy dla cudzoziemców” (updated 11.03.2026); Real Estate Management Act, art. 180 ust. 3 (Dz.U. 2026 item 399).

The cover illustration was generated by AI.

Looking for a flat in Warsaw? Fill in the matching form: budget, dates, district. The agent finds options and talks to the owner directly. The fee is 70% of one month’s rent (czynsz najmu) after the tenancy agreement is signed, on an invoice without VAT. Our agents speak Ukrainian, Russian, English, Polish, German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish. Phone: +48 666 866 468.