Is an English or bilingual rental contract valid in Poland, and who translates it?

Yes, a lease written in English, or in Polish and English side by side, is valid in Poland. The Civil Code says that a lease of premises for more than a year should be in writing (art. 660) and says nothing about the language. The law requires a Polish version only in a narrow case: the landlord rents out as a business, you are a consumer who lives in Poland when you sign, and the lease is performed in Poland (art. 7 and 8 of the Polish Language Act). Even then, a lease in another language is not void.

This article is written by allproperty, an agency that finds flats for tenants, so the last section describes our own service. It is general information, not legal advice. We checked the provisions against the published acts on eli.gov.pl and api.sejm.gov.pl on 7 October 2026. Where the text says “the law requires”, a reference follows; “our reading” marks an interpretation the Act does not spell out; “usually”, “often” and “in our experience” mark practice, which is our assessment and not a rule of law.

Is a lease in English only valid?

Yes. The Civil Code asks for writing for a lease longer than a year, and if that is missed the lease is treated as concluded for an indefinite period (art. 660). It sets no language, and the parties may shape the relationship as they wish within the law (art. 353¹). The consolidated text of the Tenants Act (Dz.U. 2023 item 725) has no language rule either; for najem okazjonalny the lease needs written form on pain of nullity (art. 19a sec. 6), again with no language specified.

The Polish Language Act is the only place where a language requirement could come from. Its art. 7 sec. 1 applies to “dealings involving consumers” and to employment law. Under the Civil Code a consumer is a natural person who acts with an entrepreneur (art. 22¹). So our reading is that a lease between two private individuals falls outside the Act, and the two of them can agree on English. The Act has no list of contracts that settles this, so treat it as an interpretation, not a quotation.

Valid does not mean free of practical problems. Courts, notaries and offices work in Polish, and we come back to that below.

When does the law require a Polish version?

All three conditions of art. 7 sec. 1 must be met at the same time:

Condition	What it means
A consumer is involved	You rent a flat to live in, and the landlord is an entrepreneur: a company, or a person who rents out as a business (art. 22¹ of the Civil Code)
You live in Poland when you sign	The Act says “place of residence” at the moment of signing; the Civil Code defines it as the place where a person stays with the intention of permanent residence (art. 25)
The lease is performed in Poland	For a flat in Warsaw this is usually met

Whether a newcomer “lives” in Poland at the moment of signing is not obvious. Someone who signs from abroad before arriving is, in our reading, outside the rule; someone who has already moved here is a grey area, and the Act does not settle it. Treat this as our evaluation.

If all three conditions are met, the lease is drawn up in Polish (art. 8 sec. 1), with these exceptions:

• A parallel version. A foreign-language version or versions may be drawn up at the same time (art. 8 sec. 1a).
• Foreign language only. At your request the lease may be drawn up only in a foreign language if you speak it, are not a Polish citizen and were told in advance that you have the right to a Polish version (art. 8 sec. 1b).

What happens if the landlord breaks the rule? The lease is not void. The Act refers to art. 74 § 1 first sentence and § 2 of the Civil Code, so the consequence concerns evidence: in a dispute, the fact that the lease was concluded cannot be proved by witnesses or by hearing the parties, unless both sides agree, the consumer demands it in a dispute with the entrepreneur, or the fact is made probable by a document (art. 8 sec. 4). Our reading is that this weighs on the entrepreneur more than on the tenant. The use of Polish in consumer dealings is supervised by the consumer protection authority (UOKiK), the Trade Inspection and county or municipal consumer ombudsmen (art. 7b).

Which version prevails if they differ?

The lease decides. In a bilingual lease look for a clause on discrepancies, and read it before you read anything else. Such clauses often give priority to the Polish text, and that is permitted: the parties may arrange the relationship as they wish (art. 353¹ of the Civil Code).

The Polish Language Act answers the question in one case only: the Polish version is the basis for interpretation if the consumer is a Polish citizen (art. 8 sec. 1a). For a foreign tenant the Act does not name a version. So “the Polish version always prevails” is not a rule of law; it is a clause, and in our experience many leases contain it.

In practice, if the lease says Polish prevails, you are agreeing to the Polish text and the English one is a convenience. Before signing, check that the key points match: the parties, the term, the czynsz and the other charges, the kaucja, the notice period, the handover protocol. A dispute would be heard by a Polish court, where the official language is Polish (art. 5 § 1 of the Act on the system of common courts).

When do you need a sworn translation?

A sworn translation is made by a tłumacz przysięgły, a person entered on the list kept by the Minister of Justice, who may prepare and certify translations between Polish and a foreign language (art. 6 and 13 of the Act on the profession of sworn translator). The list is published in the Public Information Bulletin (art. 10). It is needed not for signing the lease but when the document goes to an institution.

• Court. A court may require a foreign-language document to be translated by a sworn translator (art. 256 of the Code of Civil Procedure). A person who does not know Polish well enough may appear in court in a language they know and use an interpreter free of charge (art. 5 § 2 of the Act on the system of common courts).
• Notary. Notarial acts are made in Polish; at a party’s request the notary may also make the act in a foreign language (art. 2 § 3 of the Notaries Act). If a party does not know Polish and no translation into a language they know is attached, the notary must translate the act personally (if the notary has shown knowledge of the language in the way required of sworn translators) or with the help of a sworn translator (art. 87 § 1 pt 1 in connection with art. 2 § 3). This is what happens with the deed for najem okazjonalny. A sworn translator is usually paid separately, so ask the notary in advance who translates and what it costs. Our article on najem okazjonalny covers it.
• Office. Official acts are performed in Polish, and so are submissions to an office (art. 5 of the Polish Language Act). The Warsaw page on temporary registration (updated 6 July 2026) asks you to bring the lease for inspection, and the owner must confirm your stay on the form (item 6); the Registration Act likewise speaks of the owner’s confirmation and a document proving title to the flat (art. 28 sec. 2, applied to foreigners by art. 40 sec. 1). Neither source sets a language. An office may still ask for a Polish version, so check with it before you go. Details of the procedure are in PESEL and meldunek for foreigners.

Can you sign a lease you do not understand?

Better not to, and the law offers little comfort afterwards. Art. 8 sec. 4 of the Polish Language Act changes the rules of evidence only; it does not make a lease easy to walk away from because you did not read it. So we suggest a simple rule: if a point is unclear, you do not sign yet.

What to ask the owner to explain or put into your language before you sign:

1. Who the parties are and who signs for the landlord, and what document gives them the right to rent out the flat.
2. The term and the notice periods, and what happens when the term ends.
3. The czynsz, what the charges are on top of it, and who pays which bills.
4. The kaucja: the amount and when it is returned.
5. The rules on repairs, subletting, pets and visitors.
6. The handover protocol and how defects are recorded.
7. Which version prevails, if the lease is in two languages.

If the lease is long or the wording is unusual, a lawyer or a sworn translator is the right expert. We are neither. More on what to look for is in our article on what to check in a rental contract.

How does allproperty help with a lease in another language?

allproperty finds flats for tenants and sees the deal through until you get the keys. As part of that we speak to the owner directly and translate orally between you and the owner (this is not a sworn translation). Our agents work in Ukrainian, Russian, English, Polish, German, Italian, Turkish and Spanish.

What we do not do: we do not replace a notary, a lawyer or a sworn translator, we do not give a legal opinion on the lease or assess the legal risks of its clauses, and we do not promise a written translation of the whole text. If a lease needs a legal assessment, turn to a lawyer.

The fee is 70% of one month’s czynsz najmu, that is of the rent itself, without czynsz administracyjny and utilities: with a czynsz of 3,500 zł it is 2,450 zł. It is paid once, after the umowa najmu is signed, and invoiced as a faktura bez VAT. Help with PESEL and with the visit to the urząd is included in the 70%. The scope of our work is set out in the agency agreement (umowa pośrednictwa), which must be concluded in writing or in electronic form with a qualified electronic signature, on pain of nullity (art. 180 sec. 3 of the Real Estate Management Act, art. 78¹ of the Civil Code). Filling in a form on our site is not that agreement.

Send a request: we find the flat, speak to the owner directly, translate orally and see the deal through until you get the keys. Phone: +48 666 866 468.

Sources

Checked on 7 October 2026.

• Polish Language Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 81: art. 5, 7, 7b, 8 sec. 1, 1a, 1b, 4. An amending act of 30 April 2026 (Dz.U. 2026 item 676) changes other provisions of this Act, not art. 7 or 8.
• Civil Code, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 795: art. 22¹, 25, 74, 78¹, 353¹, 660.
• Notaries Act (Prawo o notariacie), consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 614: art. 2 § 3, art. 87 § 1.
• Code of Civil Procedure, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 468: art. 256.
• Act on the system of common courts, consolidated text Dz.U. 2024 item 334: art. 5.
• Act on the profession of sworn translator, consolidated text Dz.U. 2019 item 1326: art. 6, 10, 13.
• Act on the protection of tenants’ rights, consolidated text Dz.U. 2023 item 725: art. 19a.
• Act on population registration (ewidencja ludności), consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 384: art. 28 sec. 2 and 2b, art. 40 sec. 1.
• Real Estate Management Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 399: art. 180 sec. 3.
• Warsaw city information page Temporary registration of foreigners (updated 6 July 2026): the lease is brought for inspection; the owner confirms the stay in item 6 of the form.