Renting in Warsaw with UKR status: lease term, what CUKR changes and moving
Will a landlord in Warsaw rent to you with UKR status, and for how long? What happens to the lease once you get a CUKR card, and who to notify if you move. Checked 07.10.2026.
Yes. An ordinary lease can run for 12 months or longer: the law does not tie the length of a tenancy to the length of UKR status, and according to UdSC (notice of 6 August 2026) temporary protection runs until 4 March 2028. Two things are worth checking before you sign. With UKR status a najem okazjonalny does not require a substitute address (art. 112e), but protection ends once you receive a CUKR card (art. 109b para. 1 item 4(c)), and in our reading that exemption will not help with a new lease. With a CUKR card you must also tell the voivode about a change of place of stay within 15 working days.
Checked on 7 October 2026 against the acts as published in Dz.U. and gov.pl pages; sources at the bottom.
| Situation | What it means for renting |
|---|---|
| UKR status, protection in force | Ordinary lease for any term the parties agree. Najem okazjonalny without a substitute address (art. 112e) |
| You have collected a CUKR card | Temporary protection ends (art. 109b para. 1 item 4(c)). You report a change of address to the voivode within 15 working days |
| You leave Poland for more than 30 days | Temporary protection ends (art. 109b para. 1 item 2) |
| PESEL UKR data not updated by 31.08.2026 | From 01.09.2026 the status may have changed to NUE (art. 25 of the act, Dz.U. 2026 item 203) |
Will a landlord rent to me with a PESEL UKR in 2026, and for how long should the lease run?
The law does not prevent it, and the parties set the term in the contract (freedom of contract, art. 353¹ of the Civil Code). We found no rule that would shorten a lease to the date protection ends. In our assessment (not a statistic) most Warsaw landlords ask for 12 months, and UKR status does not change that.
A landlord may ask for a clause about the term of your status. That is a matter of agreement, not a legal requirement. Nor is a landlord obliged to rent to you in particular, or to anyone else.
One point deserves attention before you sign. A fixed-term lease can be ended early only in the cases written into the contract itself (art. 673 § 3 of the Civil Code). If you might need to move, for instance because of a job or a residence card, ask for such a clause. For more on what to check in the text, see what to look for in a rental contract.
How do I show a landlord that my status is valid?
Your status is confirmed by a PESEL number with UKR status. One way to show it is the Diia.pl document in the mObywatel app, which certifies lawful stay. Check the current list of accepted methods on gov.pl.
You can point to the official date: UdSC, extension of temporary protection to 4 March 2028 (06.08.2026). Note that gov.pl pages published before August 2026 still say 4 March 2027, for example the overview of changes on gov.pl/rodzina from 26.03.2026. Polish law ties lawful stay to the period in which the EU Council decision remains in force (art. 106 para. 1), so in our reading the new date is the one that counts. If a landlord has seen the old date, show them the UdSC page.
Najem okazjonalny without a substitute address: what is it and who does it help?
With UKR status you do not name another dwelling or need its owner’s consent in a najem okazjonalny: art. 112e removes art. 19a para. 2 items 2 and 3, para. 3 and art. 19d para. 5 of the tenant protection act. What remains is the tenant’s notarial declaration and, if the landlord asks for one, a deposit of up to six months’ rent (art. 19a para. 4). More in najem okazjonalny for foreigners without a substitute address.
A separate point concerns leases signed under the old art. 69 of the special act (in force from 12 March 2022 to 4 March 2026): art. 112e applies to them (art. 51 of the act of 23.01.2026, Dz.U. 2026 item 203). The act does not say what happens to such a lease if the tenant later loses protection.
What changes for my lease when I get a CUKR card?
CUKR is a residence card for Ukrainian citizens, issued for 3 years. Applications are filed online only, through the MOS portal, until 4 March 2027; the payments are PLN 100 for the card and PLN 340 stamp duty for the temporary residence permit. Not everyone qualifies: the conditions are in art. 42c of the act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens (UKR status on 04.06.2025 and on the day of application, held without a break for at least 365 days).
How this connects to your lease. From the day you collect the card, your right of stay becomes, by operation of law, a temporary residence permit (art. 42r), and UdSC states plainly that UKR status automatically changes into CUKR status. Temporary protection ends at that point (art. 109b para. 1 item 4(c)).
What follows is our reading, not the text of the law. Art. 112e applies to a tenant who is a beneficiary of temporary protection. If you are no longer one, the exemption does not cover a new najem okazjonalny, and the general rule on the substitute address applies. The law does not describe the effect on a lease already signed; a notary or a lawyer can assess that, and we mark it as an open question. If a lease is renewed or a new one is signed, the landlord needs the full set of attachments under art. 19a. We do not advise on the CUKR procedure: the decision is yours, and the answers are on gov.pl/udsc and in MOS.
What if I move during the CUKR procedure or already hold the card?
According to UdSC, once you have the CUKR card you must tell the voivode about every change of place of stay within 15 working days. The practical rule that follows: know the new address before you sign the next lease, and do not delay the notification after the move. Whether there is a separate duty to report an address change while the application is still being examined, we found no direct statement on the UdSC page, so ask the voivode or MOS.
Registering your address (meldunek) is a separate subject: PESEL and meldunek for foreigners.
Why does leaving Poland for more than 30 days matter to a tenant?
Temporary protection ends if you leave Poland for more than 30 days (art. 109b para. 1 item 2). It ends on the day of that event (para. 2). For renting, this is a fact to know before you sign if you plan a long trip: after more than 30 days abroad you are no longer a beneficiary, and art. 112e was written for beneficiaries. The law does not say how this affects a lease already signed, and we do not advise what to do: that is a question for a lawyer and gov.pl.
What if I did not update my PESEL UKR data by 31.08.2026?
If your PESEL UKR was issued on a declaration, you had to confirm your identity with a travel document at any gmina office by 31 August 2026. Anyone who did not has had NUE status instead of UKR since 1 September 2026 and loses the right under art. 106 para. 1 (art. 25 paras. 1-3 of the act of 23.01.2026). See also the overview on gov.pl/rodzina.
For a flat search this means art. 112e no longer covers you: if a landlord offers a najem okazjonalny, the full set of attachments under art. 19a is needed, including a substitute address. What landlords ask for in that case is in our article on renting on a visa or without a residence card. We do not advise on status: check it on gov.pl or at your gmina office.
How much does the search cost, and what does the price include?
Our flat-finding service for tenants costs 70% of one month’s rent (czynsz najmu only, without czynsz administracyjny and utilities), for example PLN 2,450 on a rent of PLN 3,500. It is payable after the lease (umowa najmu) is signed, on an invoice without VAT. Help with PESEL and accompanying you to the urząd are included. Our agents speak Ukrainian, Russian, English, Polish, German, Italian, Turkish and Spanish. The search form is on the page for tenants, and you can call +48 666 866 468.
Sources (checked 7 October 2026)
- Act of 13.06.2003 on granting protection to foreigners, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 862: arts. 106, 109b, 112e. Text
- Act of 23.01.2026 winding down the Ukraine special act, Dz.U. 2026 item 203: arts. 25, 51, 54 (in force from 05.03.2026). Text, ELI
- Act of 12.03.2022 on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 1293: arts. 42c, 42r. Text
- Act of 21.06.2001 on the protection of tenants’ rights, consolidated text Dz.U. 2023 item 725: arts. 19a, 19d. Text
- Act of 24.09.2010 on population records, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 384 (UKR and NUE statuses). Text
- Polish Civil Code: arts. 353¹, 673 § 3.
- UdSC, CUKR procedure; UdSC, Extension of temporary protection to 4 March 2028 (06.08.2026; Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 of 30.07.2026, we did not open the EUR-Lex text); gov.pl/rodzina, changes in assistance for Ukrainian citizens in 2026 (26.03.2026).
- City of Warsaw, Legalisation of stay in Poland for Ukrainian citizens (updated 11.09.2026; on the Diia.pl document).
- Secondary, unofficial source: HRappka, 24.08.2026 (on no action being needed after the extension).
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Questions about your right to stay are for gov.pl, MOS or a lawyer.
The cover illustration was generated with AI.
Common questions
Do I need a CUKR card to rent a flat?
No. No rule in tenancy law makes renting depend on a CUKR card, and temporary protection, confirmed by a PESEL number with UKR status, remains the basis for lawful stay. Whether to apply for CUKR is your decision, and a question for UdSC and the MOS portal, not for the landlord. Checked 07.10.2026.
Does a CUKR application require a rental contract?
On the UdSC page describing the CUKR procedure we found no requirement for an address or a lease; the application is filed online through MOS. Check the final list in the MOS portal itself and on gov.pl/udsc. Checked 07.10.2026.
Can a landlord set the end of the lease to the date protection expires?
Yes, if you agree: the parties set the term and the grounds for early termination themselves (art. 353¹ and art. 673 § 3 of the Civil Code). A landlord may propose such a clause, and you may decline or suggest another term. The law does not tie the length of a lease to the length of your status. Checked 07.10.2026.
Is help with PESEL and going to the urząd included in the search fee?
Yes. Help with PESEL and accompanying you to the urząd are part of the same 70%, with no separate charge. The outcome depends on the urząd, which we cannot promise.
How much does the flat search cost?
70% of the monthly czynsz najmu, excluding czynsz administracyjny and utilities, payable after the lease (umowa najmu) is signed, on an invoice without VAT. Example: a czynsz of PLN 3,500 gives PLN 2,450.
Do I have to do anything for protection to run until 2028?
According to UdSC (notice of 06.08.2026) protection is extended to 04.03.2028. For people who held temporary protection before and on 4 August 2026, the page describes no steps; the new condition of having fulfilled military obligations in Ukraine applies to everyone else. A secondary source (HRappka, 24.08.2026, not an official one) says that if you showed a passport when your PESEL was assigned, nothing more is needed. Exception: if your PESEL UKR was issued on a declaration and you did not confirm your identity with a travel document at a gmina office by 31.08.2026, your status was changed to NUE from 01.09.2026 (art. 25 of the act, Dz.U. 2026 item 203). Check your status on gov.pl or at your gmina office. Checked 07.10.2026.