Landlord in Poland wants me to pay 4500 zl for cancellation of contract

Hello,

I have terminated my contract for the appartement where I am currently living, with a notice period of 3 months. He understood my situation and was no problem for him. He mentioned during the conversation that he need to spend now money for advertisement for this appartement and that it costs him 1500 - 2000 zl per month. Due my notice period he wants me to pay 3 months additional 1500 - 2000 zl to cover his advertisement costs.

Good to know:
- He advertise it by himself, he don't do it via agency
- He advertise on since such as Gumtree, OLX, Facebook etc....

My question is; is it realistic that he ask me so much to cover his advertisement costs? I have checked my contract and there is nothing written that I have to pay this...

Thx!

This is pure BS! Such portals are free and even if he goes through an agency, it won't cost much.
The guy is a crook, which is often the case in Poland.
Can you move out on a week-end for instance and then you leave the keys with a neighbor or you sent them to him.

Best of luck! :)

Yes that would be an option, the only thing is that I will lose my deposit/kaucja. Friend of mine, whom speak Polish will talk with him and say that this is not acceptable. 1500 zl per month additional is almost a full rent... hopefully he will give back my deposit because it looks like he wanna find extra money via different ways.

Where do you live Agnie? If it's Tri-City me and the boys will pay your friend a visit and "persuade" him to think again :)

Landlords the world over see the deposit as theirs to keep. You probably wouldn't get it back anyway, but he does have to justify the reason way. Him needing to advertise is not justification. Nor is it in the contract.

This guy however is a crook, a liar and a chancer, and you should make sure you have someone with you whenever he is there. There is certainly no reason to pay him a penny towards his advert.

This is very much a Polish trick, where they don't seem to have grasped the concept of an inclusive price for things. Or pretend not to if it is to their advantage. This is more or less what he's doing here.

Basically he just doesn't want to pay the deposit back. You should make sure someone very assertive is with you when you see him next.

Spoken today again with my landlord and he say that in contract is when you cancel the contract via notice period you don't have full rights to get your deposit back. He say that the costs can be up to 1500 PLN monthly when he wanna feature his advertisments. This means there will be of my deposit nothing left. He dont understand why I make a problem. Is it a crime if a leave the appartment one month earlier and inform him one day before? I think he won't pay my deposit back anyway.

That's exactly what I'd do, except I'd inform him the day after. Not before.

I have lived in 7 different countries and I have never heard something of the kind. What kind of contract have you signed? Has he reported it to tax authorities and if so in full amount of the rent? I know of a case in Poland when the tenant paid 2,000 ZL in hand but had to sign a lease according to which the rent was 800 ZL and therefore the landlord only paid tax on 800 ZL ;).

Unfortunately most landlords in Poland are dishonest. Have you tried to see a lawyer? I doubt a lawyer can do anything as your landlord must be smart and has written the lease in such a way you cannot do anything.

When are you supposed to move? How much is your rent, how much is your deposit? He wants 4,500 from you but how can he force you to pay? I don't think he can...

I am sure you are most uncomfortable now but unfortunately I cannot give you any advise because I don't know. Do you talk around you? What do people say?

People around me are laughin about it. The rent is 2200 PLN per month, deposit also 2200 PLN, contract is ok including his ID card information. I am planning to move out end of october due the notice period of 3 months but now I am considering to leave one month earlier because I dont believe he will pay me back. This guy is btw unemployed and he just got 3 appartments for rent.

If contract cancelled with notice period, the deposit cannot be returned (in full)????? Where has he seen such a thing? On top of that he has the guts to claim advertizing his castle shall cost him 1,500 ZL/month!!!! There are dozens of sites in Poland he can use to advertize for free.

The guy is a genuine petty crook. Such landlords take advantage of young foreigners who don't know Polish and Poland. Disgusting!

If I were the OP, I would leave place with telling him and leave the keys in mailbox and the hell with him.

@Agnie: start looking for new place as of now and once you have found something suitable, just move without telling him! You'll leave his keys in mailbox and will send him sms (once moved out). Of course, he will NOT reimburse you so don't be stupid!

Do you know whether he pays tax (and on total amount?). He may have given you a paper to sign but authorities don't know nothing about it. Have you obtained a zameldowanie? If not, most probably; authorities don't know about him renting flats. Maybe once you are out, you could report him to tax office ;)

Surely not. The OP would then be 2000 zl out of pocket. She should change the locks, make sure there is always someone there, so the owner can't break in again, and not pay rent for the last month.

And get her boyfriend or mates to give him a good slap.

I know I would. Or I would pay the Aberdeen heavies to get satisfaction out of his face.

@Doupol: probably the guy has not even reported the flat renting to the authorities and if she changes the lock he could get her in trouble.

Tough situation !

Totally legal apparently.

@Dougpol: since the guy is dishonest and screwed up, he could invent anything to get the girl in trouble.

You know, it's difficult when a foreigner to win against a local and it's even more so against a Pole in Poland.

Then she should stay quiet and then change the locks as I said just before the final month. Then if he tries to break the door down, or sends a gang, she calls the police, they come double quick, she cries attack! and the police cart away the gang.

The trick is that there must be someone in the property to prevent the owner from breaking and entering.
Of course in the meantime the owner can get a court order to get the OP out - but this is Poland, right, and that will take ages.

She needs a man around who will front up to this crim. If I were 20 years younger I would volunteer, and offer him violence.

@Doug: I understand! She could say if asked that she had lost her keys so had to change lock. Yes, we "poor" women sure do need men;). Renting in Poland most often follow the jungle law and it can be most unpleasant when landlord/lady not decent.