# Polish — Real Estate Sub-Lexicon

Maps Polish real-estate vocabulary to correct English equivalents.
Covers transfers of ownership, land and mortgage register (księgi wieczyste),
perpetual usufruct, leases, development, and planning.

## Ownership and Other Rights in Rem

| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| nieruchomość | real property / real estate |
| nieruchomość gruntowa | land property |
| nieruchomość budynkowa | building property |
| nieruchomość lokalowa | separate premises (condominium unit) |
| własność | ownership |
| współwłasność | co-ownership |
| współwłasność ułamkowa | fractional co-ownership |
| współwłasność łączna | joint ownership (undivided) |
| użytkowanie wieczyste | perpetual usufruct |
| przekształcenie użytkowania wieczystego we własność | conversion of perpetual usufruct into ownership |
| odrębna własność lokalu | separate ownership of premises |
| udział w nieruchomości wspólnej | share in the common property |
| służebność | servitude / easement |
| służebność gruntowa | easement appurtenant |
| służebność osobista | personal servitude |
| służebność przesyłu | transmission easement (energy / utilities) |
| służebność drogi koniecznej | way of necessity easement |
| użytkowanie | usufruct / right of use |
| zastaw (na nieruchomości — niedopuszczalny; stosuje się hipotekę) | pledge not available for real property (mortgage applies) |
| hipoteka | mortgage |
| dożywocie | life annuity / maintenance contract |

## Land and Mortgage Register (Księgi Wieczyste)

| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| księga wieczysta (KW) | land and mortgage register |
| numer księgi wieczystej | land-register number |
| elektroniczna księga wieczysta / EKW | electronic land-and-mortgage register |
| dział I księgi wieczystej | Section I (designation of the property) |
| dział II | Section II (ownership and perpetual usufruct) |
| dział III | Section III (rights, claims and restrictions) |
| dział IV | Section IV (mortgages) |
| odpis z KW / wypis z KW | land-register extract |
| wzmianka | marginal note / annotation |
| rękojmia wiary publicznej ksiąg wieczystych | public faith of the land register |
| wpis | entry |
| wykreślenie | deletion of entry |
| założenie księgi wieczystej | creation of a land-register file |

## Acquisition and Disposal

| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| umowa sprzedaży nieruchomości | real-estate sale agreement |
| akt notarialny | notarial deed |
| umowa przedwstępna | preliminary sale agreement |
| umowa przyrzeczona | final sale agreement |
| zadatek | earnest money |
| zaliczka | advance payment |
| cena sprzedaży | purchase price |
| wadium | bid bond / tender security |
| prawo pierwokupu | pre-emption right |
| prawo pierwokupu ustawowe (gminy / KOWR / ANR) | statutory pre-emption (municipality / KOWR) |
| prawo odkupu | right of repurchase |
| rękojmia za wady fizyczne / prawne | statutory warranty for physical / legal defects |
| stan prawny nieruchomości | legal status of the property |
| audyt prawny nieruchomości / due diligence | real estate due diligence |
| oświadczenie o poddaniu się egzekucji (art. 777 k.p.c.) | voluntary submission to enforcement |

## Leases and Tenancy

| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| najem | lease / tenancy |
| dzierżawa | lease for use and enjoyment (usufructuary lease) |
| umowa najmu | lease agreement |
| umowa dzierżawy | usufructuary lease agreement |
| najem lokalu użytkowego | commercial premises lease |
| najem lokalu mieszkalnego | residential lease |
| najem okazjonalny | occasional lease (residential) |
| najem instytucjonalny | institutional lease (residential) |
| czynsz | rent |
| opłaty eksploatacyjne | service charges / operating costs |
| opłata za media | utility charges |
| kaucja | security deposit |
| gwarancja bankowa / ubezpieczeniowa (jako zabezpieczenie najmu) | bank / insurance guarantee (as lease security) |
| okres najmu | lease term |
| przedłużenie najmu / opcja przedłużenia | lease extension / extension option |
| wypowiedzenie najmu | termination of lease |
| rozwiązanie najmu za porozumieniem | termination by mutual consent |
| podnajem | sub-lease |
| cesja umowy najmu | assignment of lease |
| zmiana stron najmu (art. 678 k.c.) | transfer upon sale of leased property |
| lease / leasing nieruchomości | real-estate leasing |

## Development and Construction

| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| pozwolenie na budowę | building permit |
| zgłoszenie robót budowlanych | notification of construction works |
| projekt budowlany | construction design |
| projekt architektoniczno-budowlany | architectural-construction design |
| projekt techniczny | technical design |
| warunki zabudowy (WZ) | development conditions decision |
| miejscowy plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego (MPZP) | local spatial development plan |
| studium uwarunkowań i kierunków zagospodarowania przestrzennego | study of conditions and directions of spatial management |
| ustawa o planowaniu i zagospodarowaniu przestrzennym | Spatial Planning Act |
| Prawo budowlane | Construction Law |
| inspektor nadzoru inwestorskiego | investor's supervision inspector |
| kierownik budowy | site manager |
| dziennik budowy | construction log |
| pozwolenie na użytkowanie | occupancy permit |
| zawiadomienie o zakończeniu budowy | notice of completion of construction |
| odbiór końcowy | final acceptance |
| gwarancja bankowa dobrego wykonania | performance bank guarantee |
| zabezpieczenie należytego wykonania umowy | performance security |
| FIDIC | FIDIC (forms of contract) |
| generalny wykonawca | general contractor |
| podwykonawca | subcontractor |
| solidarna odpowiedzialność inwestora wobec podwykonawców (art. 647¹ k.c.) | investor's joint and several liability towards subcontractors |
| umowa deweloperska | development contract |
| prospekt informacyjny | information prospectus |
| rachunek powierniczy dewelopera | developer's escrow account |
| Deweloperski Fundusz Gwarancyjny | Developer's Guarantee Fund |

## Municipal and Environmental

| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| gmina | municipality / commune |
| starosta | district governor |
| wojewoda | voivode |
| decyzja środowiskowa | environmental decision |
| raport oddziaływania na środowisko | environmental impact report |
| obszar Natura 2000 | Natura 2000 area |
| ewidencja gruntów i budynków | land and building register |
| podatek od nieruchomości | real-estate tax |
| opłata roczna za użytkowanie wieczyste | annual perpetual-usufruct fee |
| opłata adiacencka | betterment levy |
| renta planistyczna | planning rent |

## Notes

- **Notarial form — strict requirement**: Under k.c. art. 158, all transfers of ownership
  of real estate must be in the form of a notarial deed (akt notarialny) under pain of
  nullity. Powers of attorney to execute such transfers must likewise be in notarial form
  (art. 99 k.c.). This is strict Polish law — no electronic or simple written substitute.
- **"Księga wieczysta" (land and mortgage register)**: Organised in 4 sections. Governed
  by the Act on Land and Mortgage Registers and Mortgage of 6 July 1982. Entry into the
  register is constitutive for mortgage creation and for certain real rights (e.g.,
  transmission easement). The principle of public faith (rękojmia wiary publicznej —
  art. 5) protects bona fide acquirers.
- **Użytkowanie wieczyste (perpetual usufruct)**: A distinctive Polish-law real right
  over land owned by the State or a local authority, granted for 40–99 years. The
  holder owns buildings on the land but not the land itself. Gradually being converted
  into full ownership — residential perpetual usufruct was automatically converted on
  1 January 2019 under a separate conversion act. Commercial perpetual usufruct is being
  phased down. Translate as "perpetual usufruct" with translator's note.
- **Służebność przesyłu (transmission easement)**: Specific Polish-law easement for
  energy/utility infrastructure, introduced in 2008 (k.c. arts. 305¹–305⁴). Addresses
  rights of utility companies to cross private land. Compensation rules developed through
  case law.
- **Pre-emption rights (prawa pierwokupu)**: Multiple statutory pre-emption rights exist:
  (1) municipality for certain categories of land; (2) KOWR (National Support Centre for
  Agriculture) for agricultural land under the Act on Shaping the Agricultural System;
  (3) National Forests for forest land; (4) tenants of premises subject to certain
  transactions. Must be cleared at closing. Flag in real-estate due diligence.
- **Agricultural-land restrictions**: The Act on Shaping the Agricultural System (2003,
  substantially amended 2016, 2019) restricts acquisition of agricultural land by
  non-farmers. KOWR consent is generally required. Applies also to indirect acquisitions
  via share deals in land-owning companies. Highlight in M&A/DD translations.
- **Joint and several contractor liability — art. 647¹ k.c.**: The investor is jointly
  and severally liable with the general contractor for the subcontractor's remuneration,
  subject to the statutory notification mechanism. Key concept in Polish construction
  practice — flag in construction contracts.
- **Developer Act (umowa deweloperska)**: Residential developers must comply with the Act
  on the Protection of Rights of Buyers of Residential Premises and the Developer's
  Guarantee Fund of 20 May 2021. Mandatory notarial form for the development contract;
  mandatory use of a developer's escrow account; contribution to the Developer Guarantee
  Fund. Strict consumer protection regime.
- **Institutional and occasional leases (residential)**: Alternative residential lease
  regimes providing the landlord with simplified eviction procedures, subject to
  formalities (notarial declaration of voluntary submission to enforcement by the tenant,
  specification of an alternative address). Institutional lease restricted to
  professional landlords (commercial real-estate rental businesses).
- **Art. 678 k.c. — sale of leased property**: Upon sale of leased real estate, the buyer
  enters into the lease on the same terms unless the lease has not been registered (or
  not created in writing with certified dates) — in which case the buyer may terminate
  subject to statutory notice. Flag in sale-and-leaseback transactions.
- **FIDIC**: FIDIC forms (Red Book, Yellow Book, Silver Book) are widely used in
  large-scale Polish construction contracts, often with significant amendments. Mandatory
  provisions of k.c. arts. 647–658 (construction contract) override FIDIC where in
  conflict — flag in translation of amended FIDIC schedules.
