How to Avoid Rental Scams in Poland: Red Flags & Safe Search Guide

1. The Fake Listing (Phantom Apartment)

How it works: The scammer creates a listing for an apartment that either does not exist or does not belong to them. Photos are stolen from legitimate listings or interior design websites. The price is set slightly below market rate to attract attention. When you express interest, they ask for a deposit or first month's rent via bank transfer to 'reserve' the apartment. Once you pay, they disappear.

Red flags: Photos that look too professional or staged, prices that are 20% or more below market rate for the area, reluctance to video call or show the apartment in real time, pressure to pay before viewing, and a landlord who claims to be abroad and cannot meet in person.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Every listing on Domkaspot is verified through a multi-step process. We confirm the landlord's identity, verify property ownership or authorized management rights, and validate that the listing photos match the actual apartment. No listing goes live without passing our verification checks.

2. The Deposit Theft

How it works: A real landlord shows you a real apartment, and you sign a lease and pay a deposit (kaucja), typically one to three months' rent. When you move out, the landlord invents damage claims, refuses to return the deposit, or simply goes silent. In some cases, the 'landlord' was actually a tenant who sublet the apartment illegally and pocketed your deposit.

Red flags: No formal rental contract (umowa najmu), a landlord who insists on cash payments with no receipts, unwillingness to do a detailed move-in inventory (protokol zdawczo-odbiorczy) with photographs, and no written record of the deposit amount.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Domkaspot requires all transactions to be documented. Our platform guides both parties through proper lease agreements and move-in inventories. Landlord profiles include ratings and reviews from previous tenants, creating accountability and transparency.

3. The Bait-and-Switch

How it works: You see a beautiful, well-priced apartment in a great location. You arrange a viewing. When you arrive, the landlord or agent tells you the listed apartment is 'just taken' or 'no longer available' but conveniently has another apartment -- inferior in quality, location, or both -- at the same or higher price. The original listing was never genuinely available; it was bait to get you through the door.

Red flags: Listings that seem too good to be true, agents who redirect you to different properties immediately upon contact, and the same 'perfect' listing appearing repeatedly despite supposedly being taken.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Listings on Domkaspot are tied to specific, verified properties. If a property is rented, the listing is removed. Our system monitors listing activity and flags suspicious patterns, such as repeatedly posted and removed listings.

4. The Facebook Group Scam

How it works: Facebook groups for expats (like 'Apartments for Rent in Warsaw' or 'Erasmus Housing Krakow') are the most common hunting ground for scammers. Fake profiles post attractive listings, engage in friendly conversation, and then request deposits via bank transfer, Revolut, or even cryptocurrency. The profiles are often newly created, with stolen photos and no real history.

Red flags: Brand-new Facebook profiles with few friends or posts, unwillingness to meet in person or do a video call, requests for payment via non-reversible methods (wire transfer, crypto, gift cards), and generic responses that do not address your specific questions.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Unlike Facebook groups, Domkaspot is not an open marketplace where anyone can post. Every landlord must complete identity verification, and every listing must pass our review process. This fundamentally eliminates the anonymous, unaccountable environment where Facebook scams thrive.

5. The Illegal Sublet

How it works: A current tenant rents out rooms or the entire apartment to you without the actual landlord's knowledge or permission. This means your 'lease' has no legal standing. If the building owner or management company discovers the unauthorized sublet, you can be evicted with little recourse -- and the 'landlord' you paid keeps your money.

Red flags: The person renting to you is vague about property ownership, they cannot provide a copy of the original lease or proof of ownership, the rental contract is informal or missing, and neighbors seem surprised to learn about new tenants.

How Domkaspot prevents this: We verify property ownership or authorized management rights for every listing. Landlords must demonstrate they have the legal right to rent the property. This verification step eliminates unauthorized sublets entirely.

6. The Contract Manipulation

How it works: The landlord presents a rental contract in Polish (which you may not read) that contains unfavorable terms hidden in the fine print: automatic rent increases, penalties for early termination, waiver of your right to a deposit refund, or clauses that violate Polish tenant protection laws. You sign without fully understanding, and discover the trap only when it is too late.

Red flags: A landlord who discourages you from reading the contract carefully, rushes the signing process, refuses to provide an English translation or summary, or insists on non-standard clauses.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Our guide to renting in Poland explains every standard contract clause, and our platform provides resources to help internationals understand their lease terms. Verified landlords on Domkaspot agree to transparent, fair contract terms.

7. The Hidden Fees Trap

How it works: The advertised rent seems reasonable, but after you sign the lease you discover a cascade of additional charges: czynsz administracyjny (building maintenance fee), separate utility bills, garbage collection fees, internet surcharges, and 'renovation fund' contributions. Your actual monthly cost ends up 30 to 50% higher than the advertised price.

Red flags: A listing that only mentions 'rent' without specifying what is included, a landlord who deflects questions about total monthly costs, and no mention of czynsz or utility estimates in the listing.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Domkaspot listings require transparent pricing. Landlords must specify what is included in the listed price and provide estimates for additional costs. This means no surprises after you move in.

8. The Fake Agency

How it works: A company presents itself as a professional rental agency, complete with a polished website and office address. They charge upfront 'listing fees' or 'search fees' (prowizja) -- often equivalent to one month's rent -- promising to find you an apartment. After paying, you either receive a list of publicly available listings you could have found yourself, or the agency becomes unreachable.

Red flags: High upfront fees before any apartment is shown, no verifiable business registration (check on KRS -- Krajowy Rejestr Sadowy at ekrs.ms.gov.pl), pressure to pay immediately, no clear refund policy, and an office that is just a virtual address.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Domkaspot charges no upfront search fees to renters. Our business model is transparent, and we are a registered, verifiable company. You never pay to browse or contact landlords.

9. The OLX/Gumtree Payment Redirect

How it works: You find a listing on OLX.pl (Poland's largest classifieds site) or Gumtree. The 'landlord' sends you a link to 'verify your identity' or 'confirm payment' through a site that looks official but is actually a phishing page designed to steal your bank credentials. This is a technology-enabled scam that has become increasingly sophisticated.

Red flags: Any request to click an external link for 'verification' or 'payment', URLs that do not match the official OLX or bank domains, requests for bank login credentials, and communication that moves off the platform to WhatsApp or email immediately.

How Domkaspot prevents this: All communication on Domkaspot happens through our secure platform. We never redirect users to external payment or verification sites, and our messaging system is monitored for phishing attempts and suspicious links.

10. The Renovation Promise Scam

How it works: A landlord shows you an apartment that needs work -- outdated kitchen, damaged floors, broken fixtures -- but promises renovations will be completed before your move-in date. You sign the lease and pay a deposit based on this promise. Move-in day arrives, and nothing has been done. The landlord now claims the renovations are 'delayed' or offers a small, inadequate rent reduction instead.

Red flags: Verbal renovation promises not included in the written contract, no specific timeline or penalties for non-completion, and pressure to sign and pay before renovations are done.

How Domkaspot prevents this: Listing photos on Domkaspot reflect the current, verified state of the apartment. If a landlord promises renovations, our team can verify the timeline and ensure commitments are documented.

Immediate Steps

• 1. Contact your bank immediately. If you made a bank transfer, call your bank and request a chargeback or fraud investigation. For transfers to Polish banks, the receiving bank can sometimes freeze the funds if you act within 24 to 48 hours.
• 2. File a police report. Visit the nearest police station (komisariat policji) or file a report online at epuap.gov.pl. Bring all evidence: screenshots of conversations, listing links, payment confirmations, and any identifying information about the scammer.
• 3. Report to the platform. If the scam happened on OLX, Facebook, or another platform, report the listing and the user. While platforms are often slow to act, the report creates an official record.
• 4. Contact the Consumer Ombudsman. The Polish Consumer Ombudsman (Rzecznik Praw Konsumenta) at your local city hall can provide free legal guidance on recovering funds.
• 5. Contact your embassy. If you are a foreign national, your embassy or consulate can provide guidance on legal remedies and connect you with English-speaking lawyers.

Legal Recourse

Polish law treats rental fraud as a criminal offense under Article 286 of the Penal Code (oszustwo -- fraud), punishable by up to 8 years of imprisonment. While criminal prosecution takes time, it creates strong incentive for the scammer to return your money if identified.

For civil recovery of your deposit or rent payments, you can file a claim in Polish civil court (sad rejonowy). For amounts under 20,000 PLN, the process is streamlined through a simplified procedure (postepowanie uproszczone). Many law firms in Warsaw and Krakow offer initial consultations for free or at a nominal cost.

The best prevention is always to avoid scams in the first place. Using a verified platform like Domkaspot means you never have to worry about fake listings, phantom landlords, or deposit theft.

Landlord Verification

• Identity verification: Every landlord must submit a government-issued ID. We verify the document against anti-fraud databases.
• Property ownership or management rights: Landlords provide proof that they own the property or have authorized management rights (umowa o zarzadzanie or power of attorney).
• Profile review: Each landlord profile is reviewed by our team before it goes live. Profiles include verified reviews from previous tenants.
• Ongoing monitoring: We monitor landlord behavior on the platform, including response times, tenant feedback, and listing accuracy.

Listing Verification

• Photo verification: Listing photos are checked for authenticity. We use reverse image search and metadata analysis to detect stolen or manipulated photos.
• Price reasonableness check: Listings priced significantly below market rate are flagged for additional review.
• Transparent pricing requirement: Landlords must disclose all costs -- base rent, czynsz administracyjny, estimated utilities, and any additional fees.
• Active status monitoring: Rented apartments are removed promptly. Stale or suspicious listings are flagged and reviewed.

This multi-layered verification system is why Domkaspot users do not encounter the scams described in this article. When you search for housing on Domkaspot, you are browsing listings that have already been vetted for authenticity, fair pricing, and legal compliance.

Learn more about how Domkaspot works.