The most important change that will strike at the foundations of current unfair practices is an absolute ban on price adjustment after signing a developer contract.
Price guarantee, i.e. the developer takes the risk on themselves
Until now buyers often faced a significant dilemma. Pay tens of thousands of PLN due to "construction cost increases", or give up the dream of owning a home.
The new regulations introduce a guaranteed price principle, meaning that from the moment the contract is signed, the price becomes inviolable.
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For developers this means the need for far more precise investment budget planning. Inflation risk or rising steel prices will no longer be a problem for the buyer or the developer.
If a company underestimates the project costs, for example 50 million PLN, it will have to cover the difference from its own margin.
It is worth noting that Polish developers have record margins compared to the entire European Union. The average gross margin in the industry in 2024 was about 30%, which is almost twice the European average.
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Fourfold return of the reservation fee – an effective way to curb unfair practices?
The Polish real estate market knows examples where developers broke reservation contracts only to sell the unit to a new buyer at a higher price.
Developers had to return a double reservation fee, which, with the sharp rise in market prices, still paid off for them. The government decided to increase the rate because the project aims to raise this return from double to four times the amount. That is a substantial financial scare.
This drastic change forces a recalculation of the profit and loss account. Unilateral contract termination will simply become unprofitable for developers.
This safeguard is meant to ensure turnover stability and curb speculative maneuvers. As a result, the reservation fee stops being just a "purchase option" and becomes a real, hard commitment. Breaching such a contract will start to be a painful cut in the developer's wallet.
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No more marketing dusting of reality
The amendment also scrutinizes acceptance and marketing procedures. Developers will have to provide on their websites apartment renders with exact square footage, and every visualization must be clearly marked as illustrative material.
In practice this means the end of creative framing that made a studio look like a penthouse. The acceptance protocol with a list of defects can now be sent electronically, allowing a calm analysis of reports from technical specialists.
The Portal for Housing Transaction Data (DOM) will also change, becoming a real informational hub run by the Insurance Guarantee Fund (UFG).
The system will be integrated with the UOKiK, KRS databases and building supervision offices. Buyers will therefore receive a tool to scrutinize developer credibility like a stock analyst checking a company's fundamentals before buying shares.
The new law sends a strong signal to the market: either you play clean and professional, or you pay and get knocked out of the game.
It is worth noting that upcoming changes may temporarily raise offer prices, as developers will factor risk into the starting price.
See also: Apartments for 17,000 PLN? PKP sells real estate across Poland. There is one catch
Source: Money.
