Wrocław handover protocol: 60 points for a student [2026/27]

1. Visual documentation (Video)

Before you even touch the pen, record a video walking through the entire apartment. Focus on thresholds, floor-side wall corners, and window seals. If you are renting a room in Wittigów (Teki) privately (not in DS), check if there was a “premium standard” in the ad, which turns out to be a standard from the 90s.

2. Checking the installation (Logistics of cost center)

Wrocław is a city where installations in old buildings often “kneel”. Turn on the kettle, washing machine and light at the same time – check if the fuses hold. In tenement houses on Bogusławskiego Street (Nasyp) or in the vicinity of Traugutta Street, electrical installations can be problematic.

3. Red flags on OLX Wrocław:

• The owner refuses to enter the meter readings (always require water and electricity readings!).
• There is no provision that the deposit is refundable within 30 days.
• A provision about “professional cleaning” when moving out (the cost of approx. PLN 500-800, which the owner wants to steal from the deposit).

Complete list of 60 points to the protocol

Divide this list into zones and don’t let go of a single point.

I. Kitchen (1-12)

• Hotplate/Induction: Check the scratches and whether each field is warm.
• Oven: Is the interior clean (no burns)?
• Eaves: Are the filters not glued with grease?
• Dishwasher: Condition of baskets and gaskets. Is there no mustiness?
• Refrigerator: Are all the drawers in the freezer whole (not cracked)?
• Sink: Are there no enamel chips or deep scratches on the border?
• Kitchen faucet: Is it leaking at the base?
• Countertop: Check the places by the sink – if it does not swell from water.
• Furniture fronts: Does the veneer not come off under the influence of water vapor?
• Kettle: The condition of the stone inside.
• Microwave: Does the plate spin?
• Under-cabinet lighting: Do all LEDs light up?

II. Bathroom (13-24)

• Washing machine: Powder drawer condition (often full of mold).
• Shower/Bathtub: Is the enamel not upholstered?
• Joints: Are there no black dots (fungus/mold – a plague in Wroclaw!).
• Shower faucet: Is the handset not stoned?
• Drains: Is the water flowing freely (check the sink and shower).
• Toilet: Is the board not cracked and is the cistern leaking?
• Mirror: Are there any black spots on the edges (mirror corrosion)?
• Bathroom radiator: Are there no signs of rust?
• Ventilation: Is the grille clogged with dust?
• Cabinet under the washbasin: Is the bottom not flooded/swollen?
• Silicone: Is it leak-proof at the shower tray?
• Bathroom sockets: Do they have protective flaps?

III. Student room (25-45)

• Mattress: Lift the sheet! Check for stains and dents.
• Bed frame: Is the frame not broken and does the bed creak?
• Desk: The condition of the table top – scratches from the mouse, chafing from cups.
• Swivel Chair: Do the gun lift mechanism and wheels not scratch the floor?
• Panels/Parquet: Every scratch under the desk and bed must be noted.
• Walls: Traces of double-sided tape, holes left by dowels, dirt from hands.
• Windows: Doesn’t the handle “jump”? Do the gaskets not fog up?
• Roller blinds/curtains: Is the winding mechanism not jammed?
• Window sills: Are there no discolorations from the pots?
• Doors: Do they not rub against the floor? Condition of the frame.
• Handles: Do they have no slack?
• Wardrobe: Do drawer slides run smoothly?
• Mirror in the closet: Is it not scratched?
• Carpet: If there is – check the smell and stains.
• Radiators: Does the thermostat rotate?
• Electrical outlets: Do they not fall out of the wall when pulling out the plug?
• Light switches: Do they work the first time?
• Air conditioning: If there is – check the smell when you turn it on.
• Wall shelves: Do they hold the wall stable?
• Ceiling: Are there no stains (especially on the top floor of tenement houses).
• Room Fragrance: Do you not smell tobacco or moisture?

IV. Installations, Media and General (46-60)

• Electricity meter: Exact condition and serial number.
• Cold water meter: Exact condition.
• Hot Water Meter: Accurate Status (if City).
• Gas meter: (If gas heating – very important in Nadodrze!).
• Wi-Fi Router: Is it equipped and does the coverage reach your room?
• Intercom: Can you hear the interlocutor and does he open the door to the cage?
• Keys: Count the sets (apartment, cage, garbage can, basement).
• Remote control for the gate: (If the housing estate is closed, e.g. in Krzyki).
• Balcony/Terrace: Condition of tiles and railings.
• Basement/storage room: Is it empty?
• Vacuum cleaner: Does it pull and is the bag replaced?
• Ironing board/Dryer: Are they not broken?
• Energy certificate: Ask about it (the owner is obliged to have it!).
• General state of cleanliness: Type: “The apartment needs cleaning” if you see dirt – this is the basis for fighting for the return of the deposit when moving out.

Table: Statement of costs and places in Wrocław (2026/2027)

The biggest mistakes students make about the deposit

Failure to recover a deposit is rarely due to the student’s ill will, but more often to his naivety and lack of knowledge of the Wrocław market.

1. Ignoring “Periphery”: You rent a room in Psie Pole or Jagodno, because it is PLN 300 cheaper, but you do not check the arrival time of MPK Wrocław. After three months of being late for the laboratories in C-13, you leave the apartment and lose your deposit, because the contract was for a fixed period.
2. No heating verification: In Wrocław, gas or electric heating in old tenement houses on the Wyspiański Coast can cost more than the rent itself in winter. Students do not write down the meter reading in October, and in March they receive a surcharge of PLN 2000, which the owner deducts from the deposit.
3. Trust in “Mrs. Grażynka”: The owner seems nice, so you don’t write in the protocol that the refrigerator is noisy. When the fridge breaks down in May, the “nice lady” states that it is your fault and buys a new one for your PLN 2500 from the collateral.
4. Negligence of USOS and recruitment: The student leaves the university (no ECTS), has to return home, but the lease agreement does not provide for termination due to being removed from the list. The result? You have to pay by the end of September or you lose your deposit.

Occasional Rentals in Wroclaw

In the academic year 2026/2027, there are almost no “ordinary” lease agreements in Wrocław anymore. Occasional rentals reign supreme, which require you to visit a notary (you will find most offices in the vicinity of Sądowa Street and Solny Square). Many people mistakenly believe that the declaration of submission to enforcement is the worst part of this procedure. Error. The real threat is the lack of correlation between the notarial deed and the handover protocol.

If the notarial deed states that the premises are in perfect condition, and you do not point out the cracks in the walls in the tenement house in Nadodrze, then at the time of eviction or termination of the agreement, the owner has an easier legal path to claim compensation from your property (or deposit). The protocol must be an integral annex to the contract, and each party should be initialed. Remember: in Wrocław, district courts (e.g. the one at Podwale Street) are overwhelmed with bail cases – a precise technical description is the only way to prevent your case from taking years.

Fortum, MPWiK and Tauron: The trap of meter serial numbers

When writing the protocol in Wroclaw, students often make the mistake of entering only “meter reading”. This is not enough. Owners of apartments in old buildings in Huby or Krzyki often share installations or have several meters (e.g. in the corridor).

1. Serial numbers: You must enter the serial number of each meter (Tauron – electricity, MPWiK – water, Fortum – heat) in the protocol. Why? There have been cases where the owner gave the reading of the neighbor’s meter, and the student paid other people’s bills throughout the semester.
2. Heat dividers: If there are electronic dividers on radiators in the apartment on Reja Street, write down their numbers and current unit values. In Wrocław, heat settlements after the winter season are the most common reason why the deposit “disappears” in its entirety.
3. Water meters: Check that the seals on the water meters are not broken. If you do not notice a broken seal in the protocol, MPWiK will charge the owner with a penalty when you move out, and he will pass this cost (often several thousand zlotys) directly on to you.

Bed bugs and cockroaches

This is a taboo subject that returns like a boomerang in Wrocław’s tenement houses (especially in the area of Pułaskiego, Traugutta and Łokietka Streets). Insects do not result from your lack of hygiene, but from negligence in entire verticals of buildings.

What to write in the protocol so as not to pay for disinsection?

Before signing, look behind the skirting boards and under the mattress. If you see small, black dots or empty armor – take note of it. Write in the protocol:

“The tenant found traces that could indicate the presence of insects in the wooden parts of the bed/behind the slats.”

Without this record, when you are bitten by bed bugs after two weeks, the owner will find that you brought them in cardboard boxes from your family home or from Tek. Professional disinfestation in Wrocław costs from 600 to 1200 PLN – this is half of your deposit.

Liability in multi-room apartments

By renting one of the five rooms in the apartment at Grunwaldzki Square, you enter the system of co-responsibility for common areas. This is the most difficult element of the protocol.

• Partial Protocol: Demand that the condition of the kitchen and bathroom be described in your individual protocol. If the tiles in the bathroom are cracked and you do not enter it, the landlord may charge you jointly and severally when moving out (yours or another tenant’s).
• Common appliances: Check the condition of the washing machine and refrigerator. In Wrocław, owners of “student ready-to-use” cars often buy used equipment from service stations on Krakowska Street. If the washing machine beats or leaks – it must be in the protocol. Otherwise, the first failure will be fixed with your money.

What do students in Wrocław ask?

Can the landlord take my deposit for dirty windows?

The owner in Wrocław can deduct the cost of cleaning from the deposit only if he proves that the premises are in a worse state of cleanliness on the day of delivery than on the day of collection. That is why point 60 of our list is crucial. If you enter in the protocol when entering: “Windows and window frames need to be washed, present stains and dust”, the owner has no right to demand that you wash the windows in a flash when moving out. In 2026, it has become standard to include a lump-sum cleaning fee (the so-called check-out fee) in contracts in the amount of approx. PLN 200-300. If you have such a provision, you do not have to clean the premises, but the deposit will be reduced anyway. If there is no provision and you leave the room in an “academic” state, the landlord will hire a cleaning company and issue you an invoice for PLN 600 – such claims go through without any problems in the Wrocław courts.

How much time does the landlord have to return the deposit after moving out of the apartment in Wrocław?

According to the Act on the Protection of Tenants’ Rights, the landlord has a maximum of 30 days to return the deposit from the day the premises are vacated and the keys are handed over. Many student contracts in Wroclaw come with a shorter term (e.g., 14 days), which is acceptable and beneficial for you. If after 30 days the money has not been credited to your account and you have not received a written statement of damages, you must send a “Final Demand for Payment” by registered mail to the owner’s address indicated in the contract. In Wrocław at Zapolska Street (Municipal Office) and in the offices of the Consumer Rights Ombudsman, you can get free help in writing such a letter. Remember that after the 30-day period, you have the right to charge statutory interest for late payment.

What to do if a fungus came out in the room after a week, and it was not in the protocol?

This is a common problem on the ground floors of tenement houses in Nadodrze and Ołbin. If the fungus was painted over with fresh paint before your arrival, you have the right to renegotiate the contract or terminate it immediately due to the landlord’s fault (a defect that threatens health). You must immediately take photos and send the report by email/SMS to the owner. Call him to remove the defect within 7 days. If he does not do so, go to the Student Legal Clinic (it operates, m.in. at the Faculty of Law of the University of Wrocław at Więzienna Street). Do not try to remove the fungus on your own with chemicals from the market, because you will destroy the paint and the owner will accuse you of destroying property and… Of course, he will take the deposit.

Is a Student ID Card (ELS) enough instead of an Urbancard?

Yes, the ELS card can act as an Urbancard, but you must activate it in the MPK Wrocław system beforehand. You can do this at customer service points (e.g. at Grabiszyńska Street or at Legionów Square). After activation, you buy a semester ticket online and code it in a machine on every tram or bus (just put your ID card on the reader). Remember that a semester ticket in Wrocław for 2026/2027 for any two lines costs about PLN 300, and for all lines about PLN 450-500 (with a student discount). Driving “freeway” in Wrocław is a fine of PLN 280, which is a disaster considering the student budget.

How to settle utilities in the apartment so as not to lose the deposit?

The safest method for a student is a monthly settlement according to real consumption (based on meters). Many apartments in new construction (e.g. in Kępa Mieszczańska) have remote reading systems. In old blocks of flats on Hubs, you have to write down the water and electricity meter yourself every month and send a photo to the owner. Why? Because forecasting systems (e.g. in Tauron) can send compensation after six months. If you move out in June and the settlement comes in December, the landlord may “freeze” some of your deposit for future bills. Demand in the record: “The parties will make the final settlement of utilities on the day of handing over the premises on the basis of meter readings”.