How to Check an Apartment Before Buying — 40-Point Checklist
Legal, technical, and financial verification before signing. 40 concrete points, 5 red flags that end the deal, proven in practice.
From observing the market and talking to notaries, a simple conclusion emerges: about of buyers on the secondary market miss things that later cost them anywhere from 30 to 100 thousand zloty — and sometimes more. This isn't about movie-style fraud. It's about routine: the earnest money is paid, the agent pushes the pace, emotions kick in, and nobody reads Section III of the land and mortgage register, and nobody checks whether the renovation fund has a 180,000 zloty roof replacement planned for next year, spread across all owners.
This checklist is 40 concrete items you must tick off before you sign anything more serious than a reservation agreement. Some things you handle online in 15 minutes, some require a visit with a flashlight and a hygrometer, and some require knocking on the condo association's administration door. If the seller refuses to share any of these documents — that's already a signal. Not a hypothesis. A signal.
Part 1: Legal Verification (10 Points)
Legal verification is the part you can't bypass with common sense or a "good gut feeling." The documents are either there, or they aren't, or they lie.
Land and mortgage register — online review at ekw.ms.gov.pl. Go to Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste (ekw.ms.gov.pl), enter the KW (księga wieczysta — land and mortgage register) number (it should start with a four-character court code, e.g.,
WA1M/00123456/7), review the contents of Sections I-IV for free, instantly. That's enough for an initial analysis. If you need an official document (e.g., for a lawyer), order a standard excerpt — 30 zł or a full excerpt with entry history — 60 zł (also via ekw.ms.gov.pl, you download a PDF with a timestamp).Section I — property designation. Here you check whether the address, floor area, unit number, and floor match what you saw. A discrepancy in floor area of 2-3 m² between the KW and the listing is a classic — and often means an illegal adaptation (enclosed balconies, combining a room with the kitchen without reporting it).
Section II — owners. Who is listed? One person, a married couple (statutory joint property), a company, heirs? If only one spouse is selling, demand written consent from the other or a notarized separation-of-property agreement. Lack of consent = invalid contract.
Section III — rights, claims, restrictions, warnings. This is the most important section. Look for: easements (e.g., right of way, necessary road), life estates, claims by former owners, warnings of legal inconsistency, entries regarding bailiff enforcement. Every entry in Section III requires separate interpretation — a utility line easement is one thing, a grandmother's life estate is something entirely different.
Section IV — mortgages. How many mortgages, for what amount, in whose favor? If there's a bank mortgage, you need a certificate of the current loan balance and a promise to remove it after repayment (the so-called list mazalny). The notary will settle this in the deed. If there's a mortgage held by a private individual — be careful, it's often a consequence of divorce or a family loan.
Certificate of no rent arrears. Issued by the condo association administrator or the housing cooperative. It should cover the last 3-6 months. Arrears transfer to the buyer along with the unit to the extent of unpaid association fees, so this is a concrete item in price negotiation.
Certificate of registered residents. Issued by the district or city office. No one should be registered at the unit except the seller (and possibly family). A registered tenant, a former spouse, a grandson from a previous generation — all of this can block free use of the apartment after purchase.
Legal status of the land — ownership vs. perpetual usufruct. In Warsaw, a large portion of buildings stand (stood) on land held in perpetual usufruct. Under the Act of 20 July 2018, UW (użytkowanie wieczyste — perpetual usufruct) of land built up with residential buildings was converted into ownership by operation of law on 1 January 2019 — this covered about 460,000 users in Warsaw. But the conversion requires a certificate and an entry in the KW, and the new owner pays 20 annual payments equal to the previous UW fee (with an option of one-time payment at a discount). In Section II of the KW, check whether the ownership entry is already there — if UW is still listed, find out from the seller whether they have a conversion certificate and whether the fees are paid up. Buildings without a residential function (garages, commercial premises, undeveloped land) may still be in UW — the conversion procedure there is individual.
KRS excerpt (if a company is selling) and powers of attorney. Are you buying from a developer or a company? Order a current excerpt from the KRS (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy — National Court Register), check the representation. If a proxy is signing — you want to see a notarized power of attorney, not a scan signed with a ballpoint pen.
MPZP and legal status of the building. Pull the MPZP (miejscowy plan zagospodarowania przestrzennego — local spatial development plan) for the plot and the neighborhood (mapa.um.warszawa.pl or the Warsaw Architecture Office). You want to know what could be built within a 200-500 m radius — a skyscraper, a flyover, a gas station. In parallel, check whether the building has an occupancy permit (PINB — Powiatowy Inspektorat Nadzoru Budowlanego — County Building Supervision Inspectorate) and whether the apartment's floor area matches the project.
⚠️ Red flag: The seller says "the KW is being updated, I'll send it later." Translation: the legal situation is not settled. Don't sign even a reservation agreement until you see a current excerpt.
Part 2: Technical Condition of the Apartment (15 Points)
Go to the viewing with a flashlight, measuring tape, hygrometer (20-40 zł at the supermarket), and a phone. The inspection should last at least 45 minutes. Not 10 minutes at the pace of "I name the next room, the seller nods."
Year of construction and type of structure. Prefab panel 1970-1990 — check the thermal bridge report and the condition of the ceilings. Interwar brick — wooden beams, poor acoustics. Post-2000 construction — quality varies a lot, especially from the 2005-2008 boom.
Electrical installation. Aluminum (until the 1980s) vs. copper (modern). Aluminum isn't a death sentence, but it requires inspection and often replacement during renovation. Check the fuse box: fuse-type or circuit breakers? Is there an RCD (residual current device)? No RCD = an extra 1-3 thousand zloty.
Gas installation. Demand a current gas inspection report (mandatory every year). A gas stove in the kitchen requires functioning gravity ventilation — slip a piece of paper into the grille, it should stick.
Water and sewer installation. Copper vs. plastic (PP/PEX). Plastic has been standard since 2000, copper tends to be more durable but more expensive to repair. Does the sewer riser pass through the apartment (in a shaft)? Access to the inspection point? If the riser is permanently walled in — in case of a failure, you're breaking open the wall.
Windows. Class (typically 3-5 chamber PVC, less often wooden), age, gasket condition, signs of condensation on the frames. Windows from the 1990s have a U-value of about 2.0 W/m²K, modern ones 0.9-1.1. Replacing all windows is 15-30 thousand zloty in an average apartment.
Signs of flooding — ceiling and under the sink. Flashlight mandatory. Stains on the ceiling, brown rings, freshly painted spots? Under the kitchen sink and washbasin cabinet — look inside, smell, check the underside of the wood. Flooding from the upstairs neighbor is a multi-year history of disputes.
Bathroom. Silicone at the bathtub and shower tray — black coating is mold, requires silicone replacement (simple) or demolition (expensive). Grout on the floor — cracked, bleached? Slopes to the floor drain — pour water, see where it flows.
Humidity — hygrometer. Norm relative humidity. Above in any room = problem (poor ventilation, thermal bridges, leaks). Take measurements in 3-4 places: bathroom, bedroom (behind the wardrobe), kitchen, living room.
Heating and costs. District heating (Veolia / PGNiG) — stable, predictable, 300-600 zł/month in winter. Individual gas — depends on the tariff, after 2022 not necessarily cheaper. Electric (storage heaters, heating cables) — the most expensive, realistically 600-1200 zł/month in season. Demand bills for 12 months, not for "last month."
Musty smell and mold behind the wardrobes. Ask for large furniture to be moved away from the external walls. Wet stains, black spots, basement-like smell — that's a thermal bridge or lack of insulation. Remediation: 3-15 thousand zloty per wall, sometimes more if the facade needs to be opened.
Floors. Walk across every meter. Squeaking panels = glue has released or there's moisture from below. Discrepancy of gaps between panels > 2 mm suggests faulty installation. Parquet — is there a chance for sanding (sufficient board thickness)?
Doors. All internal and entrance doors. Do they hold plumb (close on their own)? Does the patent lock work? Entrance door — class, anti-burglary locks, anti-leverage bolt.
Balcony / loggia. Condition of floor insulation, slope toward the drain, tile bulges. A balcony without a drain = water going to the neighbor below = dispute for years.
Basement / storage unit. Dryness is key. If the storage unit smells musty, it means the rest of the riser has a moisture problem — meaning the whole building.
Appliances and fittings included in the price. Establish this in writing (as an annex to the preliminary agreement): stove, cooktop, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner. Otherwise, they'll disappear between signing the preliminary and final agreements.
💡 Tip: Come back for a second visit in the evening on a weekday. You'll check neighbor noise, stairwell lighting, neighborhood safety, and whether there's parking available. Everything looks better in the morning.
Part 3: Building and Surroundings (10 Points)
You're buying an apartment in the context of a building, and a building in the context of a block. The best apartment in a bad building is a bad investment.
Age of the building and facade condition. Cracked, falling plaster, swallow holes in the insulation? That means in the next 5-10 years the association will be collecting for facade renovation — 150-400 thousand zloty, spread across all owners.
Insulation. A building from the 1970s-80s without thermo-modernization means heating bills higher. Check the styrofoam thickness on the facade (visually, near openings) and ask the administration when the insulation was done.
Stairwell. Cleanliness, smell (cigarettes, urine, food?), vandalism marks, graffiti. The stairwell reflects the level of the association. A neglected stairwell = a neglected association = problems with renovations.
Intercom, monitoring, access control. Does it work? Is it at the entrance, in the basement, at the parking lot? No monitoring in a large building in Warsaw is a problem with petty break-ins to basements and bicycles.
Elevator — age and last inspection. The UDT (Urząd Dozoru Technicznego — Office of Technical Inspection) plate should be visible. An elevator from the 70s/80s is approaching end-of-life (replacement: 150-300 thousand zloty from the renovation fund). An elevator modernized in the last 10 years — much lower risk.
Roof — last waterproofing. Ask the administration directly: when was the last roof renovation? Roofing felt / sheet metal lasts 20-30 years. If the last renovation was 25 years ago, a new task should already be on the association's plan.
Parking. Underground space — included in the apartment price or separate? In Warsaw an underground space costs 40-120 thousand zloty. A ground-level space at the association, MPM (Miejski Program Parkingowy — City Parking Program) zone in the area — check how much a resident subscription costs and what the access looks like.
Noise — airport, tracks, arterial road. Warsaw has an acoustic map (available online on the m.st. Warszawa website). Check day/night levels for your address. Okęcie, Warszawa Zachodnia tracks, the S8 expressway — noise of 65+ dB during the day is real discomfort.
Investment plans within a 500 m radius — MPZP. Back to the local plan, this time for neighboring plots. An empty plot next door = a potential 12-story block blocking the view. Check at BA (Biuro Architektury — Architecture Office) or the geoportal.
Social composition of the stairwell. Ask the administration or neighbors: long-term owners or tenants? Student shorts or families? A high share of short-term rentals (Booking, Airbnb) means constant rotation of strangers, noise, increased wear of common areas.
Part 4: Finances and the Condo Association (5 Points)
Five points that decide how much this apartment will really cost month to month and what's coming at you in a 3-year horizon.
Amount of the administrative fee and what it covers. Break it down line by line: operation, renovation fund, cold water (usage or flat rate), hot water, heating, garbage, cleaning, elevator, monitoring. In Warsaw in 2026 a typical 2-room fee is 600-1100 zł, depending on scope. If the seller says "rent 400 zł" — almost certainly without heating and hot water.
Renovation fund and renovation plan 2026-2029. Demand a written excerpt from association resolutions. Planned: elevator replacement, roof renovation, facade, intercom installation? Each of these items is a 1-5 zł/m²/month increase in the renovation fund for 3-5 years. By buying, you take over these obligations.
Association arrears. Different from the seller's arrears. You ask: does the association have overdue invoices with suppliers, an investment loan for elevator replacement, a court dispute with a contractor? That's potentially hundreds of thousands to cover from the fund.
Association resolutions from the last 2 years. The administration is obligated to share them — you don't even need to be the owner, written consent from the current owner is enough. You read them looking for: were there attempts at overly expensive investments, are residents fighting, are there legal disputes.
Balance of the renovation fund account. The balance on the renovation account shows whether the association is prepared for upcoming tasks, or whether another serious failure means an additional resolution for a one-time payment.
Bonus Section: 5 Red Flags That End the Deal
If you hit one of the following — you end the conversation. You don't negotiate, you don't reduce the price by 10 thousand "as a good start." You walk away, because each of these things is a bottomless pit.
Floor area discrepancy between KW and listing (difference > 2 m²). Typically indicates illegal adaptation — enclosed balcony, combined rooms, kitchen broken through. Legalization is a 2-3 year procedure and tens of thousands of zloty. The seller will say "but all the neighbors have it like this." Irrelevant.
Hidden mortgage in Section IV after a divorce. A mortgage established in favor of an ex-spouse as security for property settlement. You won't have it removed without the consent of a person who hasn't answered the phone in 5 years.
Warning in Section III about legal inconsistency. The court entered a warning because someone is contesting who actually has the right of ownership. Until the case is finally resolved, you don't buy.
Illegal adaptation of an attic, basement, or loft. The seller shows "an extra 20 m² upstairs, informal." Informal = illegal. When ownership changes, the administration may force dismantling, and neighbors may file a complaint.
Price significantly below market (> discount). Either the seller is paying off a bailiff, or something has been concealed. Calculate the median price per m² on the given street from the last 12 months from real transactions (not listings). If the offer is lower without an obvious reason (e.g., condition requiring major renovation) — the question remains: why?
⚠️ Red flag: "The seller is briefly abroad, a proxy will sign, cash pickup." The combination of these three elements = practically always a scam. Don't transfer money until you verify the power of attorney with the notary who issued it.
How to Filter Listings Before the Visit
Realistically, of Otodom listings can be filtered out preliminarily without leaving home, if you do it systematically. Most of the points from Parts 2-3 (technical condition, surroundings, building) can be assessed from photos, the map, and market data — provided you have the tools for it, not just 20 browser tabs.
This is exactly what mieszk.pl does — you paste a link from Otodom, and in a few seconds you get AI analysis of photos (visible signs of moisture, finish condition, real quality vs. photo staging), location against the infrastructure and noise map, and a price comparison with real RCN (Rejestr Cen Nieruchomości — Real Estate Price Registry) transactions from recent years. Physical inspection in the apartment is still necessary — no AI can replace a hygrometer or moisture behind the wardrobe — but at the stage of choosing which 3 out of 30 listings are worth scheduling, you save weeks.
The checklist itself stays the same. You only change whether you run it 30 times or 3 times.
FAQ
Is it worth hiring an independent technical inspector?
Yes, especially for apartments above 500 thousand zloty and in buildings older than 30 years. An independent inspector (not recommended by the seller) with construction qualifications will do in 2-3 hours what you won't spot — they'll check insulation, thermal bridges with a thermal imaging camera, installations, ceiling condition. The cost in Warsaw in 2026 is usually 800-1800 zł for an apartment up to 80 m². In the context of a purchase for 700-900 thousand, that's under of the price.
How much does comprehensive legal verification cost?
Reviewing the KW online at ekw.ms.gov.pl — free. Standard excerpt — 30 zł, full excerpt (with entry history) — 60 zł. Certificates from the association and the office — 0-50 zł each. Lawyer or notary consultation for a complicated structure (inheritance, divorce, selling company) — 300-800 zł. You make the notarial deed at the final agreement anyway, and the notary is obligated to check the documents. Realistically, the entire verification outside the deed is 100-1000 zł, depending on the difficulty of the case.
Can I withdraw the earnest money if I find a defect after signing the preliminary agreement?
It depends on the provisions of the preliminary agreement and the nature of the defect. If the defect was deliberately concealed by the seller (e.g., hidden flooding, illegal adaptation) — you have grounds to withdraw with the earnest money and even claim damages (Art. 556 et seq. of the KC — Kodeks cywilny — Polish Civil Code). If the defect was visible and you missed it through your own fault — you lose the earnest money. That's why it's worth adding a clause to the preliminary agreement: "the agreement enters into force on condition of no hidden technical defects confirmed by an independent inspector within X days."
What if the seller doesn't want to issue the certificate of no rent arrears or registered residents?
End of conversation. The seller obtains these certificates within a week, for free or for a small fee, at their own office and with their own administrator. If they don't do it, citing "bureaucracy" or "it'll be ready soon," it means either there are arrears or someone is registered whom they're keeping quiet about. Regardless of which scenario — not your problem to solve.
Forty points seems like a lot, but each of them corresponds to a real market story — someone somewhere overpaid 50 thousand because they didn't check one thing. The list isn't academic. It's an inspector's list. Use it in full for every serious candidate for purchase, and you'll save yourself much more than a few hours of visits.