Are you planning to build a house? Don’t forget about this deadline
New zoning regulations are a game changer. Investors and property owners are submitting applications en masse.
At the end of 2025, new general plans will come into force, which may change the character of thousands of plots in Poland. Real estate owners and investors are massively submitting applications for development conditions under the current rules. They are afraid that after the plans are adopted, their plots will lose their construction status, which will make it impossible to implement the investment. Submitting an application before the general plan is adopted can protect the owners’ rights. It is worth adding that from 2026, decisions on development conditions will be time-limited and valid only for five years. The reform does not completely eliminate the decisions of the General Meeting (so-called wuzetek), but significantly limits the possibility of obtaining them.
Local governments suspend issuing decisions
Although investors are racing against time, some municipalities are suspending the issuance of development conditions. The reason is work on new general plans that will apply from 2026.
The amendment to the Spatial Development Act obliges municipalities to prepare general plans by the end of 2025. These plans will be the basis for further decisions on development and investments. Their preparation is one of the key requirements of the National Reconstruction Plan, which must be settled with the European Commission.
Consequences of the reform for plot owners
According to the new regulations, if the commune does not designate the so-called development areas, issuing development conditions will become impossible.
In practice, this means blocking investments in areas not covered by detailed local plans. Many plot owners are afraid that their properties will lose value.
Investors and developers in action
Awareness of the upcoming changes resulted in increased activity of investors and developers. Already in mid-2023, the Warsaw Housing Cooperative submitted nearly 80 applications for development conditions to protect its projects against new regulations.
A similar situation concerns many property owners who want to protect their plots from losing their building character. Experts note that despite time pressure, investors’ decisions are thoughtful and well-planned.
