Residents of apartment blocks pay 50 percent. more. Luxurious common areas

The rent for the apartment paid to the cooperative is one thing, and the advance payment for the maintenance of common areas in the block is another. Each tenant of the block has an appropriate share in them and co-finances their maintenance. In 2026, advance payments for this purpose increased by almost 52% on average!

Residents of blocks of flats are very focused on their apartments and related fees and are often unaware of how much it will cost them in 2026 to maintain the elements of the building and land that serve all residents: corridors, staircases, roof, facades, load-bearing walls, elevators, lighting, drying rooms, trolley rooms, sidewalks, lawns, fences, garages and all kinds of installations.

Where do the advance payments for common areas go? Also in the president’s pocket

The Central Statistical Office (GUS) calculated that over the last few years the average advance payments paid by apartment owners increased from PLN 2.9 to PLN 4.4 per square meter. This is an increase of 51.72%. Residents of large cities were most affected by the increase in these fees (in Warsaw the rate increased on average to PLN 5.1), but recently they have also been increasing faster in smaller towns.

What is the money from this pot spent on? Cooperatives and communities spend them on:

• expenses for renovations and ongoing maintenance,

• fees for the supply of electricity and heat, gas and water, in the part relating to the common property (including staircases) and fees for the collective antenna and elevator,

• insurance, taxes and other public law fees, unless they are covered directly by the owners of individual premises,

• expenses for maintaining order and cleanliness,

• remuneration of members of the management board or manager.

Crisis follows crisis. When will advance payments be lower?

The largest increases in advance payments occurred after 2020. The increases were primarily influenced by rising prices of energy, renovation services and labor costs. Most communities have a renovation fund, which additionally increases monthly fees, because the pool of money for expenses must be constantly maintained at a similar level. Residents do not contribute to specific bills.

In addition to the consequences of the war in Ukraine (increased prices of raw materials and energy costs), Poland is struggling with its own internal problems: in 2021-2022 there was an unprecedented raw material crisis (prices of steel, wood and construction chemicals increased by several dozen percent). Renovation teams had to compensate employees for higher living and labor costs (higher taxes, contributions, employee salaries), and in addition, after the pandemic, Poles rushed to renovation, so specialists of various stripes increased margins.

Has the situation returned to normal? NO. Advance payments for common parts will not be lower.