Practitioner Code of Ethics

In 1996 the Real Estate Federation prepared and implemented a Code of Ethics. The "Real Estate Economy Act" in article 181 states that all real estate practitioners have to obey the rules of ethical and professional standards. Anyone breaking those guidelines can be punished by the Ministry, after special explanation procedures have been held by the National Professional Responsibility Committee. Each association has its Professional Standards Court which can implement internal procedures and sanctions. 

Foreign Ownership

If a foreigner (a person or a firm) wants to purchase a property in Poland  he is required to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. In some cases such as if a company wants to invest in Poland a certain amount of money, or if it wants to buy up to 4000 m2 in a town and use such a property for its statutory activities, permits are not required. There are no other restrictions of foreign investment.

Land Registration System

There are two systems of land registration. First one is called "Land title books" and is operated by the regional courts. The Land Book Departments in the courts gather legal information about each property in Poland. Those Books are open to the public. All legal data which are presented in the books are guaranteed. The second system is "Land and the building registration" which is led by local authorities. This system is computerized and compiles all the information about the land - title, destination in the zoning, area, the type of use, etc. All the non legal information are guaranteed. As again, those are open to the public. A new "cadastral" system is supposed to be introduced in the next few years.