The Polish competition authority, known as UOKiK, has issued six decisions against developers in Warsaw, Wrocław, and Lublin for providing misleading information to consumers regarding the actual size of residential properties. The total fines amount to over 1.6 million PLN.

UOKiK has been actively monitoring the real estate market to protect homebuyers. The authority emphasizes that consumers should receive accurate data about property sizes and pricing to make informed decisions. The president of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, highlighted the importance of transparency in property offers, especially concerning the area occupied by partition walls.

In a recent market study, UOKiK examined the construction standards used by developers and how they measure property sizes. The investigation focused on how developers inform consumers about the inclusion of areas under partition walls in the total usable area of properties. This is a critical issue, as consumers often rely on the information provided in property cards, which are integral to the purchase agreement.

Five developers were found to have omitted information about the size of areas under partition walls, leading to consumers being misled about the actual usable space and the corresponding price. In some cases, developers did not include these areas in the total property size stated in the sales agreements, resulting in consumers facing unexpected additional costs.

UOKiK has imposed fines on the involved developers, including JP Development Horyzont Poznań, Space Investment Strzegomska 3 Otyńska, and others, with penalties ranging from tens of thousands to over a million PLN. These decisions are not yet final, as the developers have appealed to the Competition and Consumer Protection Court.

In addition to these actions, UOKiK is monitoring the real estate market to ensure compliance with new regulations requiring clear communication of property prices. The authority will continue to assess how developers implement these changes and may initiate further proceedings if necessary.

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