An employer usually does not have to provide accommodation for a worker: it is part of the job offer, not an obligation. In some residence procedures for foreigners, the authority may require information about the place of residence and legal title to the premises, and the current requirements are confirmed by the voivodeship office.

When housing for foreign workers is mandatory

Under ordinary employment, regulations do not impose on the employer an obligation to provide housing: only the job offer and the contract with the worker decide on accommodation. In some residence procedures for foreigners, the authority may require a declaration of accommodation provided (sometimes called a declaration of a place of residence provided) with the address of the premises, the accommodation period, and the legal title to it, for example ownership, a lease, or the manager's consent. The current scope of requirements and sample documents are provided by the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki). The authority may verify the data in the declaration, and any discrepancy between it and the actual state burdens the entity that signed it.

What the premises must meet when the employer provides them

When the employer actually arranges accommodation, the premises must be fit for people to stay in: working installations, clear evacuation routes, a sanitary facility and a kitchen, with the number of people matched to the floor area and sanitary facilities. No regulation directly sets a single floor area per person for worker accommodation: in inspection practice, indicative norms are applied (floor area per person, number of people per toilet and shower, access to a kitchen), but they do not have the rank of a single statutory provision, so treat them as a proportionality rule, not a hard figure. The same rule applies to accommodation organized in a single-family house, a flat, or a workers' hostel; the form of the building does not exempt anyone from matching the number of people to its actual capacity.

What inspections check most often

  • the number of people in a room against the floor area and sanitary facilities,
  • the condition of installations and evacuation routes,
  • access to a sanitary facility and a kitchen,
  • the legal title to the premises: a lease agreement, not a verbal arrangement with the owner.

The last point is often the weakest link: accommodation organized without a contract ceases to exist the moment the owner changes their mind, leaving people without lodging in the middle of the contract. The lease agreement should be signed by the company, not by a single worker "on behalf of the group"; otherwise the risk shifts to a person who has no way to bear it.

Who is responsible for accommodation conditions

Responsibility for the standard of the premises and compliance with the submitted declaration rests with the entity that provided the accommodation and signed the lease agreement. In temporary work, whoever rents the premises is responsible. Who is responsible is settled by the agreement with the agency and the lease agreement, not the place where the work is performed. A temporary employment agency is the employer of the temporary worker, while the user employer is responsible for working conditions on the shop floor; accommodation runs on a separate track. The scope of the user employer's responsibility for working conditions is described in the article on user employer obligations.

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Frequently asked questions

Does an employer have to provide a worker with accommodation?

No, under ordinary employment it is part of the job offer, not an obligation. The exception may be certain residence procedures for foreigners, where the authority requires information about accommodation, and the current requirements are confirmed by the voivodeship office.

How many people can live in one worker accommodation room?

Regulations do not directly set a single figure per square meter for worker accommodation. The number of people must match the floor area and sanitary facilities of the premises, and the norms applied in inspection practice do not have the rank of a single statutory provision.

Must accommodation be confirmed by a lease agreement?

Under ordinary employment, regulations do not require a specific form, but in the residence procedure the declaration of accommodation provided must state the legal title to the premises: ownership, a lease, or the manager's consent. The agreement should be signed by the company, not by a single worker on behalf of the group.

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The rules change, and the outcome depends on the situation of the particular person, so check the current legal position or consult a lawyer before making a decision.