Notaries Urge Legal Reform to Protect Senior Property Rights

Notaries are calling on Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek to amend regulations that currently prevent seniors from trading cooperative ownership rights for long-term care and support services.

The Growing Demand for Life-Care Agreements

An increasing number of seniors are seeking to transfer the ownership of their apartments in exchange for lifelong care. Data from the Central Statistical Office for 2024 shows that over 1.8 million cooperative ownership units still exist, despite the practice of establishing such rights being discontinued in 2007.

The scale of these arrangements has surged significantly over the last two decades. While only 2,000 such contracts were recorded in 2008, the figure grew to 20,000 by 2025.

Legal Barriers and Discrimination

Current legal restrictions prevent holders of cooperative ownership rights from entering into formal life-care contracts. As a result, many seniors are forced to rely on alternative methods, such as standard donations, which fail to provide the same level of legal security and protection as a formal support agreement.

Government Response

Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek has acknowledged the issue in a statement to Rzeczpospolita. He noted that the ministry is evaluating potential solutions to ensure that any proposed legislative changes effectively improve the situation for those holding cooperative ownership rights.