Polish ROD Allotments Risk Lease Termination for Illegal Overnight Stays

Polish family garden allotments (ROD) are legally designated for recreation and gardening, not for permanent residence. The law and the Polish Association of Allotment Gardeners prohibit living on the plots, conducting business, or converting the altana into a dwelling. Boards may issue written warnings and, if they determine that a user stays on the site year‑round, keeps personal belongings, or attempts to register the address, they can terminate the lease and order eviction. The regulations do not set a specific number of nights allowed; the key factor is whether the stay retains a recreational character. As housing costs rise, more people treat ROD sites as cheap housing alternatives, prompting increased scrutiny by local administrations.