A company will not return your security deposit or advance payment? Here is how to recover your money

A rental security deposit, an advance for furniture, a prepayment for a service that never happened. These are among the most common sums that private individuals let go because they do not want to make a fuss. They need not: a refund claim is an ordinary, transferable monetary receivable that can be recovered like any other, including from a company.

• Rental security deposit: after the agreement ends, less documented damage. Silence from the landlord is not a deduction.
• Advance payment: refundable if the agreement does not go ahead. It differs from an earnest-money deposit, which is forfeited if you withdraw.
• Prepayment for a service not performed or performed defectively: a partial or full refund, depending on the circumstances.

An important distinction: an advance payment (zaliczka) is almost always refundable, an earnest-money deposit (zadatek) follows different rules and may be forfeited. Check which term appears in the agreement or receipt.

• Gather evidence: the agreement, transfer confirmation, correspondence and photos (the condition of the property for a security deposit).
• Send a written demand for payment with a deadline. This works particularly well with companies because the prospect of a dispute changes their financial calculation.
• No response: court action, often the e-court for documented amounts. The claim and representation are handled by an authorised representative, a Polish legal adviser or advocate of your choice.

You can add statutory late-payment interest from the day the refund became due. As a private individual, you are not entitled to commercial interest or EUR 40 compensation, and an honest debt recovery company should never promise them to you.

Submit your case online with what you have. We will assess your prospects free of charge, prepare a demand and pursue the case to recovery. Success-based commission, published bands from 6%, full ranges on the Pricing page.