Koszalin housing arrears total 16.176 million zloty

ZBM says it currently has 675 active debtors, defined as residents at least one month behind on payments, plus more than 80 commercial tenants in arrears. The largest single debt on record is 60,000 zloty before interest, and some renters of the lowest-quality units have not paid for years.

For investors and local policymakers, the story is less about a one-off collection problem than about the economics of municipal housing at a time when rent support and eviction-prevention policies are under closer scrutiny across Europe. Persistent arrears can limit repairs, slow upgrades and force housing managers to rely on tighter enforcement, unit swaps to smaller flats and debt-work programs to recover revenue.

ZBM says the tougher collection approach introduced in recent months is starting to help. The agency has also expanded a scheme that lets tenants work off arrears; 55 people joined this year, and participants have erased 974,500 zloty in rent debt since January 2024 through cleaning, maintenance and landscaping jobs.

The move highlights a broader trade-off facing public landlords: balancing social protection for struggling tenants with the need to keep rental income flowing. With the number of debtors still high and some arrears dating back years, Koszalin’s housing manager is likely to keep leaning on enforcement and debt-relief programs rather than waiting for the problem to resolve on its own.