One of the first questions to be addressed by everyone who comes abroad is housing. For short-term visits, many prefer hotels and hostels. A long visit will be more financially rational if you rent an apartment or house. A large flow of migrants today is observed in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. What are the rules for renting real estate in the Czech Republic, it will be interesting to know to everyone who has decided to live in this state.
Long and short term rent
In 2021, the Czech Republic is a full member of the EU. This small industrial country is of interest not only among tourists, but also among businessmen, labor migrants and students. The issue of renting real estate is relevant for all these categories of foreigners.
According to Czech realtors, about 20-30% of real estate in the country is bought for the purpose of leasing them. You can find housing here today for both one day and a year with the possibility of extension.
Short-term rentals are in demand among those who come to the Czech Republic to stay and enjoy its flavor, as well as those who arrive on a business trip for a few days.
This version of the contract has a number of advantages and disadvantages for both parties to the contractual relationship. The owners get a lot of profit, since renting out housing for a short time is more expensive, but at the same time imposes on them certain obligations in terms of cleaning the premises and minor repairs (if necessary) after each tenant.
It is more profitable for tenants to rent a house for a year than for a week, and they will not have much trouble in taking care of the premises. Payment for accommodation is carried out immediately for the entire period of employment.
Long-term rentals have the following features:
- the payment will be much lower than for daily rent or for staying in a hotel (approximately 3-5 times);
- it is obligatory to conclude a contract for the entire lease term. This gives the tenants a guarantee that all this time the apartment will be at their disposal;
- the parties to the contract immediately stipulate who will compensate for the repair costs;
- guests take care of the cleaning and maintenance of the apartment;
- when signing the contract, a security deposit is paid (usually for the first and last month);
- the owner of the apartment has the right not to return the deposit if the premises suffered significant damage;
- apartments for long-term rent are most often located in residential areas, while apartments and hotels are mainly located in the center or close to major attractions.
You can talk about a long-term lease if you stay in the country for more than 6 months.
Varieties of objects
The choice of the type of property should be based on several factors:
- duration of the trip;
- purpose of the visit;
- budget;
- personal preferences.
The most demanded in the Czech Republic are apartments, apartments, rooms. Some people prefer cottages and houses. Businessmen and entrepreneurs are interested in commercial real estate - offices, premises for shops, warehouses.
Small rooms are popular with students. They prefer cohabitation of several people in one apartment. This allows you to save money and choose a good housing option.
Separate apartments are chosen by families coming to the Czech Republic for a long time. They have the opportunity to settle in different categories of houses:
- in new buildings;
- in the homes of the secondary market;
- in the apartment.
The latter type of accommodation is convenient in that you can get the same range of services as in a hotel, but for less money, and while living in a separate room with your own kitchen and bathroom.
A house in the Czech Republic is beneficial to rent for families with children. This guarantees the availability of separate rooms for all members, a small courtyard where family leisure can be spent, and often autonomous heating.
Real estate in different cities of the Czech Republic
The cost of apartments and houses in one or another part of the country depends mainly on the settlement in which the premises are located, the area of the city, the size and equipment of the facility. In the Czech capital, for example, renting a house in the central part is much more difficult than in a remote residential area. Vacant living space in the center is in great demand among tourists.
The first thing to look for is the labeling in newspaper ads. First, the number of rooms is indicated, then the presence of a kitchen. The kitchen can be separate, or it can be part of one of the rooms. For example:
- 2 + 1 is a two-room apartment + a kitchen (separate);
- 2 + KK is an apartment with two rooms, but the kitchenette will be located in one of them.
The proximity of the residential premises to the historical center, to the metro, to the entertainment and retail infrastructure, as well as the area and condition in general, the floor, has a huge impact on the amount of rent. The number of people living in the apartment will also affect the total amount, which is due to high prices for utilities.
The historical centers of the Czech capital are: Prague 1, Prague 2 (Vysehrad, Vinohrady, Hradcany, Nove Mesto). Areas are also in no less demand:
- Prague 3 - located on the border with Vinohrady;
- Prague 4 - Mala Strana;
- Prague 5 - not far from the Andel metro station;
- Prague 6 - Bubenech;
- Prague 10 - Vrsovice.
But Prague 9 - Black Bridge is considered not too prestigious part of the city. This is due to the poorly developed transport network and the presence of industrial enterprises. For tourists, Prague 5 can be considered the best option.
One-room apartments in the Czech Republic most often do not provide for a separate kitchen. On the outskirts, this option will cost 8-9 thousand kroons (300-350 euros). Sometimes the payment is taken in USD, then the equivalent will be 370-410. A separate kitchen will require an additional payment in the amount of about 2 thousand kroons (78 euros). An apartment in a new building will cost another 2 thousand crowns more.
One-bedroom apartments not in the central part can be rented for 10-12 thousand kroons (390-470 euros). If there are two people living, the rent will be 3 thousand kroons more (117 euros).
A spacious apartment in the Old Town Prague (Old Town) will cost about 15 thousand kroons (584 euros), in the very center the cost can reach 20 thousand kroons (780 euros).
A three-room apartment, not too large in size and with a kitchenette in one of the rooms, in Prague 11 (residential area) will cost about 14 thousand kroons (545 euros). In Branik, the same option will cost 18.5 thousand kroons (720 euros), and in the center - 25-30 thousand kroons (975-1170 euros).
In the north of the country, in particular, in the stí nad Labem (north-western region of Bohemia), renting a house can be much cheaper.
The town of Chomutov is located 80 km from Prague and 55 km from Karlovy Vary, which realtors present as a settlement with high-quality housing stock and picturesque nature. The prices here are roughly the following:
- 1-room apartment with a separate kitchen and fully finished furnishings will cost 350 euros (9 thousand kroons);
- housing for a long time in the city of Chomutov, which includes 2 rooms with a kitchen in one of them, can cost about 10-12 thousand crowns (390-470 euros).
This region is chosen by labor migrants as it is characterized by a high level of industrialization.
Another large industrial center of the country located in the east, Mlada Boleslava, pleases with its prices. It is only 50 km away from Prague (40 minutes on the way), which can be overcome quickly and comfortably by a well-developed transport network. In the 19th century, the Šcoda car factory was opened here.
Apartments in Mlada Boleslav for a week are in great demand, which is due to the interest of tourists and the flow of foreigners who come to the plant on business visits. The average rent of a one-room apartment for a month will cost 8-9 thousand kroons (300-350 euros) here.
The fourth largest Czech city - Pilsen - is in second position along with the city of Brno in terms of demand for residential real estate. It also arouses considerable interest among tourists who come here to enjoy the beautiful architecture, interesting excursions to the brewery. All this raises the demand for housing, and prices rise along with it. An apartment with one room in Plzen for a month will cost 500-700 euros (12800-18000 CZK).
Teplice is one of the most popular spa towns in the country. This ancient settlement is chosen for life by those who are tired of the bustle of the city, and who come to restore their health. The appearance of the city is more like a botanical garden. The prices in Teplice are dictated by the famous balneological resorts. Short term rentals range from 18 to 30 euros per night.
Another old town in the Czech Republic - Cesky Krumlov, located 175 km from Prague, is part of the tourist route of many foreigners. Many people prefer to stay here for at least a couple of days in order to have time to enjoy the medieval architecture. For a long term, it is best to rent a house in a residential neighborhood. Housing prices in a remote part of the city range from 150 to 300 euros per month (3800-7700 kroons).
In the southern regions of the country, where numerous industrial enterprises are concentrated, the demand for housing is observed mainly among labor migrants who are looking for a permanent job.
Renting a one-bedroom apartment in the center of Jihlava (the main settlement of the Visočina region) will cost 10 thousand kroons (380 euros), and a three-room apartment will cost 17 thousand kroons (660 euros).
Please note that the cost of housing includes:
- Najemne - the actual payment for the apartment. This is the amount that the owner receives in his hands for providing his property for rent.
- Poplatky - non-specialized payments for utilities. Most often this is lighting at the entrance, cleaning common areas, the ability to use the elevator, garbage collection, sewerage, water supply, etc. Usually, the money for these costs is transferred to the owner along with the rent.
- Utility bills - electricity, gas. Usually they are not tied to the apartment, but to the tenants.
How to rent an apartment
After you have found out how much the apartments, apartments, houses and rooms cost, you can move on to the practical part of the question.
The hiring process looks like this:
- Search for housing.
- View options.
- Discussion of the details of the lease.
- Bond deposit.
- Drafting and signing a contract.
Special attention should be paid to documenting the relationship between the tenant and the landlord.
Preparation of contract
According to the amendments to the Czech Civil Code, adopted in 2021, the object of lease can be real estate, part of it, as well as property that may appear in the future if it is difficult to determine at the time of signing the contract.
The document can be signed for a specific or indefinite period. In the second case, it can be terminated at any time, without having a specific reason. The only thing that needs to be done is to send the other party a written notice 3 months before the expected date of the end of the relationship.
The innovations in the laws freed the participants in the process from entering information into the agreement regarding the leased object. The document itself can now be drawn up in free form. However, it should contain information of the following order:
- Information about the tenant and landlord (full name, passport details, addresses, personal numbers, dates of birth).
- The area of the rented premises.
- The purpose of rental housing.
- The amount of rent and some other payments.
- The term of the contractual relationship.
- Extract from the register of real estate.
- Information about the persons who will live in the apartment.
- The condition of the premises and a description of the equipment and furnishings available in it.
The contract must be accompanied by a protocol, which should indicate data on electricity and a list of utility costs at the time of transfer of the facility to lease. Increasingly, landlords began to ask to include in the agreement a clause stating that the tenant undertakes to insure the premises and property in case of damage.
What is sublease
Regardless of the fact that the lease agreement clearly specifies who exactly will live on a given living space, other persons can also use it. If relatives come to visit the tenant, there is no need to obtain any permission from the owner. But with a long stay, the owner of the property has every right to demand that there be such a number of people in his apartment that would correspond to the dimensions of the room and allow maintaining normal conditions.
A person who permanently resides in rented housing has the right to both receive guests and rent out part of the living space to them.
Subletting in the Czech Republic is officially permitted. But on condition that the tenant managed to agree on this with the owner of the premises. This must be done before the relationship with the sub-tenant is documented.
Information about a third party may or may not be included in the contract. The second option is provided in case the candidate for a part of the housing changes.
If a tenant appears on the rented space who has been living on it for more than two months, the owner of the apartment may demand termination of the contract, if he was not informed about it.
How to find accommodation
You can find suitable housing on your own, or through realtors. But in this case, you need to be ready to pay for the agency's services (the owner of the premises is not threatened with any costs). On the other hand, intermediaries take care of all organizational concerns:
- selection of options;
- organization of shows;
- preparation of contract.
The amount of the fee is usually equal to the monthly cost of living. But if a realtor is interested in renting an apartment as soon as possible, he can make concessions and reduce the amount of commission.
You can rent an apartment inexpensively from the owner, but for this you need to have a good command of the Czech language. The language barrier can be a serious obstacle in negotiating lease details.
A lot of information can be found on social networks in interest groups. They will not only offer rental options, but also advise on how to avoid difficulties in building relationships with the owner. Specialized recruitment sites are also very popular:
- www.sreality.cz is one of the largest real estate websites in the country. Here you can find accommodation in any city in the Czech Republic. Most of the ads are from realtors. It is very difficult to find offers from apartment owners on this resource;
- www.expats.cz - those who speak English and are looking for accommodation in Prague need to look here;
- www.bezrealitky.cz - on this portal, advertisements are placed directly by the owners of the premises. You can choose a suitable option here without intermediaries, and therefore without a commission.
A Few Tips
You need to be prepared for the fact that not all Czechs willingly agree to rent an apartment to the following categories of persons:
- foreigners;
- lodgers with animals;
- families with children.
These points must be discussed before signing the contract. But the list of things to look out for doesn't end there:
- specify whether the Internet is connected to the apartment and from which provider. The fact is that a service agreement can be signed with both the owner and the previous tenant. If the contract is concluded with the owner, then by all means it is necessary to agree on how this expense item will be paid, in what volume and on what conditions.
- when moving, place your name on the mailbox;
- do not forget to change your place of registration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You have exactly 30 days for this;
- to make sure that the apartment really belongs to the person with whom you are signing the lease, look at the Czech Real Estate Register;
- read the contract carefully before signing. If you have any suggestions or questions, be sure to discuss them with the owner of the premises. Only then give him the pledge.
Outcomes
Renting residential and commercial premises in the Czech Republic can be short-term and long-term. The first option is suitable for those who come for the purpose of tourism or short business visits. In this case, the relationship between the two parties is not sealed by an agreement, and payment is made immediately for the entire rental period.
For permanent residence, renting premises under a contract is suitable. The cost of apartments varies depending on the region of the country, settlement and area of the city.
