Czech Apartment Layout Notation Explained: 1+kk, 2+1, Garsonka, and Everything Between

If you've started searching for a flat in Prague, you've probably stared at a listing titled '2+kk' or '3+1' and wondered what on earth those numbers mean. You're not alone.

Czech apartment listings use a notation system that looks cryptic at first, but it's actually quite logical. Once you understand it, you can size up any flat in five seconds. Here's the complete breakdown.

The basic formula: X+Y

Every Czech apartment listing follows the pattern X+Y, where X is the number of rooms beyond the kitchen, and Y is either 'kk' (kitchenette) or '1' (separate kitchen).

So a '2+kk' has 2 rooms plus a kitchenette. A '3+1' has 3 rooms plus a separate kitchen. Once that clicks, the rest is just memorising a few specific layouts.

What '+kk' actually means

'kk' stands for kuchyňský kout, Czech for 'kitchen corner' or kitchenette. It means the kitchen is part of the main living room, not a separate room.

Picture an open-plan living space with a counter, stove, and sink along one wall. That's a +kk. In a +kk apartment, all the rooms counted in X are usable as bedrooms or living areas, none of them are taken up by the kitchen.

What '+1' means

'+1' means the kitchen is its own separate room with a door. This was the standard in older Czech apartments built before the 1990s, communist-era construction favoured separate enclosed kitchens.

A +1 apartment usually has slightly less flexible space because one of your rooms is committed to being a kitchen. The trade-off: many +1 flats in older paneláks are more spacious overall than their +kk equivalents.

The common configurations explained

Here's what you'll most often see on listings, smallest to largest:

• Garsonka, A studio apartment. One open room serving as bedroom, living room, and kitchen, plus a bathroom. Smallest and cheapest option.
• 1+kk, One main room (your living and bedroom combined) with a kitchenette in the corner. Plus bathroom. Sleeps one comfortably, two if you're close.
• 1+1, One bedroom plus a separate kitchen. Plus bathroom. Common in older buildings.
• 2+kk, Two rooms (typically a bedroom and a living room) plus a kitchenette. The sweet spot for couples and many roommates.
• 2+1, Two rooms plus a separate kitchen. Very common in panelák buildings from the 70s and 80s.
• 3+kk, Three rooms (often two bedrooms plus a living room) plus a kitchenette. Standard family or roommate-friendly layout.
• 3+1, Three rooms plus a separate kitchen. Spacious.
• 4+kk and larger, Apartments for families or shared houses; rare in central Prague, more common in the outer districts.

How '+kk' vs '+1' affects price

For the same square meterage, +kk units are usually slightly more expensive than +1 units of equivalent age, because they feel more modern. But +1 units in older buildings (paneláks especially) are often the best price-per-square-meter deal in Prague, they trade open-plan layout for more total space.

A 60 m² 2+1 in Žižkov can easily be cheaper than a 50 m² 2+kk in Karlín, even though the 2+1 has more space. Don't dismiss +1 listings just because they're not as 'modern looking'.

Which one should you look for?

Quick guide based on who's living there:

• Living alone, on a budget? Garsonka or 1+kk.
• Living alone, want more space? 1+1 or 2+kk.
• Couple or two roommates? 2+kk (each gets a room) or 2+1 (one room each plus a shared kitchen).
• Three friends sharing? 3+kk or 3+1.
• Family with kids? 3+kk minimum, often 4+kk for two children.

A few other Czech listing terms worth knowing

Beyond the layout notation, here are the terms you'll see most often on Czech rental listings:

• m², square meters of total floor area. Listed prominently next to the layout code.
• Patro, floor number. '1. patro' means the first floor above ground, not US 'first floor'.
• Balkón / lodžie / terasa, balcony / loggia (recessed balcony) / terrace.
• Sklep, cellar storage, usually included with the flat.
• Výtah, elevator.
• Komora, small storage room inside the flat.
• Zařízený / nezařízený, furnished / unfurnished.
• Družstevní vs osobní vlastnictví, cooperative ownership vs private ownership. Matters for buying; less so for renting.

Now you can read any listing

That's the whole system. You're now equipped to scan any Czech rental listing and immediately know exactly what you're looking at, number of rooms, kitchen type, total size, and whether you've got a balcony or a basement to throw your bike in.

When you're ready to start the search, every flat on DomuHQ shows the layout notation alongside photos, transit, and, most importantly, what kind of roommate the place is best suited to.