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Glossary
Czech Rental Terms, Explained
Every kauce, OSVČ, SVJ, and nájemní smlouva you'll meet — broken down in plain English with practical context.
1
D
- DPH
- Czech value-added tax, 21% on most goods and services. Applies to agent commissions, contract drafting fees, and services bundled with rent.
- Daň z příjmu z pronájmu
- Czech rental income tax, landlords must declare rental earnings annually. Either 15% on actual profit or a flat 30% expense deduction option.
- Dispozice
- Czech rental jargon for a flat's layout, how many rooms it has and how they're arranged (1+kk, 2+1, 3+kk, etc.).
E
- Energetický průkaz
- Czech energy performance certificate (PENB), rates a building's energy efficiency on a scale from A (best) to G (worst). Legally required for most rental listings.
- Energie
- Utilities, electricity, gas, and (sometimes) water consumed by your specific flat. Usually billed separately from rent, directly to you by the provider.
G
K
- Katastr nemovitostí
- The Czech property cadastre, the official public registry of all real estate in the Czech Republic. Lookups are free at nahlizenidokn.cuzk.cz.
- Kauce
- A security deposit paid to a Czech landlord at the start of a lease. Capped at 3 months' rent by Czech law; most Prague landlords ask for 2.
- Kolaudace
- Occupancy permit, the official approval allowing a Czech building to be used for living. Without it, a unit technically can't be rented out residentially.
N
- Nájem
- The Czech term for a lease, the legal arrangement where a property owner (pronajímatel) lets you use a flat in exchange for monthly payments (nájemné).
- Nájemce
- The tenant, the person renting the flat under a Czech lease. Has extensive protections under the Civil Code.
- Nájemné
- The monthly rent paid by the tenant to the landlord. Distinct from utilities (energie) and service charges (poplatky za služby), which are usually billed separately.
- Nájemní smlouva
- The Czech rental contract, a legally required written agreement between tenant and landlord for any lease lasting more than 6 months.
O
P
- Podnájem
- A sublease, when the existing tenant rents out part or all of the flat to someone else. Requires written consent from the landlord.
- Poplatky za služby
- Building service fees, covers shared utilities like elevator, hot water, common-area cleaning, garbage. Billed monthly with annual reconciliation.
- Pronajímatel
- The landlord, the owner of the property who rents it out under a Czech lease.
- Provize
- Real estate agent commission, the fee paid to a realitka for finding the flat or arranging the contract. Standard is one month's rent + 21% VAT.
- Přechodné bydliště
- Temporary residence registration, confirms that you're living at a specific Czech address without being permanently registered there. Used by foreigners and short-term residents.
- Předávací protokol
- The handover protocol, a signed document recording the flat's condition on move-in (and move-out) day. Critical evidence for getting your deposit back.