Czech Republic offers unlimited possibilities for every type of budget. Finding an apartment is definitely not an issue. Let’s take a closer look at the accommodation options in the country!
Options for students
Even being on a student budget you still have a few options to choose from. Dormitories are a possibility for those who love socializing and meeting new people. However, dorm rooms lack privacy and can get very noisy. The other common option is to share an apartment with your fellow students: from a financial point of view the price is roughly the same. By living in a shared apartment, you get to choose the location, size of the room, and your future flatmates. Prices may vary greatly: check our website for the respective city to get a better idea.
Renting an apartment
In case you decide to rent an apartment it’s safer to rely on a professional agency. Some people hesitate to pay the agency fee, but seeking for apartment on your own, you might end up living in a bad part of town or paying much more than you should simply because you might not understand the terms and conditions. Also, we would like to mention that Foreigners.cz is not only a real estate agency, thus the fee we require is also for the services we provide after you’ve moved in. These include the communication with the landlord and any problems that might occur regarding your stay. No such thing is offered by standard real estate agencies!
Signing a contract
When renting an apartment, you will be required to sign a lease contract, usually in Czech language. Foreigners.cz lease contracts are an exception, since they are bilingual. There is usually a deposit (traditionally one month’s worth of rent) required by the landlord. The landlord does not come to your apartment to check it, you may never see him, especially when you find the apartment through an agency. Don’t forget to arrange a household insurance, we strongly recommend it!
Utility bills
Rent and utilities are paid monthly. It’s common to pay the provider of utilities directly. Utilities are paid as deposits – every year you will receive a bill of actual consumption and either get money back or pay the extra expenses. Tap water in every apartment is absolutely safe for drinking. Internet connection is sometimes pre-arranged, it is pretty easy to arrange by yourself though. The largest internet providers in the Czech Republic are UPC and Telefónica O2. Apartments are either not furnished, partly furnished or fully furnished. Sometimes the landlord is willing to furnish the apartment upon agreement. While heating is a standard, air condition is not common at all.
Make your living comfortable
Laundry rooms in the apartment buildings are not common, usually everyone has his own washing machine. There are laundry services around the cities, but not many. Dryers are also not very common in the Czech Republic. We either hang our laundry on the balcony , the window dryers or on an inside dryer.
Landlords are usually not happy about smoking in the apartment or pets, but you will always find someone who is okay with it. Make sure the rules in the lease agreements are not against the law by consulting them with a reliable person or agency. Check our website just to get an idea about the pricing. The rent is decided by the owner of the property, not the agency. The agency fee is one month’s rent including utilities plus personal assistance and translation during the whole process of finding an apartment and signing the lease agreement, and help regarding the apartment or anything related to it. This service isn’t common on the real estate market: Foreigners.cz is the only agency offering such a complex treatment for their clients.
