When renting your property (house, flat, or even a room) to foreign people, you have to follow certain rules given by the Czech law.
Namely, any accommodation provider in the Czech Republic:
- Has a reporting duty on expats living under his/her roof to Foreign Police. This must be done within 3 working days from the moving in day at the latest.
- Has to keep an accommodation log.
(All the accommodation providers’ duties are listed on this website.)
Who is an accommodation provider?
The accommodation provider is anybody who provides accommodation both for a fee (usually rent) or free of charge. (It doesn’t apply if the tenants are relatives or close friends of the accommodation provider.)
What does accommodation mean?
By accommodation is meant a relation of a lessor and lessee (sublessee) supported by a signed lease (or sublease) agreement.
There are 2 options how to report a foreigner whom you provide accommodation to:
- Accommodation service is your business activity (e.g. you provide accommodation in the name of your company): then you are obligated to report foreigners remotely, via an online system Ubyport.
- Accommodation doesn’t belong to your business activities (you provide accommodation in the name of your company but the listed activities of the company don’t include providing accommodation, or you are simply a property owner): then you can choose if you want to use the Ubyport or paper sign-in forms.
How does Ubyport work?
Before using Ubyport for the first time, the accommodation provider needs to register by filling in an electronic form which is available at Foreign police’s website -> Žádost o registraci ubytovacího zařízení (Request to register an accommodation facility, in Czech only).
The filled document in pdf format has to be sent to the Foreign police. Here are the options:
- via email to reguby@pcr.cz (an electronic signature is required)
- via Data Mailbox to “ybndgw9” address
- via post to this address: Ředitelství služby cizinecké policie, Praha 2, Olšanská 2, 130 51, poštovní schránka 78 (the parcel has to be signed by the accommodation provider – first name, surname, signature, the login data as well as other instruction will be sent after that using the post too)
Once you have the login data, you can log in the online application Ubyport. The system works 24/7. No other technicalities (e.g. an electronic signature) are needed. Please note that in such a case that Ubyport server is temporarily down, you have to use the paper sign-ins. The same applies when you are waiting for your Ubyport login data and in the meantime, you already need to report new foreigners in your accommodation.
Ubyport comes in handy especially if you accommodate many foreigners because you need only one sign-in form printed and filled in (1 form for 1 foreigner) to keep in the accommodation log.
How do printed sign-in forms work?
The template for the sign-in forms can be obtained HERE (the link is in the second paragraph of the article) and filled in according to instructions on the day of moving in.
*Note: “supposed stay to” – for 3rd country nationals, fill in the date until the foreigner’s visa is valid or the end of the lease/sublease agreement, whichever comes earlier. For EU nationals, fill in the end of their lease/sublease agreement.
You need to print the sign-in form twice for each foreigner (both need to be signed by the foreigner): one copy will be given to the local office of Foreign Police, the second one goes to the accommodation log which is a necessary item kept in accommodation facility.
What’s an accommodation log?
While owners of hotels, hostels or guesthouses have to mark down their guests from abroad in so-called “evidence book” (evidenční kniha in Czech), those who rent a house, apartment or room to expats are obligated to keep an accommodation log (domovní kniha in Czech).
The accommodation log is a document in which the accommodation provider notes down information from the sign-in forms as well as the accommodation period. It means that the sign-in form (printed) is a page of the accommodation log. Notes in the accommodation log must be done:
- up-to-date
- regularly
- chronologically
- understandably
The accommodation provider has to keep the log for 6 years since the last record and allow Foreign Police to check on it when asked.
Sanctions
In case of violation of any duties, the accommodation provider can be fined to the amount of 50 000 CZK (according to a law office). On the spot, there can be a fine applied up to 3 000 CZK (for a natural person) or 5 000 CZK (a legal entity or a natural person doing business).
We strongly recommend being responsible for all the duties. Firstly, foreigners who wouldn’t be reported and listed in the system may have troubles while prolonging their visa/permit. Secondly, you don’t want to break the law and be sanctioned for that! 🙂
Useful information can be found on the Foreign Police website.
Hello. I want to ask, is it allowed for a landlord to terminate your contract with only one month’s notice period? How does the law regulate such changes? What can be done by the tenant to protect himself from being thrown on the streets if he/she does not find other option within that time frame?
Hi Iggy,
The landlord is allowed to do this if you’re sub-leasing rather than leasing. You should double-check what your contract is exactly. If it’s a lease agreement, then your landlord is not acting in accordance with the law as the notice is 3 months according to the Civil code. The only time the landlord can ask you to leave earlier than that is if you severely violate the terms of your lease. I’d recommend you talk to a lawyer if you feel like you haven’t done anything wrong. You can find more here https://www.czechpoint101.com/landlord-tenant-laws-in-czech-republic-part-1-repairs-rent-increases-cancellation/.
Best,
Tereza