Imagine you are living in a rented apartment. All of a sudden your boiler stops working and your landlord tells you it has to be replaced. After a while, you will receive an invoice for the repair. Should you pay for it or not? Is this your responsibility? Keep reading if you want to understand the rules of minor repairs in an apartment you rent in the Czech Republic!
Minor repairs – what does it even mean?
Being new to a foreign city is hard enough as it is. You want to have a nice place to live and enjoy all the aspects of an unexplored city. But there are just so many rules and contracts around…
Renting an apartment can be tricky sometimes and appliances break all the time – that’s a fact. Therefore, knowing how all of this works in the Czech Republic is a must. According to the Czech law, there are certain rules about small repairs in a rented place. You can read the law here.
Question: Is the repair you are concerned about stated in the following list?
a) repairs of the upper floor parts, floor coverings and sill and slats replacements
b) repairs of individual parts of the windows and doors and their components and the replacements of locks, ironwork, door knobs, roller blinds and blinds
c) replacements of switches, sockets, circuit breakers, door bells, lighting and home phones, including electric lock systems, both analog and digital broadcast signal and light bulbs
d) replacements of shut-off vents of gas except of the main vent
e) repairs of the water distribution closing faucets, replacements of siphons and fat traps
f) repairs of the heat and hot water meters, replacement and certification of secondary hot and cold water meters
g) repairs of water spouts, smoke closures, vapor extractors, hoods, mixers, showers, water heaters, bidets, sinks, vanes, flushing, kitchen stoves, cookers, infrared heaters, kitchens, built-in cabinet,
h) repair of stoves for solid fuels, gas and electricity, smoke flue, floor heating boilers for electricity, liquid and gaseous fuels, flue gas and shut-off and control valves and control thermostat of floor heating; but they are not considered to be repairs of radiators and central heating systems,
(i) exchanges of small parts of the items referred to in points (g) and (h).
If your answer is YES then you are obliged to pay for the repair if it’s not more than a year limit ➝ a year limit is 100 CZK/m2 – e.g. if your flat is 50m2, the year limit is 5 000 CZK.
Example:
Your boiler stopped working. The repair costs 4 800 CZK and your apartment is 60m2. ➝ A boiler is stated at the list and the year limit for your apartment is 6 000 CZK. If there were no other repairs that year, or they were less than 1 200 CZK, then you have to pay for the repair.
If your answer is NO then it’s not “minor repair“ which means your landlord is responsible for the repair payment, but just in case the repair is more expensive than 1 000 CZK.
Example:
A fridge (which is a part of the apartment since you moved in) is broken and the repair costs 1 200 CZK. ➝ In this case, it’s not a minor repair and the amount is higher than 1 000 CZK, so your landlord has to pay for the repair. ➝ The same happens if your fridge needs 2 repairs to solve the problem – the first one costs 500 CZK, the second one costs 700 CZK. Even though each of the repairs is less than 1 000 CZK, the total amount is what matters = in this case, it is 1 200 CZK.
Is it still a little bit confusing? In case you find yourself in this situation, don’t hesitate to contact us and use our consultation service. For further information about the general civil law see mainly the Czech Civil Code.
Author: Nicole, Pilsen (Facebook Foreigners Pilsen)
Hi,
I have been staying in this apartment since 2020 april and i am leaving now. My contract says i have to bear the minor repairs up to 2000 CZK. There is mold on the ceilings, should i paint it or let the owner charge me 2000 czk or 5000 czk, it is 50m2. Can you please advise me.
Regards,
Vijay
Hi Vijay,
You have to compare the costs yourself. But there’s always a chance the owner will charge you anyway even though you painted the walls, especially if there’s mold that should be taken care of expertly. I suggest you talk to the owner and come to the best solution together.
Best,
Tereza
Hello,
is a diagnosis of a boiler that exceeds my year limit (23m²) paid by me or the landlord? It’s’s not technically a repair so i was wondering who is paying in this case.
Regards,
Hai
Hi Thann, first of all it is necessary that the tenant checks his/her boiler once a year. In case this revision did not happen and there is something wrong with the boiler, the tenant is the one who is paying. Hope this helps!
Hello,
As I understand from these points.
Fridge would not be minor repair or replacement correct?
So the same would apply for Washing Machine ?
Dishwasher replacement?
Landlord would need to replace those if they are broken beyond repair correct?
Hello Janar,
provided that the washing machine, dishwasher, and refrigerator were part of the apartment when moving in, damage over 1000 CZK to these appliances is covered by the landlord, as they are not part of the list in Government Regulation No. 308/2015.
Best,
Terez
Hello!
Thank you for this article.
Our landlord has cited “transport (11kc/km- 74km x 2 – 1628Kc)” as an item on the list for not getting our full deposit back. Is this normal/legal in the Czech Republic to charge the tenant for the transport of the landlord in relation to the flat?
Thanks!
Hi, in case it was only a transport this is not a normal procedure. I am sorry but we do not know your situation enough, so we would recommend you get in touch with a lawyer. Good luck, Terezia
Hello,
If the boiler stopped working mid contract, who is meant to be paying for the repair cost.
Hi, you can learn more about this in our article: https://blog.foreigners.cz/minor-repairs-in-rented-apartment-who-does-pay-for-them/. In case you have any further questions, we will be glad to help at info@foreigners.cz! Have a nice day, Terezia
I’m completely shocked that a water heater, plumbing and even faulty electrical is considered a ‘minor repair’ :O
Having no running hot water is considered an emergency and a health hazard in most countries and provided it wasn’t broken by the tenant the owner is responsible for having essential utilities available. Something like this simply invites owners to rent out flats without care for its habitability or safety, then get tenants to cover their major costs. This doesn’t seem right at all.
What is your Landlords responsibility, when it comes to Electricity (Electric heating and what else), when the Bills are not transferred to the tenant.
I have never recieved a break down of any Bills I pay each month (9 year lease by now), and I believe there are some penalties towards the Landlord, when this is not being done.
Hope you can help me with some insight in this matter, as I have a suspection, that I am paying “extra rent”.
Have a nice Day.
Hello, thank you for your question! Please contact our office at +420 533 533 787.
Hello! Thank you for the article! I am currently leaving my flat and the landlord wants to deduct from our deposit a cleaning fee. He has not even seen the apartment and we regularly clean it ourselves so there is no excessive filth. Is he allowed to charge us for this? Thank you!