Getting your deposit back
A deposit (jistota) can be at most 3 months’ rent, earns interest, and must come back when the lease ends, minus only what you actually owe. Normal wear and tear is never a valid reason to keep it.
Source: the Civil Code, §§2239–2293.
The rules
| Rule | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Maximum | Deposit plus any contractual penalty: at most 3 months’ rent (§2254(1)) |
| Interest | From the day you paid it, at least at the legal rate. A clause excluding interest is invalid. The tenants’ association has a calculator |
| Return | At the end of the lease, minus debts from the lease (§2254(2)). The law sets no number of days; the ministry suggests a written request with a deadline, for example 7 days |
| Paid late | Late-payment interest at the Czech National Bank repo rate + 8 percentage points (regulation) |
| Wear and tear | You return the flat as you received it, except normal wear from normal use (§2293(1)) |
| Small repairs | You pay minor repairs up to CZK 1,000 each, capped at CZK 100 per m² a year |
| Extra fees | Banned. A landlord may charge only rent and service advances (§2251(2)): no fees for furniture, pets, management or the contract |
Moving out without losing your deposit
- When you move in: a signed handover protocol with photos and meter readings.
- When you move out: the same again, signed by both of you, with photos.
- Ask for the deposit plus interest in writing, with your bank details and a deadline. You can use the letter below.
- Ask for a written list of any deductions, with receipts.
- Still not paid? A court claim costs CZK 400 online for amounts up to CZK 10,000, or CZK 1,000 for up to CZK 20,000 (court fees). Tenants do win these, sometimes simply because the landlord doesn’t show up.
Letter: asking for your deposit back
Vážený pane / Vážená paní [jméno pronajímatele],
nájem bytu [adresa] skončil dne [datum] a byt jsem předal(a) podle předávacího protokolu ze dne [datum].
Podle § 2254 odst. 2 občanského zákoníku Vás žádám o vrácení jistoty ve výši [částka] Kč včetně úroků od [datum složení jistoty] na účet č. [číslo účtu], a to do [datum].
Pokud chcete jistotu započíst proti dluhům z nájmu, prosím o jejich písemný rozpis s doklady.
S pozdravem
[jméno], [datum]In English: The lease of [address] ended on [date] and I handed over the flat as recorded in the protocol of [date]. Under §2254(2) of the Civil Code, please return the deposit of CZK [amount] with interest from [date paid] to account [number] by [date]. If you want to deduct any debts from the lease, please send me a written list with receipts.
Agent fees
No Czech law says who pays a real estate agent’s commission, so agents often charge tenants. The agency contract must state the commission, and it’s due no earlier than the day the lease is signed (Act 39/2020, §§10 and 19). The landlord can’t add fees of their own on top of rent and services.
Rent increases
If your contract has no increase clause, the landlord can propose a raise in writing, up to the usual rent in the area. Increases are capped at 20% over 3 years, and at most once every 12 months. If you don’t agree within 2 months, the landlord has to go to court (§2249). Many contracts have an inflation clause instead, which is allowed (§2248).