Updated 30/09/2026

The cost of owning a flat in Czechia: owners' association, repair fund, taxes and who pays what

What it costs to own a buy-to-let flat in Czechia: owners' association (SVJ) payments split into building management, repair fund and utility advances, real estate tax, insurance, maintenance and tenant turnover. An example of a 45 m² flat in Prague on a long-term and a short-term let.

The costs of owning a flat look small next to the mortgage payment, which is why they are underestimated in calculations. Yet they decide how much of the rent you actually keep. The most confusion comes from the "payment to the SVJ" (the owners' association, similar to an HOA), because it is really three different items, each paid by someone else.

Overview: a 45 m² flat in Prague

The calculator's default values for a 45 m² flat in Prague, without price growth.

SVJ payments total 3,825 CZK a month. On a long-term let, the owner bears 1,575 CZK of that; the rest is the tenant's utility advances.

SVJ payments: three items in one amount

Building management

The fee for the building manager and the committee, accounting and building insurance. Management companies quote 270-545 CZK per unit, and building insurance adds another 100-300 CZK per flat. The calculator uses 400 CZK, or 450 CZK in Prague.

Repair fund (fond oprav)

A long-term reserve for the roof, facade, lifts and building services. The amount depends on the age of the building:

• new build up to 5 years old: 15-30 CZK/m²,
• building 5-15 years old: 25-45 CZK/m²,
• prefab panel block (panelák) 20+ years old: 35-60 CZK/m²,
• after a refurbishment (the SVJ is repaying a loan): 40-70 CZK/m².

A low repair fund in a new build is not a saving. Sooner or later it goes up, and if the building has not saved enough, an extraordinary contribution or an SVJ loan follows. Before buying, ask for the minutes of the owners' meetings and the repair plan.

Utility advances

Heating, water, lift, cleaning, lighting and waste. In Prague in 2026, heat costs around 1,011 CZK/GJ and water 157.21 CZK/m³. For a 45 m² flat this comes to around 2,250 CZK a month, depending on the number of occupants and the building's insulation. These are advance payments: once a year there is a statement with a refund or an additional payment.

Who pays what on a long-term let

A clause making the tenant pay the repair fund or building management is invalid. You can only reflect these costs in the level of rent. The tenant bears minor repairs up to a limit that was raised from 1 January 2026: 1,500 CZK per repair (previously 1,000 CZK) and at most 150 CZK/m² of floor area a year (previously 100 CZK), i.e. 6,750 CZK for a 45 m² flat. Above the limit, the owner pays.

Other costs for the owner

• Real estate tax (daň z nemovitých věcí): rates rose by roughly 75-80 % from 2024. For a flat it is calculated as floor area × 1.22 × rate × municipal coefficient × local coefficient (0.5-5) × inflation coefficient (1.0 for 2026). As a rough guide, it comes to around 25 CZK/m² a year in Prague, 22 in Karlovy Vary, 18 in Brno, 17 in Zlín and Ústí nad Labem, and 15 in Jihlava. It is due by 31 May. You file a return only in the year after the purchase; after that the tax is simply paid each year.
• Insurance: a 100 m² flat worth 4 million CZK costs roughly 4,630 CZK a year to insure in Prague and around 3,460 CZK outside the big cities. A landlord needs property insurance, and possibly cover for furnishings and liability. The tenant pays for their own liability insurance at 800-2,000 CZK a year; require it in the tenancy agreement.
• Maintenance: a rule of thumb of 1 % of the value a year is often quoted. It comes from family houses, though. In a flat, major repairs are covered by the repair fund, so the calculator uses 200 CZK/m² a year for repairs inside the flat (appliances, painting, taps). Save separately for a new kitchen or bathroom every 15-20 years.
• Inspections: the flue once a year (Decree No. 34/2016 Coll.), and for gas appliances a check once a year and a full inspection every 3 years. Verify the specific obligations for your type of boiler or cooker.
• Tenant turnover: an estate agent usually charges 1 month's rent, occasionally 2, plus VAT. Allow for half a month without rent between tenants, during which you also pay the SVJ utility advances yourself.
• Letting management: a management company charges roughly 8-12 % of the rent. It saves time, but on a small flat it eats a large part of the return.

Example: long-term and short-term letting of the same flat

A 45 m² flat in Prague for 7.9 million CZK, the calculator's default values, with costs rising 3 % a year.

• Long-term let at 20,800 CZK: in the second year, with no change of tenant, owning the flat costs 33,000 CZK, or 13 % of the rent. In a year when the tenant changes, it is around 59,000 CZK. Over years 2-10 it averages 46,000 CZK a year, roughly 16 % of the rent.
• Short-term let (70 % occupancy): SVJ payments, insurance, tax and maintenance alone cost over 72,000 CZK a year, twice as much as on a long-term let, because you bear the utility advances and the wear and tear. Once platform and host management fees, cleaning, energy and replacing furnishings are added, operating costs in the second year are 526,000 CZK, or 67 % of revenue.

Short-term letting brings higher revenue, but you keep far less of every crown. More in the guide Airbnb or a long-term let?

Most common mistakes

• Counting the whole SVJ payment as the owner's cost or, conversely, assuming the tenant pays all of it.
• Assuming today's repair fund contribution for the next 10 years. In older buildings and in new builds once the warranty expires, it goes up.
• Forgetting that you also pay the utility advances while the flat is empty.
• Overlooking real estate tax in the year after the purchase: the return is filed by 31 January and the tax is due by 31 May.
• Not asking for the SVJ minutes before buying and missing a planned refurbishment or a building loan.

How the calculator handles costs

In Simple mode you enter a single amount, HOA payments in total. In Detailed mode the calculator splits it into building management, repair fund and utility advances and, on a long-term let, charges the advances to the owner only in months without a tenant. It estimates insurance, real estate tax and maintenance from the city and floor area and marks them with an estimate label. Once you have the real figures from the SVJ payment schedule, overwrite them.

Sources

• novostavby.ai: Owners' associations in new builds, repair fund and management (28 April 2026, in Czech)
• Seznam Zprávy: How much heating will cost in 2026 (in Czech)
• Pražské vodovody a kanalizace: water prices 2026 (in Czech)
• Právní prostor: Services and their annual statement from the landlord's perspective (in Czech)
• Government Regulation No. 308/2015 Coll. on minor repairs (as in force from 1 January 2026, in Czech)
• Financial Administration (Finanční správa): Amendment to the Real Estate Tax Act from 2024 (in Czech)
• Podnikatel.cz: Property tax coefficients in district towns 2026 (in Czech)
• TOP pojištění: How much property insurance costs (in Czech)
• UlovDomov: Estate agent fees for lettings (in Czech)

This text is indicative and does not replace tax, legal or financial advice. For binding decisions consult a Czech tax adviser. · Privacy policy · Terms of use · Consent settings