Buying, selling or renting property in the Czech Republic is where foreign clients are most exposed, because title passes only on registration in the Land Registry and the money usually moves before that happens. We act on both sides of that gap.
Buying and selling
- Title check before you commit. An extract from the Land Registry (katastr nemovitostí) shows the owner, mortgages, easements, liens, pre-emption rights and any restraint on disposal. We read it and tell you what encumbers the property.
- Reservation agreements. Agents present these as a formality. They are the first binding document you sign and they usually contain a forfeitable deposit — we review them before, not after.
- The purchase agreement and the separate application for registration, drafted so that price, handover, utilities, defects and the moment risk passes are all dealt with.
- Escrow of the purchase price through our firm, so the money is released only once the transfer is registered. See Escrow.
- Registration in the Land Registry and representation in the registration proceedings.
- Gifts and transfers within a family, including deeds of gift and the division of co-ownership.
Leases
- For tenants. Review before signing: the deposit and how it comes back, notice periods, contractual penalties, automatic renewal, who pays for what, and clauses that Czech law simply does not allow.
- For landlords. Lease drafting, rent increases, handover protocols, and the position when a tenant stops paying or refuses to leave.
- Short-term letting. Whether letting a flat on a nightly basis breaches the lease, the building’s rules or the obligations of a homeowner association.
- Disputes with tenants, landlords and neighbours.
Construction and development
- Representation in building-permit and zoning proceedings, and in appeals against them
- Objections by neighbours, and defence against objections raised against your project
- Construction contracts, defects and delay claims, and disputes over the design documentation
- The right to build (právo stavby), easements and access arrangements
Homeowner associations and property management
- Incorporating an association, drafting and amending its articles, running general meetings and filings
- Legal opinions on decisions of an association, and challenges to them
- Contractual documentation for the management of a building, and disputes with occupiers and third parties
- Due diligence of title documents for portfolios and individual units
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in the Czech Republic?
Yes. Natural persons and companies, whether or not from the EU, may acquire Czech real estate, and no special permission is needed. What matters in practice is the paperwork: documents issued abroad usually need an apostille and a certified translation.
When do I actually become the owner?
On registration in the Land Registry, not on signature. The registry also applies a waiting period before it registers, during which the transfer is not yet effective. This is the reason to hold the price in escrow.
The agent has a standard contract. Is that enough?
An agent’s template is drafted for the transaction to close, which is not the same as being drafted for you. The clauses worth reading are the ones on the deposit, on withdrawal, and on what happens if registration is refused.
How large a deposit can a landlord ask for?
Czech law caps the security deposit on a residential lease and regulates its return with interest. A clause purporting to make the deposit non-refundable does not bind the tenant.
Do I need to be here for the purchase?
Usually not. We can act under a power of attorney with a certified signature, and the price can be paid into escrow by transfer.
Why bring this to MACH LEGAL
- We work with you in English. You deal with the lawyer handling your file, not with a translator in between. We also work in German, Czech, Hebrew and Portuguese.
- Czech law, explained in the terms you know. Most of our English-speaking clients come from another legal system. We say where Czech law differs from what you would expect, not only what it says.
- Cross-border matters stay in one place. Our partner Dr. Tomas Mach is an attorney-at-law registered with the Czech Bar Association (13282), the Slovak Bar Association (7581) and the Rechtsanwaltskammer Köln (61058), and a court-appointed expert in the law of the Federal Republic of Germany and the law of the Slovak Republic.
- A written scope and a written fee. We agree what we will do and on what basis we charge before we start. See Legal services and fees.
How we work
- First contact. Send us the documents and a short description of the situation. We tell you whether the matter needs a lawyer at all.
- Assessment. You get our reading of the position, the options and the likely cost of each.
- Instruction. A power of attorney and a written scope of work.
- The work itself. Drafting, negotiating or representing you, with a report at each step that needs your decision.
Contact: Contact page · praha@machlegal.eu · +420 245 008 552