Prague apartment viewing checklist for buyers: what to inspect

The agent opens the door, the sun hits the parquet, the kettle is already on. This is where most buyers stop looking at anything but the view. A viewing is the cheapest moment you will ever have to find a problem, so spend it on the dull parts.

Bring a torch, a phone charger, a tape measure and a friend who is not in love with the flat. Allow an hour, not twenty minutes, and book a second visit at another time of day if the first goes well.

Inside the flat

Start with water. Run the taps, flush the toilet, open the cupboard under the sink and look for stains or a smell of damp. Check the corners of ceilings and the walls behind wardrobes, where moisture shows first. Open every window and see whether it closes properly.

Then noise. Stand still for a minute with the windows shut, then open. A flat on a tram street sounds very different from the same layout facing the courtyard, and agents are not always keen to mention the 5 a.m. delivery lorry. Look at which way the rooms face: a west-facing flat in August is a different animal from a north-facing one in January.

Then the plumbing of daily life. Where does the washing machine go? Is there an extractor in the bathroom? How is the flat heated: district heating, a gas boiler or electric panels? Ask to see recent energy bills. A flat in a block can show energy bills for the last three years in place of an energy performance certificate (PENB), and the energy class should appear in the advert (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Industry and Trade for the exact advert rule).

The building

You are buying a share of the building as much as a flat. In most blocks with several owners, the owners' association (společenství vlastníků jednotek, SVJ) runs the common parts, and it is mandatory where there are at least five units and at least three different owners (as of 2026; check the Ministry for Regional Development). Ask who the chair is, how much goes into the repair fund each month, and what the association has voted to repair in the next few years. A cheap flat in a block facing a large roof or façade bill is not cheap.

Look at the stairwell, the roof access, the cellar and the lift. Is there a lift at all, and does it reach your floor? Are the façade and windows recent or tired? Panel blocks have their own rules of thumb, and our explainer on panel-block estates says what to look for in a panelák.

The paperwork

This is where the viewing stops being a tour. The ownership extract (list vlastnictví) shows the owner, any mortgage or lien, and any limits on selling. The cadastre is public, and anyone can search it online for free; an official extract costs a fee at the ČÚZK or at a Czech POINT office. Match the name on the extract to the person who shows you the flat.

Remember how ownership works. Title passes when the transfer is registered in the cadastre, effective back to the day you filed the application, and the registration cannot take place until a 20-day protective period has run (as of 2026; check ČÚZK). That gap is why money is normally held in escrow rather than handed over on the spot, and why you should never pay a deposit to a private account without a written reservation agreement.

If the flat is being sold with a mortgage still on it, ask how the seller will clear it at completion. If you are buying new, our guide to buying a new-build flat and the piece on visiting a developer's show flat cover the extra questions.

Defects, and what the law says

A hidden defect in a flat you have bought must be reported without undue delay and no later than five years after you take it over (§ 2129 of the Civil Code, as of 2026; check with a lawyer). That is a backstop, not an excuse to skip the inspection. Anything you saw and accepted at the viewing is much harder to argue about afterwards.

If you are unsure about structure, damp or the wiring, pay a surveyor or building engineer for an hour. It costs a fraction of one repair.

Before you make an offer

Do the sums on paper first. Our guides to how much deposit you need and the questions to ask first are good places to do that. Non-Czech buyers will find the process laid out in Buying property in Czechia as a foreigner, and the first-flat guide walks through the steps.

After the viewing

Write down what you saw that evening, while the details are fresh. Then email the agent your questions, including the awkward ones: the damp patch, the noisy road, the missing paperwork. Written answers are something you can rely on later. A seller who will not answer in writing has answered anyway.

Put every flat on your shortlist in one table: price, area, floor, lift, condition, building fund, running costs, commute. The glow of the best-staged flat fades fast in a spreadsheet.

Frequently asked questions

How many flats should I view before offering?

There is no magic number. View enough to know what a fair flat in your area looks like, and be ready to walk away from the one you like most.

Can I check who owns the flat myself?

Yes. The cadastre is searchable online and free to view. An official extract is available for a fee from ČÚZK or at a Czech POINT.

Do I need a lawyer for a flat purchase?

Not by law in every case, but many buyers use one, or a notary or bank escrow, to hold the money safely. See our guide to [English-speaking lawyers](/directory/how-to-find-an-english-speaking-lawyer-in-prague).

Is a cooperative flat a bad idea?

Not necessarily, but it is a different legal arrangement from owning the flat. Get the cooperative's rules and legal advice before you commit.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.