Renter's insurance in Prague: what it covers, and the part worth taking

At 2 a.m. your washing machine hose slips off, and the next thing you hear is a neighbour knocking, because the water is now coming through their bathroom ceiling. Who pays? In Czechia the answer is usually you, personally, unless you have the right policy. That is the quiet case for renter's insurance, called pojištění domácnosti (household insurance) when it covers contents and pojištění odpovědnosti (liability insurance) when it covers damage you cause.

What is and is not compulsory

No law makes a tenant take out household insurance. Your landlord may ask for it in the lease, so read that clause before you sign. The building itself is another matter: the owner, or the owners' association (SVJ, společenství vlastníků) in a block of flats, normally insures the structure. That policy protects the walls, roof and shared parts. It does not pay for your sofa, your bike in the cellar or the floor you ruin.

Two things sit on a Czech household policy, and they behave differently:

• Contents (domácnost). Your belongings, such as furniture, clothes and electronics, against fire, water, theft and similar events.
• Liability (odpovědnost). Money you owe someone else because you damaged their property or hurt them, in your home or in ordinary private life.

Under the Civil Code, a tenant who damages the flat or building through their fault must put it right. Liability cover is what turns that from your problem into the insurer's.

How a policy is built

A policy sets a sum insured for each part (contents, liability, extras) and an excess (spoluúčast), the share you pay on each claim. The sum insured is your own estimate of what your belongings would cost to replace, and being honest matters: insure far less than you own and the insurer can pay out proportionally less. Add up the big items (laptop, phone, bike, furniture) and a rough figure for the rest.

Extras you will see offered include theft from a cellar, glass, damage to a bicycle outside, cover for an unoccupied flat and assistance services such as an emergency plumber. Take the ones that match your life. A cyclist with a bike in the building's cellar has a different list from someone with a laptop and a suitcase.

What it costs

We will not quote prices here, because they change by insurer, location and the sums you choose. Get at least three quotes from long-established Czech insurers or comparison sites, and make sure each quote uses the same sums insured and the same excess. Otherwise you are comparing apples with a thinner, cheaper apple. The Czech National Bank supervises insurers, so you can check that a company is authorised.

Landlords and the lease

Check what your lease says about insurance. Some ask the tenant to carry liability cover. Some include a clause on the landlord's contents. If the flat is furnished, ask whether the landlord's furniture is covered by the owner's own policy, and keep that in writing.

When you move in, photograph every room and every meter, as our move-in checklist recommends. Those photos double as evidence if you ever make a claim. For a pet, see renting with a pet, because damage by animals may be excluded unless you add it.

If something goes wrong

If you disagree with a decision, the insurer's complaints process comes first. After that, the financial arbitrator (finanční arbitr) handles some disputes, and the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) deals with consumer complaints in other areas.

Mistakes that leave you uninsured

Most disappointments come from the small print, not from the insurer. Five are worth knowing before you buy.

Under-insuring the contents. If the sum insured is far below the real replacement value, the insurer may pay out in proportion. Add up your laptop, phone, bike and furniture once a year and update the figure.

Forgetting to change the address. A household policy is tied to an address. When you move flat, tell the insurer before the move, not after a claim.

Ignoring exclusions. Common ones are theft without signs of forced entry, items left in an unlocked cellar or a car, and an empty flat after a set number of days. Read the section headed výluky (exclusions) before you sign.

Not keeping proof. Photographs, receipts and serial numbers for the expensive items make a claim quicker. Store them in the cloud, not in the flat that just flooded.

Assuming flatmates are covered. If you share, check whether the policy names co-residents and whether each person needs their own liability cover. One tenant's policy does not automatically protect another.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to insure my rented flat in Czechia?

There is no general legal duty for tenants. Your lease may require it, so check the clause.

Does the landlord's insurance cover my things?

No. The owner's policy covers the building and sometimes the landlord's own contents. Your belongings need your own policy.

What is the most important part of the policy?

Liability, because it covers damage you cause to the flat, the building or a neighbour, which can be far larger than the value of your belongings.

Can I get cover as a foreigner with a short lease?

Usually yes. Insurers ask for the address, the term of the lease and the sums you want to insure. Ask about policies that you can end if you move out.

Where do I complain if a claim is rejected?

Start with the insurer's complaints procedure. After that you can turn to the financial arbitrator for eligible disputes.

Today, open your lease, find the insurance clause, then ask two insurers to quote on the same contents figure and the same liability limit.

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