Av 
Mortgages and various home loans are becoming more and more common every year. The literal ”hunger for home ownership” is forcing many of our citizens to take out risky loans. Or they borrow even though they are not 100% sure how they will manage in the future.
On the one hand, it is good that banks have tightened their mortgage conditions. On the other hand, something is wrong in our country because housing prices, whether for buying an apartment, renting an apartment, or building a family home, have skyrocketed to astronomical heights. Yes, we have a market economy. The market rule of ”supply and demand” certainly applies here a hundredfold. But our country should do something about this and not let people get senselessly into astronomical debt for housing. It may even turn out that in a few years we will have more homeless people here.
However, many Czechs are unable to live modestly. Especially young people. They currently have jobs, are healthy, want to enjoy themselves, and later start families. All of this is part of youth. But the life of an individual and even an entire family can take a turn for the worse at any time. What then?
People who cannot obtain a mortgage look for rentals. And a rented apartment, especially in large cities, is quite expensive. The monthly rent is so high that paying off a mortgage would be much more advantageous for them.
There is a lot you should know before signing a lease.
· If you have found an apartment with a favorable rent, don\’t forget to make sure that the contract states that the rent will not change. Certain services are included with the rented apartment (water, complete waste disposal + septic tank cleaning, elevator operation, municipal waste collection, radio and television reception, lighting, and cleaning of common areas in the apartment building).
· Find out in advance what condition the apartment is in. Before signing the contract, you should know what is in the apartment, what is missing, and what you do not want there. Do not accept the apartment until you have checked everything.
By law, rent or deposits are not paid in advance (e.g., a month in advance). Rent is monthly and is paid on the 5th day of the month, not before. If necessary, but by agreement, on another date in the given month.
· You can move into a rented apartment, which should be clean and in good condition, only after you receive the keys. It is best to agree in writing on the date of access to the apartment.
· The landlord may terminate the lease immediately without notice only if the tenant violates their obligations in a particularly serious manner. E.g., unpaid rent for the last 3 months, damage to the apartment, etc.
If you pay your rent on time, you are still protected as a tenant (by law) even without a contract – you become a so-called regular tenant.