Ending a tenancy properly

Notice (výpověď) has to be in writing and delivered to the other side — an email or a message is not the safe way to do it. Deliver it by hand against a signature, or by registered post to the address in the contract, and keep the proof.

How leases end

• A fixed-term lease ends on its end date, unless it renews by agreement or you keep living there with the landlord's knowledge.
• An open-ended lease is ended by written notice, with a notice period stated in the contract and set by law — commonly three months, running from the start of the following month.
• A landlord can only give notice on grounds allowed by law, and must state the reason and your right to object.
• Ending early by mutual agreement is common: get the agreement in writing, including what happens to the deposit.

On the way out

• Agree a handover date and complete a handover record with final meter readings.
• Photograph the flat again and hand over all keys against a signature.
• Settle the last service payments and agree when the deposit is returned.
• Change your registered address, and if you are a foreign national report the change within the deadline that applies to your status.

If a dispute arises

• For ordinary landlord-tenant disputes, the Czech Tenants' Association is the relevant starting point — the Ombudsman generally cannot intervene in private civil-law disputes.
• Discrimination in housing is an exception: that falls within the Ombudsman's core remit.
• If advice and negotiation do not resolve it, the next step is legal action through the Czech courts.