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Podnájem

Podnájem (sublease)

What does “Podnájem” mean in Czechia?

Sublease (podnájem) is when an apartment is rented to you not by the owner, but by the tenant (nájemce) who rents it from the owner. You become a subtenant (podnájemník), not a tenant (nájemce) — and this is an important difference.

Why it is a weaker position

Your contract depends on another contract: if the main tenancy ends, your sublease also ends.
The protection that the civil code gives specifically to the tenant (nájemce) — such as the form of the contract, the deposit limit, and the notice period — does not automatically apply to the subtenant (podnájemník).
The tenant does not have the right to sublet without the owner's agreement.

Important. Check your address in the citizen register (register obyvatel) yourself through the Citizen's Portal (Portál občana). Nobody will inform you about losing your address, which means the 90-day countdown to the end of your residency permit (DO) has started.

Examples of use

You can rent out your apartment only with the landlord's permission.

You can sublet an apartment only with the landlord's agreement.

I am a subtenant, not a tenant.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between podnájem and nájem?

In a rental agreement, your counterparty is the apartment owner. In a sublease, it is another tenant. A sublease exists only as long as the main lease exists, and the legal protection of the tenant does not apply to you.

Are you risking anything if you rent a place without a contract for a lower price?

Yes, and not just with money. Without a legal title to housing, you will not get a normal address registration, and the address of the office within 90 days automatically ends temporary protection.