Společenství vlastníků (shortly SVJ, full name společenství vlastníků jednotek) is a legal entity formed by owners of apartments in a building where the homes are in osobní vlastnictví (personal ownership).
What it does
- manages the building and common areas;
- organizes services: elevator, cleaning, heating, garbage removal;
- makes decisions at owners' meetings.
Why it concerns a tenant
You are not a member of the SVJ – the owner of the apartment is. But the SVJ is the channel through which you pay for zálohy na služby (advance payments for services): water, heating, elevator, cleaning, garbage. These same items then appear in your annual vyúčtování (billing statement).
What it is not
SVJ ≠ bytové družstvo (housing cooperative). In an SVJ, apartments belong to people (registered in the land registry under specific individuals), and the SVJ only manages the common parts. In a housing cooperative, the building belongs to the cooperative itself.
