Buildings and property types

Family house (rodinný dům)

In Czech: Rodinný dům

A family house (rodinný dům) is a building intended mainly for one or a few households, either detached or attached to neighbouring houses. It is usually sold together with the land, of which the building is legally a part.

Also called: detached house, single-family house, house, rodinný dům, RD

What it means

A family house (rodinný dům) is a building designed mainly for one or a few households. Czech listings abbreviate it RD and distinguish between detached houses, terraced houses (řadový dům) and halves of a semi-detached pair (dvojdům). A garden, garage or outbuildings usually come with it.

Under the Czech Civil Code, a building constructed on a plot is part of that plot, except for temporary structures. If the house and the land have the same owner, you buy them as one whole, and the title deed (list vlastnictví) lists the building under the parcel it stands on.

How it works in the Czech Republic

On the title deed, check every parcel that belongs to the house, including the garden and driveway, and the recorded use of the building. The occupancy approval (kolaudace) defines what the building may be used for. A building that requires approval under the building act may be used only on the basis of an occupancy decision; whether a particular new house needs one or only a notice of completion depends on the type of building, and the building office (stavební úřad) will tell you.

The Energy Management Act requires the owner selling a building to show the energy performance certificate (průkaz energetické náročnosti budovy, PENB) to an interested buyer before the contract is concluded and to hand it over no later than at signing. The energy class must also appear in adverts.

With older houses, the building and the land sometimes belong to different owners. In that case the landowner and the owner of a building that, under transitional provisions, is not part of the land have a mutual right of pre-emption. Permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) can be registered in a house intended for living, accommodation or individual recreation with a descriptive or registration number.

Practical example

For example, a family is buying an older village house with a garden. The title deed shows the house on one parcel, but the driveway and part of the garden are on a neighbouring parcel owned by someone else. Before signing, they should agree whether those plots will be bought too or an access easement set up, and ask to see the PENB and building documents.

What to watch out for

  • Check all parcels on nahlizenidokatastru.cz, including the access road.
  • Confirm that the house and the land have the same owner.
  • Ask for the PENB, occupancy documents and electrical and gas inspection reports.
  • Check extensions that are not in the documents with the building office.
  • Read part C of the title deed for liens and easements.

Frequently asked questions

Do I automatically buy the land with the house?

If the house and land have the same owner, the building is part of the land and they are transferred together. Still check every parcel on the title deed, as the garden or driveway may be separate plots.

Does the seller need an energy certificate (PENB)?

Under the Energy Management Act, the owner selling a building must show the certificate before the contract is concluded and hand it to the buyer no later than at signing.

Can I register permanent residence in a family house?

Yes, if the building is intended for living, accommodation or individual recreation and has a descriptive or registration number. You show a document entitling you to use the house.

On Lovec-Realit.cz

  • Building plot (stavební pozemek)A building plot (stavební pozemek) is, under the Czech Building Act, a plot, part of a plot or a group of plots defined and designated for building. Whether you may really build on it depends mainly on the municipal zoning plan.
  • Title deed (list vlastnictví)A title deed (list vlastnictví, LV) is the land register sheet that shows, for one cadastral area, who owns which properties and what burdens them, such as mortgages, easements or a pending change of ownership.
  • Occupancy approval (kolaudace)Occupancy approval (kolaudace) is the procedure in which the building office allows a finished building to be used. Where Building Act No. 283/2021 Sb. requires it, it ends with an occupancy decision, without which the building may not be used.
  • Energy performance certificate (PENB)PENB (průkaz energetické náročnosti budovy) is the Czech energy performance certificate. It rates how much energy a building or flat needs and places it in a class from A (exceptionally efficient) to G (exceptionally inefficient).
  • Access road (přístupová cesta)An access road (přístupová cesta) is the route from a public road or street to a plot or house. What matters is who owns it and on what basis you may use it, for example ownership, a co-ownership share or an easement.
  • Terraced house (řadový dům)A terraced house (řadový dům) is a family house forming part of a continuous row of similar houses and sharing one or two side walls with its neighbours. It usually has its own entrance, its own plot and a smaller garden.

Sources

Laws and official pages this text is based on (in Czech).

This text is for information only and has not yet been checked by a legal or financial expert. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Verify important details in the listed sources or with a professional.

Updated 25 October 2026

All terms in the glossary