Buildings and property types

Maisonette (mezonet)

In Czech: Mezonet

A maisonette (mezonet) is a flat on two levels connected by its own internal staircase. It is usually found on the top floors of a building or in an attic and separates the living area from the bedrooms.

Also called: duplex apartment, two-storey flat, mezonet, mezonetový byt

What it means

A maisonette (mezonet) is a flat spread over two floors with its own internal staircase. You enter from the communal corridor on one level and reach more rooms on the other. A common layout puts the living room and kitchen downstairs and bedrooms with a bathroom upstairs, which separates day and night use.

In Czechia maisonettes appear on the top floors of new builds, in attic conversions of older buildings, or where two flats above each other have been joined. Legally a maisonette is usually a single unit even though it spans two levels.

How it works in the Czech Republic

What matters for a buyer is how the maisonette is recorded and approved. On the title deed (list vlastnictví) it should be one unit. If it was created by joining two flats, the land register may still list two units, and you need to find out whether the merger was reflected in the owner's declaration (prohlášení vlastníka). For an attic conversion, ask for proof of the occupancy approval (kolaudace): under the building act, a building that requires approval may be used only on the basis of an occupancy decision.

The second issue is floor area. The figure in the advert may include space under low sloping ceilings or the floor beneath the stairs, and different measuring methods give different results. Ask how the area was calculated and compare it with the owner's declaration and the purchase contract.

Practical example

For example, a listing offers a 4+kk attic maisonette of 110 m². At the viewing you notice that part of the upper floor is under low slopes and the staircase takes up a corner of the living room. It makes sense to request floor plans of both levels with ceiling heights, ask how the area was measured and confirm on the title deed that it is one unit.

What to watch out for

  • Check on the title deed whether the maisonette is one unit or two.
  • For an attic conversion, ask to see the occupancy decision (kolaudační rozhodnutí).
  • Ask whether the stated area includes space under sloping ceilings and under the stairs.
  • Look at the staircase with children's safety and moving furniture in mind.
  • In an attic, ask about insulation and how warm the upper floor gets in summer.

Frequently asked questions

Is a maisonette one unit?

Usually yes, but check the title deed. If it was created by joining two flats, the land register may still record two units.

How is the floor area of a maisonette counted?

It depends on the method the seller used. Ask whether space under sloping ceilings and under the stairs is included and compare the figure with the contract.

Is a mezonet the same as a duplex?

In flat listings, yes: both mean a flat on two levels. In Czech, however, a two-family house is a dvojdům, which is a different thing.

  • Floor area (podlahová plocha)Floor area (podlahová plocha) is the floor surface of the rooms of a flat or house, measured inside between the walls. What advertisers include varies, so always ask how it was measured.
  • Usable area (užitná plocha)Usable area (užitná plocha) is the area of all spaces in a flat or house that can be used, including rooms and ancillary spaces such as bathroom, hallway or storage. What is included varies.
  • Residential unit (bytová jednotka)A residential unit (bytová jednotka) is a flat as a spatially separate part of a building together with a share in the building's common parts. It is the usual form of owning a flat in Czechia and is recorded in the land register.
  • LoftA loft is an open living or working space with high ceilings, typically created by converting a factory, warehouse or other industrial building. It tends to have large windows, exposed structures and often a gallery.
  • 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.
  • Thermal insulation (tepelná izolace)Thermal insulation (tepelná izolace) is a material or layer that limits heat loss through a building's walls, roof and floors. An insulated house needs less energy for heating, which can show as a better class in its PENB.

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

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