Buildings and property types

Non-residential premises (nebytový prostor)

In Czech: Nebytový prostor

Non-residential premises (nebytový prostor) are rooms not intended for living, such as an office, shop, storage room, garage or workshop. What the space may be used for depends mainly on its occupancy approval.

Also called: commercial premises, commercial space, business premises, nebytový prostor, NP, komerční prostor

What it means

Non-residential premises (nebytový prostor, often shortened to NP in Czech listings) are parts of a building that are not meant for living: an office, shop, surgery, storeroom, workshop, cellar or garage. What decides the status is not the furniture or the look of the place, but the purpose for which it was approved and how it is recorded.

In a building divided into units, a non-residential space can be a separate unit with its own title deed (list vlastnictví). The recorded type of use differs from byt (flat), and for a buyer that is the first sign that the space cannot simply be treated as a home.

How it works in the Czech Republic

The permitted use comes from the occupancy approval (kolaudace). Under the building act in force as of October 2026, a building that requires approval may be used only on the basis of an occupancy decision (kolaudační rozhodnutí) and only for the purpose stated in it. If the space was approved as an office or a store, living there does not match that purpose. A change of use is handled by the building office (stavební úřad), which can tell you what procedure applies to the specific space.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) can be registered in a building intended for living, accommodation or individual recreation that has a descriptive or registration number (číslo popisné or evidenční). Check in advance whether the registration office will accept a particular non-residential space. Banks, too, judge what the property offers as collateral, so loan terms may differ from a mortgage on a flat.

In a building with flats, service charges for non-residential premises fall under the same act as for flats, Act No. 67/2013 Coll. The flat-lease rules described elsewhere in this glossary were written for flats; ask a lawyer which provisions apply to renting a non-residential space.

Practical example

For example, you find an inexpensive former shop on the ground floor of a city-centre building and want to turn it into a small flat. The title deed records it as non-residential and the building office archive holds an approval for retail use. Before paying a reservation fee, ask the building office whether the use can be changed, the registration office about residence, and the bank about financing.

What to watch out for

  • Check the title deed for the recorded use and do not rely only on the wording of the listing.
  • Ask for the occupancy decision or another document showing the approved use.
  • If you plan to live there, discuss a change of use with the building office before you buy.
  • Ask the bank early whether it will accept the space as collateral and on what terms.
  • Have a lease checked by a lawyer; the rules for flat leases may not apply.

Frequently asked questions

Can I live in non-residential premises?

A building that requires occupancy approval may be used only for the purpose stated in the occupancy decision. If the space is not approved for living, a change of use has to be dealt with at the building office first.

Can I register permanent residence there?

Permanent residence is registered in a building intended for living, accommodation or individual recreation with a descriptive or registration number. Check with the registration office whether the specific space qualifies.

Will a bank give me a mortgage on it?

That depends on the bank. Ask in advance whether it accepts the space as collateral and what terms it offers.

  • Studio unit (ateliér)A studio unit (ateliér) is a space originally intended for creative or professional work, often in an attic or a former workshop. It may be advertised much like a flat, yet the land register and occupancy approval may not treat it as one.
  • 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.
  • Registering permanent residence in a rented home (trvalý pobyt)Registering permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) in a rented home means recording the rented flat as your official address. The address is for records only and gives no right to the property.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Mortgage (hypotéka)A mortgage (hypotéka) is a long-term housing loan secured by a lien on a property. The borrower repays it in regular monthly instalments, usually over many years.

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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