Mold or no heating in a Czech rental: what should I do?

Mold appears behind a wardrobe, the radiators stay cold, or water enters after rain. The argument quickly becomes “you do not ventilate” versus “the building is defective.” Do not begin with that conclusion. Report the problem immediately, document conditions and damage, reduce further harm where safely possible, and request an inspection and remedy in writing.

What to record

• Dated wide and close photographs and video.
• Room, wall, window, pipe, radiator, or appliance affected.
• Temperature and humidity readings over several days where relevant.
• When the problem began and whether weather, heating, or water use changes it.
• Damage to belongings and any health symptoms documented by a professional.
• Every notification, response, visit, repair, and recurrence.

If the urgent habitability problem is bedbugs or another infestation, use the dedicated pest identification, building coordination and cost guide. Moving belongings or spraying before a professional plan can spread the problem and weaken the evidence.

Notify the landlord without delay

Section 2264 distinguishes urgent damage from other defects. A defect that needs removal without delay must be reported immediately; another defect that prevents normal living must be reported without undue delay. A useful notice describes the location and severity, attaches evidence, proposes access times, asks for a written inspection and repair plan, and states what temporary measures are needed.

Keep ventilating, heating, wiping water, moving belongings, or shutting off a safe local supply where that reasonably prevents more damage. Do not conceal the defect or carry out major building work without agreement.

Who normally pays?

The landlord must keep the apartment fit and in proper condition; the tenant covers routine maintenance and defined minor repairs. Since 1 January 2026, the price route for an unlisted individual repair is CZK 1,500 and the annual minor-repair cap is CZK 150 per square metre. Item-listed repairs, routine maintenance, transport, landlord defects and tenant-caused damage must still be classified separately. The regulation excludes central-heating distribution and radiator repairs from its listed local-heating category.

Use the 2026 repair classification and annual-cap guide before accepting or commissioning a repair invoice.

Cause matters with mold. If moisture comes from a leak, thermal bridge, defective windows, roof, facade, or heating failure, simply painting over it does not solve the underlying problem. If tenant use materially causes or worsens the condition, responsibility may be shared or disputed. Ask for diagnosis, not blame by message.

If the landlord does not act

The legal ladder matters. Section 2265 requires the landlord to remove a notified defect within a reasonable time. If it is not removed properly and without undue delay, the tenant may remove a non-minor defect and seek justified costs, or claim a rent reduction. If the problem remains after an additional deadline, Section 2266 allows termination without notice only where the landlord’s delay or the defect amounts to a gross breach and the tenant did not cause it.

A useful repair request

• Identify the lease, apartment, defect, and first discovery date.
• Attach evidence and describe any safety or health urgency.
• Ask for inspection by a specific reasonable date and a written remedy plan.
• Offer practical access windows and record who attends.
• Reserve your rights without guessing the final cause or legal remedy.

If the apartment may remain unusable

Run a backup search while the repair route continues. Define the maximum total monthly cost, move-in date, area, accessibility, pets, and other non-negotiables. If you receive a termination document or sign an exit agreement, use the termination and deadline checklist rather than treating the repair dispute as an automatic end of the lease.