Real estate · Czechia and Slovakia
Rent recovery and eviction
A non-paying tenant can cost a landlord months of income, and taking the wrong steps can cost even more. Evicting someone yourself or changing the locks can be used against you. We guide you properly through the entire process: reminders and agreement, termination, debt recovery and, if necessary, an eviction claim followed by enforcement. In Slovakia and Czechia.
- Lawyer registered with both the Czech and Slovak Bar Associations
- Flats, houses and commercial premises
- Fees agreed in advance
What we'll do for you
The key is to follow a legally sound process: every notification, notice and time limit must be correct, or the process returns to the beginning. And self-help? It can turn the debtor into a claimant.
Select an item to see the details.
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Assessment and strategy
From the tenancy agreement and debt, we identify the quickest safe route — agreement, notice or immediate court action — and calculate the time limits.
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Pre-action stage
Lawyer’s demands, acknowledgement of debt and an instalment schedule with acceleration on default — some non-paying tenants pay when a lawyer takes over.
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Ending the tenancy
We prepare and serve notice or withdrawal correctly — including the specific rules for short-term letting and commercial premises.
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Debt recovery
Payment order and enforcement for rent arrears, utilities and damage — including use of an agreed deposit and, subject to the statutory conditions, the landlord's lien or retention right over the tenant's movable belongings, which arises directly by law (in Slovakia § 672 of the Civil Code and, for short-term flat leases, § 8(2) of Act No 98/2014 Z. z.; in Czechia § 2234 of the Czech Civil Code).
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Eviction
An eviction claim followed by enforcement — we pursue the process until the property is actually vacated.
Deliverableassessment of the claims and handling of the agreed course for terminating the tenancy, recovering the debt and securing vacant possession
How it works
Does this process fit your matter? Describe it to the attorney →
- Assessmentday 0
We review the agreement and debt and explain the quickest safe route and the fee.
- Demand and termination
We demand payment from the tenant and lawfully end the tenancy if they do not pay.
- Court
We bring payment and eviction claims, running proceedings in parallel where worthwhile.
- Enforcement
Once an enforceable title has been obtained, we proceed with enforcement of the debt and eviction. The outcome depends on the existence of the claims, the conditions for enforcement and, for monetary claims, the debtor’s attachable assets.
No-obligation enquiry
Ready to start?
Send us an enquiry. We usually reply within 24 hours with a price confirmation and next steps. The first 30-minute consultation is free and commits you to nothing.
- 1Send your enquiry via this form
- 2Usually within 24 h you get a price confirmation and plan
- 3We start work only after your approval
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Or email us about this matter.
What clients ask
Didn’t find your question? Ask us directly →
Can I change the locks or remove a non-paying tenant’s belongings?
No — self-help eviction generally works against you: it risks liability for damage and criminal consequences and gives the tenant arguments. The route is through termination and, ultimately if necessary, enforced eviction — it takes somewhat longer but is safe and final.
How quickly can a tenancy be ended for non-payment?
It depends on the type of tenancy and the agreement — termination is usually quicker for short-term flat letting and commercial premises, while ordinary flat tenancies give tenants greater statutory protection. We calculate the exact periods for your case from the specific agreement at the assessment stage.
The tenant moved out but left a debt. Is recovery worthwhile?
Generally yes — rent arrears are an ordinary claim: a payment order, enforcement or an instalment agreement with acceleration on default. We also assess the debtor’s ability to pay so that you do not spend money pursuing an irrecoverable debt; we explain this candidly.
We hold a security deposit. Can we simply deduct the debt?
That is what the deposit is for — but its use must comply with the agreement and the law and must be properly accounted for. We help you set it off correctly, avoiding mistakes that could later reduce your claims.
How much does dealing with a non-paying tenant cost?
We work in stages with fees agreed in advance; if you succeed in court, the debtor generally bears legal representation costs. At the consultation, we also give an honest estimate of time — so that you can choose between agreement and court proceedings.
Legal Q&A
Common questions on this topic
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What deposit can I request when letting an apartment, and when must I return it?
For a short-term apartment tenancy under Act No. 98/2014 Z. z., the security deposit may not exceed three times the monthly rent and charges for services associated with using the apartment. The landlord must return the unused balance within one month of the apartment being vacated and tenancy claims being settled, unless otherwise agreed. The short-term tenancy regime requires, among other things, the landlord’s registration with the tax office.
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The tenant keeps using the premises after the lease ends. Why must I act quickly to recover possession?
Under the general lease rule in Section 676(2), continued use may renew the agreement unless the landlord applies to court for the return of the asset or possession within 30 days. Demands are insufficient, but the parties may exclude this renewal in the agreement. The statutory rule does not apply to residential leases; according to the Slovak Supreme Court, it also does not apply to fixed-term leases of non-residential premises under Act No. 116/1990 Coll. The type of lease and the terms of the agreement must therefore be determined first.
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We let out a family house. Do the same notice rules apply as for a flat?
No. The protected regime with statutory grounds for notice, alternative accommodation and an action challenging the validity of notice applies to renting a flat. If the tenancy covers a family house as a whole, the general lease rules apply: notice needs no statutory ground, an indefinite tenancy has a three-month notice period, and there is no entitlement to alternative accommodation. Watch for renewal, however: if the tenant continues using the house after the tenancy ends and the landlord does not bring an eviction claim within 30 days, the tenancy renews. The first step in any dispute is therefore to establish precisely what was let.
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Further reading
The tenant of business premises is not paying: notice, retention of goods and eviction from non-residential premises
A shop, an office or a warehouse for which the tenant has not paid for months is a double loss for the landlord: the rent is missing and the premises cannot be offered to anyone else. This article explains when the Act on the lease of non-residential premises allows the lease to be terminated by notice, how the landlord’s lien over the tenant’s movables works and what to do when the tenant does not leave after the lease ends.
Read more →
When the tenant of a flat dies: transfer of the lease, belongings in the flat and eviction in Slovakia and Czechia
The death of a tenant does not automatically end the lease and the landlord may not simply clear the flat. This article explains when the lease passes to members of the household, what applies to a short-term lease, how to deal with the deceased’s belongings and with rent arrears, and how Czech law differs.
Read more →
Duplicate ownership before the court: how to frame the claim and what decides the winner
Where a settlement agreement fails, only a court can remove the duplication between register C and register E parcels. This article explains why an owner recorded twice always has an urgent legal interest in a declaratory claim, how to frame the relief sought so that the court does not dismiss it on formal grounds, what has to be proved in the dispute and how the outcome reaches the title sheet.
Read more →