What Czech law actually requires of you

Updated 29 July 2026 · 6 min read

The short version: for a house you live in yourself, Czech law is more relaxed than most people expect. What is genuinely mandatory is the annual chimney inspection and sweeping, the initial electrical and gas inspections on a new build, a smoke alarm in new builds, a three-yearly check of a solid-fuel boiler, and an energy certificate when you sell or let. Most of the rest — periodic electrical inspections, lightning protection, boiler servicing — is recommended rather than required. That does not make it optional in practice, because your insurer will ask.

Required by law

Chimney and flue inspection — once a year, plus sweeping (three times a year for solid fuels, once for gas). Decree No. 34/2016 Coll.
Initial electrical inspection — on a new installation and after major rewiring. Required for building completion.
Initial gas inspection — on new gas installations.
Solid-fuel boiler check — every three years, by a person qualified for that make of boiler.
Smoke alarm — required in new builds and after major reconstruction.
Energy Performance Certificate (PENB) — you must produce one when selling or letting. Valid for ten years.

Recommended, and why you should not skip it anyway

Periodic electrical inspection — not mandated for an owner-occupied house. Strongly advisable with older wiring and before any sale.
Lightning protection inspection — roughly every four years and after any strike.
Gas boiler service — annually, and usually a condition of the manufacturer’s warranty.
RCD test — press the test button every six months.
Water heater, ventilation filters, well water analysis — as the manufacturer or hygiene practice suggests.

Even where something is not a legal duty, an insurer can reduce or refuse a payout if you cannot show the property was properly maintained. That is the real reason to do the recommended items and keep the paperwork.

Flats and rented property are different

If you own a flat, most obligations for the building itself — the chimney, lightning protection, shared wiring, fire equipment — sit with the společenství vlastníků (the unit owners’ association), not with you. What remains yours is the installation inside your flat and your own gas appliance.

If you let the property out, the picture is genuinely less settled. Czech sources disagree about whether a periodic electrical inspection becomes mandatory, and the decisive question is whether the equipment was formally handed over for the tenant’s own use. What is not in dispute is that the Energy Act obliges you to keep gas and electrical equipment in a condition that does not endanger life, health or property — and that an inspection report is your evidence that you did not neglect that duty. If you rent out a Czech property, treat inspections as your insurance policy rather than as a box to tick.

The words you will meet

Czech paperwork uses a small set of terms that are worth recognising:

revize — a formal inspection by a certified technician, ending in a written report
kontrola — a check, less formal than a revize but often still documented
spalinová cesta — the flue system, from the appliance to the top of the chimney
kominík — chimney sweep
revizní technik — the certified inspector for electrical, gas or pressure equipment
hromosvod — lightning protection system
proudový chránič — RCD, the device that trips on earth leakage
PENB — Energy Performance Certificate
revizní zpráva — the inspection report itself. This is the document your insurer will want.

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General information about Czech rules as of 2026, not legal advice. Requirements depend on your specific property and can change. Where it matters, follow the applicable regulations and consult a qualified professional.