I AM moving to Slovakia and plan to rent an apartment. Is there anything in particular that I should look for in the contract? Do I have to register as a Slovak resident prior to signing the contract?
The Slovak Civil Code regulates the relationship between landlord and tenant and most probably covers anything not directly referred to in the tenancy agreement. So, do not worry if the tenancy agreement seems short.
The landlords, meaning all the owners of the property you are renting, must sign the agreement. A valid property title - výpis z katastra nehnuteľností (list vlastníctva) - which describes the particulars of the property and identifies the owner(s), should be attached to the contract.
You do not have to register as a Slovak resident before signing a tenancy agreement. In fact, the opposite is true. You must have a tenancy agreement to be able to register as a Slovak resident.
The most common clauses in a tenancy agreement are as follows:
Notification of termination: In Slovakia this is usually three months. This period is stated in the Civil Code, so is in general use in tenancy agreements.
Notification of extension: Usually one month before the expiry of the lease.
Insurance: The owners must have property insurance, but that does not include your own possessions. For your own belongings you must have separate insurance.
Duration of lease: This may be for a specific period, or may be for an unlimited period.
Rent: May or may not include utilities. If the contract does include utilities, no settlement is required at the end of the contract. If payment for utilities is not included in the contract, then a separate agreement should state when payment is due. Some landlords also include a one percent fine for late payment of rent.
To register as a Slovak resident the tenancy agreement must be witnessed by a notary. Otherwise, this is not necessary.
Ivona Telekiová,
General Manager of Bratislava based com-
pany relocation s.r.o. (www.relo.sk) awaits
your questions at surviving.slovakia@spectator.sk.
