Renting Out a Property Without a Real Estate Agency: How Do You Do It?

Quick Overview: How to Rent Out a Property Without a Real Estate Agency?

• Prepare a listing. Describe the actual condition of the apartment, the rent amount, and the utility deposits, and include high-quality photos.
• Select a reliable tenant. Verify their identity, check references if necessary, and review any available information regarding insolvency or debt enforcement proceedings.
• Draft a lease agreement. Specify the rent amount, lease term, utility payments, and other important terms.
• Set the security deposit correctly. The security deposit and any contractual penalty combined must not exceed three times the monthly rent.
• Hand over the apartment with a handover report. Document the condition of the furnishings, meter readings, and the number of keys handed over.

You can find a tenant on your own, but a mistake in the lease agreement could cost you more than a real estate agent’s commission. Before signing it, have a lawyer review the lease agreement to avoid unnecessary disputes.

Why It Pays to Rent Out an Apartment or House Without a Real Estate Agency

Renting out an apartment without a real estate agency comes with several advantages. Here are some of them:

• Competitive advantage: The main benefit of renting out an apartment without a real estate agency is that such an offer is attractive to potential tenants. This means you’re renting the apartment without paying a real estate commission, making it significantly cheaper for them than renting through an agency, where they’d have to pay a commission.
• Direct Communication: Dealing directly with potential tenants can lead to more direct and open communication, which can be advantageous when discussing the terms of renting an apartment without a real estate agency, negotiating the rent, and determining the amount of the refundable security deposit.
• You can search wherever you want: When you’re in full control of the tenant search, you can target a specific type of person. To directly reach potential renters without a real estate agency, you can use various websites where listings for apartments and single-family homes are posted without an agency. Specifically, we can mention the websitebezrealitky.cz, which offers affordable apartment and house rentals without a real estate agency.
• Better tenant selection: By personally vetting tenants, you have greater control over the selection process. You can thoroughly screen prospective tenants without a real estate agency, check their references, and select tenants who are more likely to be responsible and reliable.

Renting out an apartment or a single-family home without a real estate agency isn’t complicated

If you decide to look for the ideal tenant on your own and list your property for rent without a real estate agency, you have nothing to worry about. A real estate agency won’t do anything for you that you couldn’t handle on your own. Plus, while a real estate agent will help you find potential tenants and arrange apartment viewings, once the lease is signed, everything is up to you.

Unless, of course, you find a company to manage the rental for you. The key to success and finding the ideal tenant is thoroughly preparing the listing—including high-quality photos—and posting it on relevant websites. A few apartment viewings, meeting with prospective tenants without a real estate agency, and you’ll have your pick. Don’t rely on first impressions, though—be sure to thoroughly vet the tenant.

How to Advertise Effectively: When advertising, it’s crucial to reach the right audience. Your listing should include an accurate description of the property, high-quality photos, and a clear statement that this is a rental without a real estate agency. This will increase your chances of a quick response. Websites focused on rentals without a real estate agency, such as Bezrealitky.cz, can help you with this.

How to Rent Out an Apartment Without a Real Estate Agency: A Step-by-Step Guide

Have you decided to handle the rental yourself? Before you hand over the keys to the tenant, there are a few important steps to take. With this checklist, you won’t forget anything important.

• Set the rent. Compare listings for similar apartments in the same area and determine the utility deposits as well.

• Prepare the apartment for rent. Check its condition, make any necessary repairs, and take high-quality photos.

• Post an ad. Include the floor plan, amenities, price, required security deposit, and move-in date.

• Schedule viewings. Show prospective tenants the apartment and explain the lease terms, and answer their questions.

• Screen the prospective tenant. Verify their identity and assess their creditworthiness appropriately.

• Prepare the lease agreement. Agree on the rent amount, payment due dates, lease term, and other terms.

• Draw up a handover report. Document the condition of the apartment, the furnishings, meter readings, and the number of keys.

Pay the closest attention to selecting a tenant and drafting the lease agreement. This is where even minor oversights can lead to the biggest complications.

Screen the potential tenant

Once you’ve identified a potential tenant for your apartment or house, be cautious. First and foremost, you should gather some basic information about the applicant to help prevent problems later on. After all, no one wants problematic or delinquent tenants in their apartment. Renting without a real estate agency is simple, but it leaves this responsibility entirely up to you.

The following steps will help you. Find out if your potential tenant owes any money. Late payments, unpaid rent, and—in the worst case—a visit from a debt collector to the apartment. All of this is a risk if the tenant is in debt in any way. That’s why we always recommend screening every potential tenant. Debt registries and lists are often publicly accessible. How and where to screen a tenant:

• insolvency registry,
• Central Debtors Registry,
• Central Enforcement Registry,
• Central Registry of Notifications,
• one of the registries within the SOLUS interest group,
• the Claims Registry (where business owners are listed).

What questions can you ask a prospective tenant?

A personal tour is a good opportunity to find out if you and the prospective tenant have similar expectations. For example, ask when they plan to move in, how many people will be living in the apartment, or if they’re planning a long-term lease.

You can also inquire about their ability to pay rent regularly. However, avoid asking overly personal questions, such as those regarding family planning, health, or religious beliefs. The selection of a tenant must comply with data protection regulations and anti-discrimination laws.

Renting an Apartment Without a Real Estate Agency: Fixed-Term or Open-Ended?

Just as you would when renting through an agent, rentals without a real estate agency are also handled either through a fixed-term or an indefinite-term lease agreement.

While a lease for an indefinite term can be terminated by the tenant without any issues—provided the notice period is observed—a fixed-term lease requires a valid reason for termination. For example, the tenant may have found a new job in a location from which it would be difficult to return to the rented property. The tenant may have gotten married and is setting up a shared household, or may have purchased their own apartment. Or the tenant may have found themselves in a difficult social situation, such as losing a job or becoming ill.

In special cases, a lease agreement may also be terminated immediately. This typically applies to situations where the landlord has seriously breached their obligations under the contract (e.g., the house has fallen into a dilapidated, uninhabitable condition). If such a breach occurs, the notice of termination takes effect on the date it is delivered to the landlord.

How can you draft a lease agreement yourself without missing anything?

Do you want to save money on drafting the contract as well? You can draft a lease agreement yourself, but it’s not enough to simply fill in the names and rent amount in the first template you find online. Every apartment and tenancy has its own specific characteristics, and poorly drafted terms can lead to unnecessary complications later on.

What should a lease agreement include?

1. Identification of the contracting parties —names, addresses, and other details that clearly identify the landlord and tenant.
2. Precise description of the property —address, apartment number, and any fixtures and furnishings.
3. Lease term —whether the agreement is for a fixed or indefinite term.
4. Rent and utilities —the amount of rent, due date, method of payment, and advance payments for individual utilities.
5. Security deposit – its amount and the terms for its settlement upon termination of the lease.
6. Rules for using the apartment —for example, how to report defects, how repairs are handled, and the conditions for handing over the apartment.
7. Conditions for terminating the lease —in accordance with the statutory rules for termination.
8. Date and signatures of the contracting parties.

Apartment leases are governed by the Civil Code, which also protects tenants from unreasonable terms. Therefore, even a handwritten contract signed by both parties cannot exclude certain statutory rights of the tenant.

Tip: Attach a handover report with photographs to the lease agreement. If a dispute later arises regarding damaged furnishings, you’ll have proof of the apartment’s condition when you moved in.

What to Watch Out For: One of the typical mistakes when renting without a real estate agency is using a generic contract template without adapting it to the specific apartment. Landlords often forget to clearly distinguish between rent and advance payments for utilities or to sufficiently describe the apartment’s furnishings. In the event of a later dispute, it may then be difficult to prove what the parties actually agreed upon.

Do you already have a lease agreement prepared but aren’t sure if it adequately protects you? Have it reviewed by an experienced attorney. They will identify risky provisions and point out terms that might not hold up in the event of a dispute.

Subleasing Without a Real Estate Agency

If you’ve decided to rent out your property without a real estate agency, you can opt for subletting in addition to a traditional lease. This applies especially to those of you who don’t own the property but have a cooperative apartment. The relationship between you and the housing cooperative is governed by a lease agreement, which means that if you want to rent the apartment to a third party—for example, when you’re not using it—you’ll need to use a sublease agreement.

Another situation in which a sublease agreement may be entered into arises when you already have a tenant in the apartment and that tenant decides to take in someone else as a subtenant. A common example is shared living arrangements, such as among college students, where the lease is drawn up between only one of them and the apartment owner. The student can then enter into a sublease agreement for the room directly with the tenant.

Anyone can rent out a property without a real estate agency

Tenants therefore usually choose someone they know to sublet to, so there’s really no need to use the services of real estate agents. Keep in mind that a sublease is tied to the lease agreement —if the lease expires, the sublease agreement automatically ends as well. Furthermore, a sublease can usually be terminated without giving a reason. And if the subtenant wishes to register their permanent residence at the apartment, they must ask for your consent.

Landlord’s Rights and Responsibilities

Not only the tenant but also the landlord has several obligations. Here are the most important ones:

• Prepare the apartment or house and hand it over to the tenant —this is the first fundamental obligation the landlord must fulfill after signing the lease agreement. The apartment must exactly match the description and conditions agreed upon in the contract and be in a condition suitable for immediate occupancy, unless otherwise specified in the contract.
• Provide the utilities necessary for the use of the apartment or house —along with providing the apartment, the landlord must also ensure the necessary utilities, such as water and heat, trash collection, and so on.

• Provide billing for these services —all services provided by the landlord must be properly billed in accordance with the law. This billing must be available to the tenant at any time.
• Carry out necessary repairs —the landlord is responsible for maintaining the apartment in a condition fit for use. However, routine maintenance and minor repairs are generally the tenant’s responsibility. As of January 1, 2026, the statutory limits for minor repairs have increased. For repairs assessed based on cost, the limit is 1,500 CZK per repair, and the annual limit is 150 CZK per square meter of the apartment’s floor area. However, some repairs are considered minor based on their nature, not their individual cost. Specific rules are set forth in the government regulation defining routine maintenance and minor repairs related to the use of an apartment.
• Thelandlord may not deny the tenant their rights —prohibitions on pets, conducting business activities, receiving visitors, or smoking in the apartment are encountered relatively often. However, these are unjustified prohibitions that infringe upon the tenant’s rights. Unless the tenant’s behavior disturbs or restricts other residents of the building, the landlord is not legally permitted to impose such prohibitions.

Leasing of Non-Residential Space

First, it’s important to note that the legal framework governing the lease of commercial space for business purposes is somewhat different from that of a residential lease. Above all, it is important to pay close attention to the actual negotiation of the lease agreement. Make sure that the intended use of the premises is properly specified. The agreement should explicitly state that you may use the space for business purposes. This is important because, in principle, the tenant should not use the space for any other purpose—or even for a completely different type of business—than what was agreed upon in the lease agreement.

What is the typical rent for commercial space? Before signing a lease agreement, both the landlord and the tenantshould research the typical rent for commercial space. Price maps for individual cities and towns, which list average prices by location, can be helpful. The most sought-after locations in the city center are usually the most expensive.

Lease or tenancy?

However, a lease of non-residential space does not necessarily have to be a standard lease. It may simply fall under the category of a leasehold—that is, a special relationship in which the tenant manages the leased property and reaps the benefits of its “produce.” In such a case, everything will be governed by the terms of the leasehold agreement rather than a standard lease.

A key difference with a leasehold is the relatively long notice periods; the agreement may be terminated, for example, only once a year, so that the landlord cannot deprive the tenant of the income from their long-term operations. A leasehold does not have to be limited to a traditional agricultural lease—that is, the leasing of fields for the purpose of growing various crops—but can also include, for example, the lease of a restaurant or a gym.

Renting out an apartment without a real estate agency can be straightforward if you prepare well. Pay close attention to screening potential tenants, drafting the lease agreement, and establishing clear rules. A well-prepared rental arrangement without a real estate agency will save you headaches down the road. Renting out a property without a real estate agency isn’t for everyone, but if you want to maintain control over the entire process, it can be the right choice.

Summary

Renting out a property without a real estate agency can save you commission and allow you to decide on the choice of tenant and the terms of the lease. Success, however, depends on thorough preparation. In addition to a high-quality listing and screening potential tenants, a properly drafted lease agreement, a reasonably set security deposit, and a detailed handover report are essential. Don’t forget the landlord’s legal obligations, particularly billing for utilities and ensuring necessary repairs are made. If you’re unsure about the legal requirements of the contract, it’s worth having a lawyer review it. This will help you avoid problems that could easily exceed the initial savings you made by skipping a real estate agent.