SVJ – association of unit owners (společenství vlastníků jednotek)

What the SVJ handles and what's left to you

The SVJ might arrange a roof repair, run the lift or secure the water supply for the building. As the landlord of a rented flat, you separately deal with the lease agreement, the handover, the tenant's payments and defects inside the flat. Some situations overlap: if there's a leak, you need to establish whether the problem started in the shared pipework or in the flat's own fittings.

You remain a member of the SVJ even after a tenant moves in – letting the flat doesn't release you from your obligations to the building. Nor does the tenant become a member just by paying for services. It's also worth distinguishing between the SVJ committee and any company the SVJ has entrusted with managing the building. Civil Code, in particular § 1180 and § 1194.

What to keep an eye on as an owner

It pays to have contact details for the committee or chair, the current schedule of payments, the articles of association and the rules for allocating service costs. Also keep track of approved repairs, any loans taken out by the building and changes to contributions. You have the right to inspect the relevant contracts, accounting records and management documents. The budget and the total amount of contributions are decided by the general meeting, within the scope set by law. § 1179 and § 1208.

A quick example: the SVJ raises the building management contribution to pay for a facade repair. That doesn't automatically mean the tenant's advance payments for services go up by the same amount. First determine what type of payment it is, then proceed accordingly.

The SVJ's statement to you and your statement to the tenant are also two separate relationships. The statutory deadline runs from the end of the actual billing period. Receiving the documents from the SVJ doesn't automatically give you another four months. Act on Services (zákon o službách), § 2 and § 7.