Plenty of rented flats and houses in Prague come with a working fireplace, a wood stove, or a gas combi boiler venting through a flue. If you're new to the Czech Republic, it's easy to treat that as a nice feature and not realize it comes with an ongoing legal maintenance obligation attached to the building.
Key facts at a glance
- Legal basis: Czech Decree 34/2016 Sb.
- Who's responsible: check your lease - see below
- Solid fuel cleaning: 3× per year for full-time operation
- Gas appliance cleaning: 1× per year
- Annual inspection: required regardless of fuel
- Typical cost: 500-2,200 CZK depending on service
- Book me: +420 910 107 484 (English spoken)
Who arranges the chimney sweep - landlord or tenant?
This is genuinely a "check your contract" situation rather than a one-size-fits-all answer, and it's worth saying plainly: what follows is practical advice, not a legal ruling on who owes what.
- If the fireplace or stove is listed as an amenity in a furnished long-term rental, maintenance is often handled by the landlord as part of general upkeep of the property.
- If you're the one operating a gas boiler day-to-day for heating and hot water, landlords frequently expect the tenant to arrange the annual check - similar to how tenants often deal with appliance servicing generally.
- If you own the property, the responsibility is straightforwardly yours.
Practical advice: before you book anything, put it in writing with your landlord. A short message - "the chimney/flue is due for its annual service, can you confirm whether this is on you or should I arrange it and deduct the cost?" - avoids disputes later and gives you something to point back to if the question comes up again.
How often does it actually need to happen?
Czech Decree No. 34/2016 Sb. sets the frequency by fuel type and use:
- Solid fuel appliances in full-time (continuous) operation: cleaning three times a year
- Gas appliances: cleaning once a year
- Every flue also needs an annual inspection of its technical condition
If you only use a fireplace occasionally rather than full-time, ask the chimney sweep at the first visit how the rules apply to your specific setup - they'll tell you exactly what your appliance requires and set a schedule from there.
What it costs
| Service | Price (Prague) |
|---|---|
| Chimney cleaning (gas) | from 500 CZK |
| Chimney cleaning (solid fuel) | from 600 CZK |
| Annual check + protocol | from 500 CZK |
| Full inspection (revizní zpráva) | from 1,800 CZK |
For most rental situations, an annual check plus cleaning covers the legal requirement. A full certified inspection (revize) is typically only needed when installing a new appliance, changing fuel type, or after a chimney fire.
Before you sign - or before winter
A few things worth doing early, whether you're about to sign a lease or you've just realized winter is close:
- Ask the landlord or agency for the most recent chimney protocol before move-in - it tells you when the flue was last serviced and by whom.
- Check whether the flue was inspected after any recent renovation, especially if the heating appliance was replaced.
- Keep every protocol you receive. It's useful proof of upkeep if you ever need to show it to an insurer, a future landlord, or a rental agency.
Need it arranged? Call or message me in English - I'll tell you what your setup needs and get it booked.
Call +420 910 107 484Prefer to write instead? Use the contact form on the main site and I'll reply within an hour during working hours.