Occupancy approval (kolaudace, kolaudační rozhodnutí)
Official permission to use a completed building. Until 30 June 2024 it was mostly an occupancy consent (kolaudační souhlas); under the new Building Act No. 283/2021 Coll. it is an occupancy decision (kolaudační rozhodnutí). The authority checks that the building matches the permit and is safe. Units can be registered in the land registry before kolaudace, while the building is under construction, but developers often hand flats over only after it.
Example
A developer sells a flat for CZK 5,000,000; the buyer has CZK 1,000,000 of own money and a CZK 4,000,000 mortgage at 5.00 %. Before kolaudace the bank may release, say, only CZK 500,000, with interest of about CZK 2,083 a month. The main part of the money is drawn only after kolaudace and registration of the unit.
In practice
The kolaudace date in the SoSBK (agreement on a future purchase agreement) is usually only indicative, and delays of months are common. Check whether the contract lets you withdraw if the delay is long, and how long the mortgage approval and the offered rate stay valid. Don't give notice on your rental on the strength of the planned date, or you may end up paying rent and interest at the same time.
How it differs
If the building permit opens construction, kolaudace closes it. Handover of the flat (přejímka) is a private matter between the developer and the buyer, and an approved building is no guarantee of a flat without defects. A unit comes into existence in the land registry when the declaration of ownership (prohlášení vlastníka) is registered, which can happen even before kolaudace.
Related terms
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