We legalize your premises

Inspections usually happen for three main reasons:

1. Planned preventive inspection
   A regular scheduled check focused on higher-risk facilities and premises. These inspections are typically part of the authority’s standard schedule.
2. A complaint or tip-off
   The less pleasant scenario — an inspection triggered by a complaint or tip-off from a member of the public. This kind of visit is usually unannounced, so there’s no way to prepare for it in advance.
3. A referral from another authority
   Inspections are also fairly often triggered by cooperation between authorities — for example a referral from the Czech Police, the Czech Trade Inspection Authority, or the State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority.

Stay factual, cooperate, and don’t hide anything — but don’t volunteer more than the inspector actually asks for either. Don’t sign anything you don’t understand, and if you’re unsure of your rights, it’s fine to say you’ll respond in writing later. In unclear situations, it helps to have a consultant on hand you can call right after the inspection.

The size of the fine depends on the type of violation, how serious it is, and whether it’s a repeat offence. The most commonly penalised issues are an invalid occupancy approval, missing documentation, or breaches of health regulations. The exact amounts vary case by case, so it’s worth discussing your specific situation individually.

No — and it’s one of the most common mistakes premises owners make, often without even realising it. Every space has an approved use written into its occupancy decision — for example as storage, an office, or a shop. If you’re running a restaurant, café, or other business there that the space wasn’t approved for, that counts as an unauthorised change of use — even if you haven’t made any structural changes to the space.

How this typically plays out in practice:
The building office finds out (through its own inspection or a tip-off) that the actual use doesn’t match what’s on record. In that case, it will usually first ask you to remedy the situation and set a deadline for bringing the space back into line with its approved use — in practice this is often a matter of days to weeks. Only if you fail to respond or resolve the situation do you risk:

• A fine — for individuals up to CZK 400,000 depending on how the offence is classified, and potentially more for legal entities; the amount always depends on the severity and duration of the violation.
• An order to stop operating — the authority can order you to stop running the business at that location until the matter is resolved.
• Having to retroactively apply for a change of use — going through the administrative procedure and demonstrating compliance with technical, health and fire safety standards, and so on.

The good news is that within the set deadline you have the chance to resolve it — either by reverting to the originally approved use, or by starting the process for an additional change of use. The sooner you deal with it, the better your chances of avoiding a fine or a stop to your operations.

Before dealing with anything else, it’s worth checking the real, official status first — because what’s written in a lease doesn’t always match what’s officially approved. This will tell you whether the space you want to rent or run a business in is actually allowed to be used the way you’re planning.

1. Check the lease agreement
   The lease usually states the intended use of the space (e.g. "office space", "food service premises"). This is more of an indicative reference, though — what’s officially approved is what actually counts.
2. Check the land registry (cadastre)
   The land registry (also available online) lists a general use category for the unit — typically "flat", "non-residential space", and so on. This is only a basic overview, though; the specific type of business isn’t usually listed there.
3. Verify it in the building office’s archive
   The most reliable way is to look directly at the occupancy decision held in the relevant building office’s archive. If you’re not the property owner, you’ll need a power of attorney from the owner to access and obtain copies.

We try to keep working with you as simple as possible, without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Whenever something’s on your mind, doesn’t feel right, or you’re just not sure what to do, get in touch — call us, message us on WhatsApp, email, or use the form on the website. We answer the phone every weekday from 9am to 5pm, and we keep an eye on the other channels pretty much all the time.

The first conversation is always free — we listen to what you’re dealing with and give you advice on the spot. Sometimes that’s all you need. But if you decide you’d like us to take it on with you, we’ll agree on a concrete plan — and above all, we’ll tell you upfront roughly how long it will take and what it will cost. No unpleasant surprises at the end.