Apartment Viewing Checklist: Prague

Apartment viewings in Prague move fast. Landlords often schedule multiple candidates in the same afternoon, and desirable units get snapped up within days. In that rush, it is easy to overlook the signs that your future building doubles as a tourist hotel. This checklist gives you a systematic approach to evaluate any Prague apartment for short-term rental risk during a single viewing.

Before the Viewing

Search the building's address on Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. Count the listings you find in or immediately around the building. Save screenshots of any listings that show the same building facade, lobby, or hallway views. Check the host profiles behind those listings. If one host operates multiple units in the building, that signals a commercial operation.

Look up the building on Google Maps Street View. Note whether the entrance shows lockboxes, key safes, or check-in signage. Check Google Reviews for the building address. Residents sometimes leave reviews mentioning noise issues or tourist traffic.

Run a BnBDetector report on the address. The BnBIndex score gives you a baseline to compare against other apartments you are viewing.

At the Building Entrance

When you arrive, pause before entering. Look for coded lockboxes or key safes mounted near the door, on railings, or on nearby fences. Count them. Multiple lockboxes mean multiple units are operating as short-term rentals with self-check-in.

Check whether the intercom panel has names next to each unit number. Many blank or generic entries suggest high turnover. Look at the mailboxes inside the lobby for the same pattern: named boxes indicate long-term residents; unlabeled ones often belong to STR units.

Does the building have a notice board? Check for any posted rules about guest access, quiet hours, or short-term rental restrictions. The existence of such notices tells you the building has dealt with STR issues before.

In the Common Areas

Walk the hallways and stairwells if possible. Do the doors have personal touches like doormats, shoe racks, or name plates? Or do some look generic and hotel-like? Listen for sounds: rolling luggage, cleaning equipment, unfamiliar voices speaking tourist languages.

Check the condition of shared facilities. Elevators, hallways, and stairwells that show heavier-than-normal wear may indicate high guest throughput. Look for signs of recent turnover cleaning: propped-open doors with cleaning carts, the smell of cleaning products, or freshly made beds visible through open doors.

If the building has a common laundry, gym, or courtyard, note the condition and whether usage rules are posted and followed. High-STR buildings often have degraded common areas because transient guests do not treat shared spaces with the same care as permanent residents.

Inside the Apartment

Examine the unit itself. Does the furniture look residential or hospitality-grade? Matching sets of generic furniture, hotel-style linens, branded toiletries, or a welcome binder suggest the unit was recently a short-term rental. Ask the landlord directly whether the unit was previously listed on any rental platform.

Open the windows and listen. Noise during a midweek afternoon may seem fine, but ask the landlord about weekend noise levels. If possible, schedule a second visit on a Friday evening when tourist check-in activity peaks.

Check the unit's internet setup. A residential apartment typically has a single router. Multiple routers or access points, or a commercial-grade network name, may indicate the unit or building is set up for guest accommodation.

Questions to Ask the Landlord

Be direct. Ask these specific questions and note the responses:

• How many units in this building are used for short-term rentals?
• Does the SVJ (owners' association) have rules restricting stays shorter than 30 days?
• Has this unit ever been listed on Airbnb, Booking.com, or similar platforms?
• Do you own other units in this building? If so, how are they used?
• Have there been any noise complaints from current tenants in the past year?
• Can I see the building's house rules (domovni rad) before signing the lease?

Evasive answers to any of these questions are themselves a red flag. A landlord who is transparent about building conditions is more likely to be responsive if issues arise later.

After the Viewing

Walk around the block and observe the immediate surroundings. Tourist-oriented businesses like souvenir shops, currency exchanges, and tour booking offices correlate with high STR density. A neighborhood dominated by local groceries, pharmacies, and schools is more likely to be genuinely residential.

Talk to people outside the building if the opportunity arises. A brief chat with a neighbor or a shopkeeper can reveal more about the building's character than any listing or landlord will tell you.

Compare the BnBDetector score for this address with others you are considering. A systematic comparison helps you make a data-driven decision rather than relying on gut feeling alone.