Kolaudace is a final inspection, an official approval to use the building, or in other words, an official confirmation of the conformity of the property with the specified objectives, in the case of residential premises – the suitability of the house / building/ apartment for housing or living.
Paragraph 119 of the Law on Spatial Planning and Building Regulations (Building Law, Stavební zákon) No 183/2006 Coll., amended to 1.1.2018, defines colaudation/final inspection in this way: „the completed construction, or part of the building intended for separate use … can only be used on the basis of the approval: consent (kolaudační souhlas) or decision (kolaudační rozhodnutí). The builder will ensure that all tests and measurements are carried out in accordance with special legal acts“.
That is, the building authority (stavební úřad), having received the application, within 30 days checks the project documentation and the condition of the premises for compliance with technical standards, norms, legal requirements, and stated in the documents, and issues permission to use. This is not only documentation, real estate must meet all standards, requirements and rules. All legislative changes, safety rules (fire detector, fire extinguisher, stair railings, fire-resistant drywall, control measurement of radon values, etc..) in the house must be observed. The building must have completed walls, floor, bathroom and kitchen, and at least one living room. However, if within 30 days the construction department will not issue an approval/ deny your application, then in this case it is valid: “what is not prohibited is permitted”.
From 1.1.2018 kolaudace is subdivided into consent (kolaudační souhlas, §122 of Law No 183/2006 Sb) and decision (kolaudační rozhodnutí). Consent will be applied, in the event that you yourself build a house (family house / rodinný dům), but in case you purchase from a developer, you need kolaudační rozhodnutí.
It is interesting to learn about § 123 of this Law, which refers to the possibility of early use of the building/real estate. It often happens that a person buys a house from a developer, even if it has not been completed. Moreover, buying a new house, (for financing purposes) is selling an old one, and at the moment, when kolaudace/approval has not yet been issued, the person already wants to move to its new sweet home. Paragraph 123 states that the building authority may issue a time-limited permit for early use of the building before its completion, unless it has a significant impact on the use of the building, does not endanger the safety and health of people or animals or the environment.
Often in contracts for the purchase of real estate in a new building, namely, in the preliminary (purchase) contract, it is said about the obligation of the seller to provide a confirmation of the final inspection/kolaudace before paying the entire purchase price for the property. However, in practice, this clause is often not contained, and the purchaser “receives” confirmation of approval for use of the building only in words. You can say “well, no, I buy from a trustworthy developer”, however, unscrupulous representatives, wanting to get their commissions, may not comply with a couple of points, hoping for your trust for them. Always ask for a copy of the confirmation of the final inspection/kolaudace.
On the other hand, some people may decide on the purchase of incompleted building/family house. It is cheaper and more convenient, when a person wants to complete by his own design. However, Why is kolaudace/final inspection so important?
In addition to the fact that, as mentioned above, this is a fundamental check of the building being consistent and in accordance with technical and legal norms, and approval of the absence of a threat to life and safety, also the absence of colaudation can lead to fines. Obtaining permission to use the building or real estate is not a joke, because there is a fundamental verification of compliance with technical standards, and the building department may request such seemingly absurd documents as confirmation of an archaeological inspection. Therefore, pay attention to this clause in the contract, and point out to this obligation of the seller / developer to provide confirmation of the final inspection/kolaudace.
(c) Elmira Lyapina, LL.M., Ph.D.
Disclaimer about the nature of the information contained in this article.
The information provided in this article is the general information, and does not constitute legal advice, and may be not valid in a particular situation. To obtain qualified legal consultancy, you should contact a lawyer with the provision of the necessary documents regarding the case. For example, by email: juristpraha@gmail.com.
This article was prepared on the basis of an analysis of legislative regulations for 04.12.2018. Therefore, while using such information, should be considered the changes to be made to the legislation after that. This article was published the first time on December 4, 2018, on the web page www.juristpraha.cz