Why the “katastr” matters (even if you’re not a lawyer)
In the Czech Republic, most real-estate questions eventually lead to one place: Katastr nemovitostí (the Cadastre / Land Registry). It’s the public register where parcels, buildings, units (apartments/non-residential units), and key rights tied to them are recorded. It’s also where you check whether a property is truly owned by the seller, and whether there are burdens like mortgages, easements, liens, or enforcement actions that could affect you.
The cadastre is administered by the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre (ČÚZK) and the cadastral offices.
What information is stored in the cadastre
At a high level, the cadastre contains:
- Real estate objects
- Parcels (pozemky / parcely)
- Buildings (stavby)
- Units (jednotky) — typically apartments or non-residential spaces
- Right to build (právo stavby)
- Rights and restrictions
- Ownership (including co-ownership shares)
- Mortgages/pledges (zástavní práva)
- Easements (věcná břemena)
- Notes and warnings (poznámky)
- Ongoing proceedings (commonly shown as “plomba”)
The cadastre’s online “Nahlížení” app explicitly states it provides selected data about parcels, buildings, units, and rights to build, plus information on the status of proceedings for entries.
Two main ways to access cadastre data online
1) “Nahlížení do katastru” (free, no registration)
If you just want to look up basic information and see what’s recorded, use Nahlížení do katastru nemovitostí. It is free and does not require registration.
Typical uses:
- Quick verification of ownership and basic burdens
- Checking whether there’s an ongoing proceeding (plomba)
- Searching by parcel/building/unit identifiers
2) “Dálkový přístup” (registered + paid)
For professional workflows (official outputs, frequent querying, integrations), ČÚZK offers Dálkový přístup (DP) — a paid service for registered users.
Typical uses:
- Higher-volume access
- Paid outputs billed to an account
- Web services use-cases (as described by ČÚZK)
The key document: List vlastnictví (LV)
The List vlastnictví (LV) is the go-to summary of a property’s registry situation. It’s widely used in due diligence because it consolidates:
- Who owns what (and in what shares)
- What parcels/buildings/units are included
- What restrictions exist (easements, pledges, enforcement, etc.)
- Whether anything is currently “in motion” (plomba / pending entry)
Because the cadastre is a public register, LVs can be looked up online, typically using identifiers like cadastral territory + house number or parcel number.
How to read an LV in practice (quick checklist):
- Owner identity & shares: do they match the seller?
- What exactly is being sold: unit number vs building vs parcel (common confusion)
- Burdens: mortgages, easements, pre-emption notes, enforcement indicators
- Notes / warnings: anything that signals risk or dispute
- Plomba: indicates the record is affected by an ongoing change/proceeding (see below)