Prague has one of the lowest shares of municipal housing among Central European capitals, leaving affordable apartments increasingly out of reach for residents.
According to a study by the Institute of Planning and Development of Prague (IPR), municipal apartments represent just 4.1% of the city’s total housing stock, with roughly 47 residents competing for each unit.
The capital owns 29,836 apartments, a figure that has barely changed in recent years after decades of decline following post-1989 privatization.
By comparison, Vienna controls 420,000 municipal apartments, and together with housing cooperatives, manages 42% of all homes in the city.
Berlin has 370,000, while Warsaw manages 81,000. Even Brno, half the size of Prague, holds nearly the same number of city-owned apartments. Only Bratislava, with 1,870 units, ranks lower among neighboring capitals.
Who Gets a Municipal Apartment?
The Prague municipality directly manages about 7,250 units, which are primarily allocated to five groups: seniors, people with disabilities, households in social distress, young families, and workers in essential professions such as teachers, healthcare staff, police, and firefighters.
A resolution passed two years ago set quotas: 10% reserved for seniors, 10% for people with disabilities, 20% for households in crisis, 15% for young families, and 35% for essential professions. Others can access apartments through public tenders and auctions.
Starter apartments, designed for parents under 35 raising at least one child, are also part of the system, though the city does not track them separately. Single parents and foster families are eligible as well.
How Much Do Tenants Pay?
Rent in municipal apartments is discounted but not free. The price per square meter depends on location. In the city center, tenants pay 183 CZK per square meter, meaning a 25-square-meter studio costs about 4,577 CZK per month. In outer districts, rent falls to 147 CZK per square meter, or around 3,684 CZK for the same unit.
The size of the discount depends on the tenant’s category. Households in social need pay the lowest rates, followed by seniors and people with disabilities. Essential workers do not receive a rent reduction but still pay below market prices.
New Construction Still on Paper
Responsibility for expanding Prague’s municipal housing lies with the Prague Development Company (PDS). Although it has been operating for five years, it has yet to complete a single building.
Six projects with 450 apartments are still awaiting building permits.
“Between 2025 and 2026, we expect to launch the permitting process for another 1,400 apartments, while continuing work on large development areas in Nové Dvory and Dolní Počernice,” said PDS director Petr Urbánek.
The city’s goal is to build 6,000–8,000 municipal apartments over the next decade.
