College students will pay one-tenth more for housing this year

Prague – University students will pay approximately 10% more for rent in larger cities compared to last school year. The increase is primarily due to inflation and landlords’ efforts to offset the costs of property management and their own livelihood. There are significantly more apartments available on the market compared to the same period last year, as accommodations initially offered to Ukrainian refugees are now available for students. This was reported by the portal Bezrealitky.cz in a press release. According to it, there are 300,000 people studying at Czech universities, with tens of thousands moving to new locations for their studies.

In Prague, apartments are renting for 11 percent more than last year at the end of summer, in Brno about seven percent more, in Ostrava eight percent more, and in Olomouc five percent more. However, utility costs should be lower, positively influenced by the stabilization of the energy market.

"Just like last year, students will primarily seek shared housing this year as well. A separate small apartment is, with few exceptions, beyond their financial means. This category has indeed been increasing in price the fastest in all cities and is also in the highest demand,” stated Hendrik Meyer, head of the Bezrealitky.cz portal.

According to Bezrealitky.cz, two university students in Prague will pay over 13,500 crowns per person for an apartment of about 65 m² with two separate rooms, including utilities. This is nearly 1,200 crowns more than last year. In Brno, students will pay about 10,900 crowns per person for shared accommodation, while in Plzeň, Olomouc, Pardubice, and Hradec Králové, couples living near the center must pay between 8,100 to 8,500 crowns per person.

Students traditionally prefer larger apartments for more people, as they are more financially acceptable. "Large apartments that accommodate four to eight people are often the best solution in terms of space, costs, and availability,” added Meyer.

If students choose to live in Prague as a group of four, the price will be around 7,600 crowns, which is approximately 570 crowns more than last year. In a group of six, each person will pay about 6,400 crowns. In Brno, four people will pay 6,100 crowns, while in a group of six, they will pay over 5,100 crowns per person.

Due to high prices in Prague, the Central Bohemian market is also reviving. More and more university students, according to the press release, are starting to look for housing within a commute of up to 80 minutes from their universities. In towns just outside Prague that are on suburban train lines, each person pays significantly less. In a group of two, the average rent is 9,800 crowns per person, 5,600 crowns for four, and 4,700 crowns for six.

According to the report, less pressure on the rental market compared to last year has caused students to begin looking for apartments nearly ten days later than in the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic and five days later than last year.

Prices of student housing based on occupancy (Calculation for reference apartment 2+1 and 3+kk 70 m² in the wider center)

	rent amount (average Q2 2023)	utilities and energy / person	2 people (per room)	4 people (per bed)	6 people (per bed)
Prague	23,730 CZK	1,694 CZK	13,559 CZK	7,627 CZK	5,649 CZK
Outer limits of Prague	17,150 CZK	1,271 CZK	9,846 CZK	5,559 CZK	4,129 CZK
Brno	19,320 CZK	1,271 CZK	10,931 CZK	6,101 CZK	4,491 CZK
Ostrava	12,390 CZK	965 CZK	7,160 CZK	4,063 CZK	3,030 CZK
Plzeň	15,120 CZK	848 CZK	8,408 CZK	4,628 CZK	3,368 CZK
Liberec	13,790 CZK	848 CZK	7,743 CZK	4,295 CZK	3,146 CZK
Olomouc	14,490 CZK	848 CZK	8,093 CZK	4,470 CZK	3,263 CZK
České Budějovice	13,790 CZK	848 CZK	7,743 CZK	4,295 CZK	3,146 CZK
Ústí nad Labem	11,760 CZK	848 CZK	6,728 CZK	3,788 CZK	2,808 CZK
Hradec Králové	14,770 CZK	848 CZK	8,233 CZK	4,540 CZK	3,310 CZK
Pardubice	15,330 CZK	848 CZK	8,513 CZK	4,680 CZK	3,403 CZK
Zlín	13,650 CZK	848 CZK	7,673 CZK	4,260 CZK	3,123 CZK
Jihlava	12,950 CZK	831 CZK	7,306 CZK	4,068 CZK	2,989 CZK

Source: Bezrealitky.cz