Students can also choose to live in a private accommodation. In that case, you must find your accommodation by yourself. Please, note that the university does not collaborate with any of the listed accommodation providers; therefore, the quality of the room offer cannot be guaranteed. The university is not responsible for the offers and arrangements of external accommodation providers.
Also be aware that you will need to register your place of residence with the Foreign Police. Check with the accommodation provider if he will register you, or if you need to do it by yourself.
Some websites are only in Czech language, but you can use Google Translate for a quick translation if you don't speak Czech. Also you can get helped by your buddy.
Below are some tips to find some suitable accommodation.
Private student dormitories
- Private dormitory Kolej Pedagog (situated next to the main campus, many USB students choose to live there)
Flatsharing / Roomsharing
In the Czech Republic, most students who do not live at dormitories prefer flatsharing or even roomsharing for the period of their studies.
- Flats are usually used by several students, for example, a 3-bedroom flat is usually occupied by 6 students, a 2-bedroom flat by 4 students. Students are used to sharing rooms.
- Depending on location, occupancy and the size of the flat, the monthly rent per student would usually cost around CZK 3 500 to CZK 5 000.
- Besides renting a flat/room in blocks of flats, there is also the option of renting a flat/room in a family house all around the city of České Budějovice. Families offering such flats/rooms for rent usually live downstairs and the flat/room that they rent to students is on the first floor. Sometimes the whole house may be rented to students. These flats/rooms are usually very nice and there are often gardens that may be used but tend to be far from the University (exceptions may be found).
Where to find a room?
Renting a flat
If you decide to rent a flat by yourself, you can find it through an estate agency or by your own.
Here are some websites where you can look for a flat:
While renting your own flat, pay attention to the following:
- In case you need to apply for a Czech visa or residence permit, you will need an accommodation contract or confirmation of a future contract to submit to the embassy during the visa process! Therefore, you should communicate this necessity with the property owner as soon as possible to receive your visa on time.
- We recommend you to find your flat or room before you arrive in České Budějovice, because usually at the beginning of the semester, there is a high demand for apartments and it may get difficult to find accommodation as České Budějovice is a university city.
- Always be sure that you receive a lease contract and that you understand it before signing.
Also be sure that the person you’re dealing with is indeed the landlord, the owner of the property, and that he is entitled to rent the flat. You can check the ownership of a property in the online property register https://nahlizenidokn.cuzk.cz/
The platform is only in Czech, but the information is accessible for everyone. Ask your friend or Buddy to help you.
In case you have a Czech visa or residence permit and need to prove your accommodation at the immigration office, the officer will check if your landlord is indeed the rightful owner of the property and if he is entitled to rent the property. If the officer finds anything lacking, they will reject your application and that is why it is important to check the ownership in advance.
- Rent is usually paid monthly, in advance. The rent may be either all inclusive (including energy – electricity, water, gas), or you will pay separately the basic rent for the flat and the bills for energy.
Usually, the lease also includes a deposit, in most cases equal to one or two month’s rent. Usually you have to pay it at the beginning of your contract, and it will be returned at the end of your stay, unless damage has been caused to the property.
Best locations for a flat according to your faculty:
The Rectorate of the University, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Fisheries (some study programmes) and the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences are all situated on the university campus on Branišovská street. The nearest private accommodation can be found in the housing areas called ŠUMAVA, MÁJ and ČTYŘI DVORY (these locations are 10 minutes away from the campus on average).
The Faculty of Fisheries is also present in the town of Vodňany (approx. 30 km from České Budějovice) or the town of Nové Hrady where there are research institutes of the Faculty, so check where you are going to study first and arrange your accommodation accordingly. In Vodňany and in Nové Hrady, there are also university dormitories.
The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences has several buildings in České Budějovice, in a walking distance of each other. The nearest housing areas are VLTAVA (south part) and ČTYŘI DVORY. The areas ŠUMAVA and MÁJ are around 10-20 minutes away. The K5 dormitory is next to the Faculty.
Buildings of the Faculty of Education are located around the main city centre. Instruction is divided between two buildings depending on your field of study/individual courses: one of the buildings is on Jeronýmova street, and the other is in Dukelská street. All buildings are within walking distance of each other (4 stops by bus from the university campus).
The Faculty of Theology is also located in the main city centre and there is also a canteen in the same building. (4 stops by bus from the university campus).
