Layout (room count notation such as 2+kk, 3+1)

Czech listings describe the layout (dispozice) of a flat or house with a short code. The number before the plus sign is the number of habitable rooms; what follows describes the kitchen: 'kk' (kuchyňský kout) means a kitchenette that is part of one of the rooms, usually the living room, while '1' means a separate kitchen. Bathrooms, toilets, halls, storerooms and cellars are not counted. The code is used for both flats and family houses.

Examples

• 1+kk: one habitable room with a kitchenette.
• 2+1: two rooms and a separate kitchen.
• 3+kk: three rooms, one of them with a kitchenette.
• 4+kk: four rooms, one of them with a kitchenette.

What the regulations say

The Building Act does not use codes such as 2+kk. It does, however, define a habitable room: a part of a dwelling intended for living that meets requirements on size, daylight, ventilation, heating and noise and has a floor area of at least 8 m². A kitchen counts as a habitable room only from 12 m², and if a flat consists of a single habitable room, that room must have at least 16 m².

Decree No. 456/2024 Coll. on rent price maps defines the layout as the number of habitable rooms under the Building Act. It groups flats into four size categories: 1+kk and 1+1, 2+kk and 2+1, 3+kk and 3+1, and finally 4+kk, 4+1 and larger.

What to watch out for

The same layout can come in very different sizes, so always read it together with the usable area or floor area and the floor plan. Check whether rooms are walk-through and whether a small room listed as a bedroom actually meets the requirements for a habitable room. In houses and maisonettes, also look at how the rooms are spread across the storeys. Because a kitchen of 12 m² or more is a habitable room under the Building Act, the same flat may appear with a different number of habitable rooms in different documents.