Accommodation services

Accommodation services is an unqualified (free) trade (field no. 55) covering the operation of guesthouses, hostels, hotels, apartments, campsites and short-term rentals. It does not require any professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act (full legal capacity and a clean criminal record). The trade licence comes into existence on the very day of notification.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (usually from the age of 18; exceptionally a minor aged from 16 may do business if the legal guardian grants consent to carrying on business activity independently and the court approves it) under Section 6(1)(a) of the Trade Licensing Act.
A clean criminal record under Section 6(1)(b) - under Section 6(2) a person finally convicted of an intentional criminal offence is not regarded as having a clean record if it was committed in connection with business or with the object of business being notified (the Office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself for Czech citizens).
Professional qualification (neither education nor experience) is NOT documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act; field no. 55 requires no special conditions.
There is no obstacle to operating the trade under Section 8 (e.g. a bankruptcy not yet cancelled or a court-imposed ban on activity).
You do not have to have a responsible representative under Section 11 (with an unqualified trade no qualification is proven), but one may be appointed voluntarily; one person may act as a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

Examples of activities

operating a guesthouse
operating a hostel
short-term rentals via Airbnb and Booking.com
accommodation in apartments
operating a campsite and camping ground
workers' accommodation facilities
private accommodation (rooms in a family house)
operating a tourist hostel

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Accommodation services is field no. 55 within the unqualified (free) trade (Production, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act). It entitles you to provide temporary, short-term accommodation for a fee in accommodation establishments - i.e. in hotels, guesthouses, hostels, apartments, hostels for workers, campsites or in the form of private accommodation.

You always need this trade licence when you offer accommodation on a business basis (systematically, independently, in your own name and for the purpose of profit). This also applies to accommodation offered via platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com: if you use them to rent out a property short-term to tourists and provide the associated services (cleaning, change of bed linen, reception), you are operating an accommodation service, not a mere lease. Without a trade licence this would be unauthorised business.

The content of the field is defined by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. (as amended). It covers the provision of accommodation in all accommodation establishments (for example a hotel, motel, campsite, hostel) and in apartment buildings, family houses or in buildings for family recreation. In the case of accommodation in apartment buildings, family houses or buildings for family recreation with a capacity of up to 10 beds (including extra beds), the serving of breakfasts to accommodated guests is also part of the field, without this being a separate hospitality activity.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field no. 55 typically covers:

operating a hotel, motel, botel, guesthouse and similar establishments,
operating a hostel and a tourist hostel,
private accommodation - renting out rooms in a family house to guests,
apartments and short-term rentals via Airbnb, Booking.com and other platforms,
operating a campsite, camping ground and workers' accommodation facilities,
serving breakfasts to accommodated guests (for accommodation in apartment buildings, family houses and buildings for family recreation within the scope set by the capacity of up to 10 beds).

Where the boundaries with neighbouring trades lie:

Hospitality activity (field no. 39, a craft trade). As soon as you start preparing and serving meals or drinks to the public (not only to accommodated guests) - for example if you run a restaurant by the guesthouse open also to passers-by - you additionally need the hospitality activity trade. That already requires professional qualification (Sections 21 and 22 of the Trade Licensing Act). However, serving breakfasts to your own guests within the scope of the content of field no. 55 is still part of the accommodation service.
Letting of real estate (not a trade). If you only let a flat or house long-term to a tenant without further services (cleaning, reception, change of linen), this is not a trade at all but the administration of one's own property under the Civil Code. You then tax the income as income from lease (Section 9 of the Income Tax Act), not from business.
Travel agency / agent. Mediating accommodation and putting together package tours falls under other, regulated or licensed trades.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the TLA), professional qualification is not documented. You do not need any education, an apprenticeship certificate or experience in the field. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a)) - usually acquired at 18; you may also do business from the age of 16 if the legal guardian grants consent to carrying on business activity independently and the court approves it,
a clean criminal record (Section 6(1)(b)) - under Section 6(2), a person finally convicted of an intentional criminal offence committed in connection with business or with the field you want to operate is not regarded as having a clean record. You do not submit the extract from the Criminal Records Register for Czech citizens; the Office obtains it itself.

At the same time, there must be no obstacle to operating the trade under Section 8 (for example a bankruptcy not yet finished or a court-imposed ban on activity).

Responsible representative (Section 11). You do not have to have one for an unqualified trade because no qualification is proven. You may appoint one voluntarily - for example when the business is actually run by someone else. One person may at the same time be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Accommodation services is a notifiable trade - the authorisation arises on the very day of notification, so you can do business before the extract reaches you.

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF). In it you choose the unqualified trade and, within it, field no. 55 Accommodation services. You can tick other fields at once (for example no. 48 retail) without paying more.
Submit the form. Options: in person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the office of a municipality with extended powers), electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal (data box or Citizen Identity), or at a Czech POINT contact point.
Submit the documents and pay the fee. The administrative fee for the first notification is CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for electronic filing. You submit a document proving the legal title to use the registered office (the owner's consent) if the registered office differs from your residence.
Wait for the registration. The Office enters you in the Trade Register and issues an extract with a company ID number within 5 working days of receiving a flawless notification (Section 47).

You can find the detailed general procedure in the guide /jak-zalozit-zivnost.

Documents and fees

Unified Registration Form (URF) with the unqualified trade and field no. 55 completed.
Identity document (identity card, passport for foreigners).
Document proving the legal title to use the registered office, if the registered office differs from your residence.
Administrative fee CZK 1,000 for the first notification (CZK 800 electronically).
Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade is free of charge (CZK 0).
Registration deadline: within 5 working days; however, the authorisation arises on the very day of notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a trade licence to rent out a flat via Airbnb?

If you provide short-term accommodation to tourists combined with services (cleaning, change of linen, reception), yes - this is an accommodation service, field no. 55. A mere long-term lease without services does not require a trade and is taxed as income from lease.

Do I have to document qualification or education?

No. Accommodation services is an unqualified (free) trade, professional qualification is not proven. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 (legal capacity and a clean criminal record).

Can I serve breakfast to guests without a further trade?

Yes, within the scope of the content of field no. 55. For accommodation in apartment buildings, family houses or buildings for family recreation with a capacity of up to 10 beds (including extra beds), serving breakfasts to guests is directly part of the accommodation service. However, as soon as you were to run a restaurant or serve meals to the public as well, you additionally need the hospitality activity (field no. 39, a craft trade).

How much does the notification cost and how long does it take?

The administrative fee is CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 electronically. The Office enters you and issues the extract within 5 working days; the authorisation arises on the day of notification.

Can I also add the sale of goods or other fields?

Yes. You can notify several fields at once for a single fee with the unqualified trade and add a further field free of charge (CZK 0) at any time later.