House rules (ubytovací poriadok)

What are house rules?

The ubytovací poriadok is a document in which the accommodation provider sets out the rules of the stay in their facility — check-in and check-out times, quiet hours, the maximum number of people, rules on smoking and pets, handling of keys and waste, liability for damage, and a contact for when there is a problem.

Why the Civil Code refers to it

By confirming a booking, an accommodation contract under § 754 of the Civil Code arises between the guest and the accommodation provider, even without written form — equally for a booking through Airbnb, Booking.com, by e-mail, or by phone. The Code assumes that the rights and obligations of the guest are also governed by the house rules: the guest must use the premises and services properly and behave in accordance with them.

Precisely because the contract arises “by itself”, it is important to have its content captured in writing. Without written rules you have nothing to rely on in a dispute.

Relation to ending a stay

Under § 759, the accommodation provider may withdraw from the contract before the agreed period expires if the guest, despite a warning, grossly violates good morals or otherwise grossly breaches their obligations. The warning and the gross breach are easier to prove when there are written rules that the guest has violated.

Related content

A legal analysis can be found in the guide to house rules and the accommodation contract, and a ready-made document to fill in in the house rules template.