Slovakia Maintenance Rules: Minor Repairs Cap

Legal Framework for Property Maintenance in Slovakia

In the Slovak Republic, the responsibility for maintaining a rental property is shared between the landlord and the tenant. This division is strictly defined by Section 687(2) of the Civil Code (Act No. 40/1964 Coll.) and further clarified by Government Regulation No. 87/1995 Coll., which establishes specific financial and functional thresholds for "minor repairs" and "ordinary maintenance."

1. The Tenant’s Responsibility: Minor Repairs and Ordinary Maintenance

The tenant is legally responsible for performing and paying for "minor repairs" (drobné opravy) and "ordinary maintenance" (obvyklé udržiavacie náklady) related to the use of the apartment.

• Functional Definition of Minor Repairs: According to Annex 1 of Regulation No. 87/1995 Coll., this includes repairs to taps, sinks, switches, sockets, locks, and floor repairs up to 1.5 m².
• The €6.64 Threshold: Under Section 5, Para 2, any single repair where the cost does not exceed €6.64 (equivalent to 200 SKK) is classified as a minor repair and is the tenant's burden.
• Cumulative Rule for Related Repairs: If multiple related repairs are performed on the same item within a single calendar year, the sum of their costs determines if the €6.64 threshold is exceeded (Section 5, Para 3).
• Ordinary Maintenance: Defined in Section 6 of the Regulation, this includes painting, floor treatment (such as waxing or polishing), and the maintenance of built-in furniture.

2. The Annual Cumulative Cap

To protect tenants from excessive maintenance costs, the law imposes a strict yearly limit on the aggregate cost of upkeep:

• The €3.32 Rule: Under Section 5, Paragraphs 4 and 5 of Regulation No. 87/1995 Coll., the total sum of costs for all minor repairs and ordinary maintenance paid by the tenant in a single calendar year must not exceed €3.32 per square meter (equivalent to 100 SKK/m²) of the apartment's total floor area.
• Landlord Reversion: Once this annual aggregate limit is reached, any further costs for minor repairs or ordinary maintenance in that calendar year become the financial responsibility of the landlord.

3. The Landlord’s Responsibility: Structural & Major Repairs

The landlord is bound to maintain the property in a state fit for the agreed use. This includes:

• Structural Integrity: Repairs to main walls, roofs, and windows.
• Central Systems: Maintenance of the heating system, elevators, and main electrical and plumbing lines within the building.
• Mandatory Notification: The tenant must notify the landlord of any needed major repairs without undue delay. If the tenant fails to do so, they may be liable for any resulting damage to the property.

Slovakia Maintenance Snapshot

Professional Advice: The Maintenance Log

Given the strict €6.64 single-repair threshold and the €3.32/m² annual cap, landlords in Slovakia are advised to keep a detailed Maintenance and Repair Log. Documenting every invoice and comparing it against the floor area of the unit is the only way to legally justify whether a repair should be billed to the tenant or absorbed by the property owner once the statutory limit is reached.

How Landager Helps

Landager's dashboard features a "Slovak Maintenance Ledger" specifically designed for these statutory limits. When you log a maintenance expense, our system automatically calculates whether it falls under the €6.64 single-repair rule and tracks your cumulative annual spend against the €3.32/m² cap for each property in your Slovak portfolio.

Manage your Slovak maintenance with LandagerPreview unavailable.

Back to Slovakia OverviewPreview unavailable.