A flat with a lift in Prague
With a pram, the shopping, after a knee operation or later in life, a lift decides whether you can get out of your flat at all. Where in Prague most houses have one, where it is the exception and what to ask at a viewing.
When a lift matters
Walking up to the second floor is easy, walking up to the fifth with a pram, shopping bags or a bad knee is not. A lift also helps when you move in, when you keep a bike at home or when your older parents visit. If you are looking for a flat to stay in for years, remember you may need the lift more in ten years than today.
Where in Prague most houses have a lift
We compare the share of blocks of flats with a lift according to the official building register across 84 neighbourhoods. The highest share is in Horní Měcholupy (97 %), Kamýk (96 %) and Černý Most (93 %), the lowest in Šeberov (0 %), Nebušice (0 %) and Dolní Počernice (5 %). In the middle neighbourhood, 42 % of the blocks of flats have a lift.
Prague neighbourhoods with the most houses with a lift
- 97 % of blocks of flats with a lift Horní Měcholupy Praha 15
- 96 % of blocks of flats with a lift Kamýk Praha 12
- 93 % of blocks of flats with a lift Černý Most Praha 14
- 90 % of blocks of flats with a lift Petrovice
- 87 % of blocks of flats with a lift Chodov Praha 11
- 82 % of blocks of flats with a lift Stodůlky Praha 13
- 79 % of blocks of flats with a lift Háje Praha 11
- 79 % of blocks of flats with a lift Štěrboholy
- 78 % of blocks of flats with a lift Troja Praha 8
- 78 % of blocks of flats with a lift Písnice Praha-Libuš
Fewest houses with a lift
- 0 % of blocks of flats with a lift Šeberov
- 0 % of blocks of flats with a lift Nebušice
- 5 % of blocks of flats with a lift Dolní Počernice
- 11 % of blocks of flats with a lift Klánovice
- 12 % of blocks of flats with a lift Újezd nad Lesy Praha 21
At the top are mostly housing estates and newer developments, where both tall panel blocks and new buildings have lifts. At the bottom are mostly outer neighbourhoods of villas and low blocks of flats. Lifts are only gradually being added to old tenement houses, so in the inner city too only some houses have one. The neighbourhood is only a first hint: the house and the floor decide.
Which houses tend to have no lift
- Lower panel blocks: panel blocks of up to four storeys often have no lift, the taller ones almost always do.
- Old tenement houses: in the centre and in Vinohrady, Žižkov or Smíchov, lifts are added later, in the stairwell or on the courtyard façade. Sometimes they only stop between floors.
- Villas and small blocks of flats: two or three floors, where a lift usually makes no sense.
- New builds: almost always have a lift, but in smaller projects check whether it also goes down to the garage and the cellars.
What to ask at a viewing
- Where the lift goes: to every floor, or only to the half-landings? Does a pram, a wheelchair or a washing machine fit in?
- Condition and repairs: how old the lift is, when it was last inspected and whether the owners’ association or the cooperative plans to replace it. A new lift costs hundreds of thousands to millions of crowns and the flat owners pay for it.
- What you pay for it: running the lift is part of the service charges or the repair fund. Depending on the house rules, the ground floor often pays too.
- Step-free entrance: a lift does not help when five steps lead up to it from the front door. Check the way to the stop too.
Frequently asked questions
Which Prague neighbourhood has the most houses with a lift?
The highest share of blocks of flats with a lift is in Horní Měcholupy (97 %), Kamýk (96 %) and Černý Most (93 %). We count from the official building register, each house once.
Where in Prague do the fewest houses have a lift?
The lowest share is in Šeberov (0 %), Nebušice (0 %) and Dolní Počernice (5 %). These are areas of mostly villas and low blocks of flats.
How do I find out whether a particular house has a lift?
Enter the address in the address check: we warn you when the house has five or more floors and no lift according to the building register. At the viewing, also ask about the lift’s condition and how much you pay for it in the service charges.