Airbnb vs. Neighbours: How to Keep the Peace in Your Building

Short-term rentals through Airbnb and Booking are a legitimate way to generate returns from an investment flat in Prague. Yet one persistent question hangs over them: how do you get along with neighbours and the homeowners' association (SVJ) before things turn into an open dispute?

The Supreme Court confirmed in 2023 that property owners may operate short-term rentals, and that an SVJ cannot ban them without a legal basis in its statutes. That precedent now underpins practice across the country. Legal certainty is valuable. It does not mean a court will sort out neighbourly relations for you – that depends entirely on how you as the owner approach things.

From spring 2026, new EU-wide rules and the eTurista system have also come into force. Authorities and neighbours alike now have a clearer picture of who is staying in a building and for how long. We cover those in detail in our article Short-term rental regulations in Prague 2026: eTurista and what to do. Here we focus on what the law cannot resolve for you – the day-to-day reality of shared living.

Money vs. empathy

Property owners should ensure their rentals do not disturb other residents. This is not just about preventing conflict – it is the foundation of a business that works long-term. Neighbours who feel respected will far rather resolve a problem with a direct conversation than an anonymous complaint to a platform.

In 19 years of managing rentals, relations with other residents of the building have proved to be one of the most underestimated factors in short-term rental success. The better the communication inside the building, the less energy an owner spends putting out fires. And the more the rental can focus on what matters – happy guests and a steady return.

I want to find out how Investerra handles neighbour relations on my behalf

How it works in practice

We have been managing short-term rentals since 2007, and shared living in apartment buildings is a topic we take ever more seriously. The solution lies in your approach – both to the flat and to those around it.

Listen to your neighbours

Open communication is the starting point. Hear out neighbours' concerns and complaints, and look for solutions that work for everyone. People want to feel heard – even if they have no say in whether the rental operates, they appreciate being taken seriously. An ignored neighbour quickly becomes an active opponent at the SVJ meeting.

Give neighbours a direct contact

Share your contact details – even if it feels unnecessary. A neighbour dealing with noisy guests at 2 a.m. needs someone to call. Provide accessible communication channels outside normal hours. Handle complaints systematically and do not wait until the next day to respond.

Set clear rules for guests

Tourists staying in a residential building should respect the other residents – observe quiet hours and the house rules. Send written instructions before check-in, not after arrival. A simple information card works well for every flat:

• Quiet hours (typically 22:00–06:00)
• Waste sorting and bin locations
• Parking rules
• A reminder that families with children and people with work commitments live in the building

Install noise monitors

Modern devices send an alert the moment noise exceeds the set threshold – immediately, without any need for a neighbour to call. Repeated violations allow you to cancel the booking and report guests to the platform. In practice, these measures eliminate the vast majority of potential problems before they escalate.

Report problem guests to Airbnb

Both Airbnb and Booking prioritise the peace of building residents. Report a problem guest to support – the platform will contact them, explain the rules, or cancel the booking without a refund. Do not delay this unnecessarily. Platforms also keep a record of reported guests, so repeat offenders cannot cause damage twice.

Take out specialist insurance

Specialist short-term rental insurance protects your property, your guests and the whole building from damage claims. A standard home insurance policy typically does not cover short-term rentals – it will refuse to pay for damage caused by a guest. That becomes a problem not just for you but for your neighbours too, if there is, say, a flood.

Attend SVJ meetings

Attending annual SVJ meetings is essential – even if you only have one flat in the building. You hear the concerns of other owners and have the chance to proactively offer solutions. Demonstrated interest in what happens in the building builds trust that is very hard to replace if a dispute arises later.

At Investerra we represent owners directly at SVJ meetings – in person or in writing. We have found it effective to arrive with a concrete proposal: describe the rules in place for guests, show that the noise monitor is working, and offer a direct contact for complaints. In practice, this approach has repeatedly led the SVJ to drop plans to restrict the rental – or to reach a mutual agreement on conditions that work for both sides. We can find common ground where legal proceedings might otherwise follow.

Shared living works when you work at it

Peaceful coexistence between permanent residents and Airbnb guests is never automatic – it requires ongoing effort. Communication with the SVJ, clear rules for guests, an accessible complaints contact and attendance at meetings: none of these measures is sufficient on its own, but together they work reliably. The more consistent your approach, the fewer crises you face.

The 2026 regulations added another layer of administration – registration in eTurista, guest record-keeping, reporting foreign nationals within 24 hours. Owners managing all of this themselves are spending significantly more time on the rental than they originally planned. Not everyone wants to, or can, do that. Management through Investerra addresses it from the ground up: from paperwork and reporting to neighbour communications and representation at SVJ meetings. In 19 years of management across more than 130 flats, we have navigated every regulatory change Prague has seen – while keeping building relations in order. If you want to know how much your flat could earn and how the process works in practice, we would be glad to meet.

I want to hand flat management to Investerra and be free of neighbour issues and paperwork