Hi, Has anyone rented from Prague TV accommodations? They are asking for a large bank transfer deposit, and they want full cash payment the first day for a month's stay. I asked why cash and got no response. Also, the sender name keeps changing every time I get an e-mail and it's from the same e-mail address and person. am I crazy or does this sound strange? Has anyone rented from Expat Experts, LTD real estate agency from the website Expats.cz? Any other recommendations? Thanks
Hi, I haven't used either of the companies and I can't comment on your particular situation. I can just share my own experience with renting in Prague. My husband and I rented an apartment for a short-term stay (two months) back in 2003 and the agency that handled the rental demanded cash upfront for each month. We were very surprised that cash was the only option (no one seems to deal with cash in the U.S. anymore) and it was quite an inconvenience because we were coming directly from an overseas flight and did not have so much cash in Czech crowns on us. We later got a feeling that the reason why the agency did not accept a bank transfer or credit card payment (which can both be traced) was to avoid paying taxes on the income. All we got for our cash payments were flimsy little handwritten receipts that contained generic text and misspellings. We later rented an apartment for a long term through a small Czech real estate agency. Again, we were required to pay the agency's fee and a deposit on the place in cash against another flimsy little receipt. The use of credit cards is still not widespread in the Czech Republic but bank transfer is a common way to make payments. I don't know how other agencies typically work and I unfortunately can't recommend any. Are you looking for a short-term or long-term rental? My experience is that many Prague real estate agencies don't like to bother with short-term rentals. We had a hard time finding a place for two months.
It's good to know that this is a regular practice. I was getting worried. Expat Experts do accept credit cards (visa,mastercard). I haven't had a hard time finding a place for a month. Just finding the right price. Thanks for your response.
