Living in some dormitories in Prague will be more expensive in the new year
Accommodation fees there will increase by 45 percent compared to this year. Students who live in the dormitories of Charles University (UK) will pay ten percent more than now. The reason for the price increase is usually inflation and rising energy prices. Representatives of Prague universities answered the question of ČTK.
Fees will increase by 45 percent in ČZU dormitories from January. “The increase in the price of the dormitory consists exclusively of the difference between the current price for energy, which is still relatively low due to the well-competitive prices valid until the end of this year due to the current situation on the energy market, and the new, fundamentally higher price, which we will pay from 1.1. 2023,” said university spokeswoman Karla Mráčková.
Currently, students who live in the ČZU dormitories in Suchdol pay an average of 4,275 crowns per month. After the increase, according to the spokesperson, it will be about CZK 6,199. Accommodation prices will increase due to the increase in energy prices. If energy prices were to repeat themselves in future situations, the university will adjust the amount of dormitory fees. “In the case of a positive trend in energy prices, prepare this trend for a possible reduction in the price of rail energy, which just caused energy costs,” said the spokeswoman.
In 2023, students in the dormitories of the oldest and largest Czech university will pay ten percent more than now. UK has 11 dormitories in various locations in Prague, in which there are approximately 10,000 beds. This year, university students pay an average of CZK 4,360 per month, i.e. 31 percent more than ten years ago. The price of accommodation varies in individual dormitories, it mainly depends on the number of roommates, the comfort of the accommodation and the location where the dormitory is located. The lowest dormitory fee is now CZK 2,170, on the contrary, the maximum price is CZK 10,199 per month. According to Václav Hájek, a spokesperson for the University of Warsaw, people pay this beginning for accommodation in a single room with its own bathroom, kitchenette and regular cleaning.
The University of Chemistry and Technology (VŠCHT), which houses students in two buildings with a capacity of 1,500 beds in Prague’s Kunratice, will increase accommodation fees from February 2023. According to VŠCHT spokesman Michal Janovský, the price will increase by the rate of annual inflation, as every year. According to the information on the website, the dormitory fee was last increased in April 2022. Prices range from 106 to 184 crowns per night.
On the other hand, the Czech Technical University (ČVUT) is not currently considering increasing the price of housing in its eight dormitories, said the school’s spokeswoman Kateřina Veselá. Dormitory fees were last increased this September. At that time, prices rose by about 15 percent to roughly 3,500 to 6,000 CZK per month.
Student interest in dormitory accommodation is still very high despite rising prices, university spokespeople said. According to Hájek, this year more students than in previous years are in the halls of residence of the UK. According to Janovský, VŠCHT is also registering similar interest in its dormitories as in previous years. According to Mráčková, since the beginning of the academic year, the number of people staying in the ČZU accommodation facilities has not decreased. The spokesperson did not specify the specific number of accommodated students.
The Council of Higher Education’s Student Chamber is now appealing to schools “not to shift all the financial burden associated with increased energy onto students”. The resolution of the Student Chamber at its meeting and of the Presidency of the Council of Universities follows from the information on website. According to the chamber and the council, when tuition fees increase, schools should help vulnerable students with accommodation scholarships or scholarships to help with difficult financial situations.
According to real estate companies, the prices of our companies increase by 20 to 30 percent. In Prague, they reached an average of 400 crowns per square meter, Next Reality reported in October, which is a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. According to Bezrealitka, the nationwide average price per square meter was 230 crowns in October, and in Prague it reached 312 crowns per square meter.