Prague 5 is widening its campaign to curb graffiti, signing new agreements with private property owners that will allow the district to clean and protect more buildings at its own expense.

At a recent meeting, district councillors approved contracts covering several addresses, including buildings on Zahradníčkova, Na Bělidle and Ostrovského streets.

Under the agreements, the municipality will arrange and finance the application of protective coatings as well as the removal of any new graffiti that appears.

The move builds on a program that has been in place for several years and is now extending further into privately owned properties. City officials say the aim is to reduce visual clutter and discourage repeat vandalism by making surfaces easier to clean.

“The program remains one of the most practical ways to keep public spaces in Prague 5 in good condition,” said Mayor Lukáš Herold, who initiated the scheme. He noted that treated facades allow markings to be removed quickly, lowering the incentive for graffiti writers to return.

The system operates on a simple principle. Once a building is coated with a protective layer, any new graffiti can be washed off without damaging the surface.

Property owners who join must first ensure their facades are properly prepared. In return, the district guarantees both the application of the coating and ongoing cleaning while it remains effective.

The initiative began in 2017 as a pilot focused on municipal buildings. After early results showed a visible improvement, the district expanded the scheme a year later to include privately owned properties, provided owners applied and met the conditions.

Officials now plan to continue the program on a larger scale. According to district spokeswoman Lucie Fialová, councillors have approved the launch of a public tender to secure a contractor that will handle graffiti removal across the area in the coming years.

The expansion reflects a broader effort by Prague 5 to maintain the appearance of its streets, particularly in neighborhoods such as Smíchov, where graffiti has long been a recurring issue.

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