Photos can always be nicer than reality, so it is a good idea to rent a temporary accommodation for the first 2 – 4 weeks in Ostrava (such as a hotel or an Airbnb, please see above), and sign the long-term contract only after you get a first-hand feel of the place to rent or buy.
To avoid confusion the Czechs in the advertisements do not count the number of bedrooms, but the number of all rooms including the living room, e.g. “3-room apartment” will have two bedrooms, a living room and most probably a separate kitchen (this is expressed as +1) or a kitchen corner (usually expressed as +KK).
Please note that the prices presented by Real-estate agencies are sometimes difficult to compare: it depends if they are stated “with energy and utilities” + internet fee, or the internet is included, or all those fees are charged separately. The extra “energy fees” can range from 1,500 CZK for small apartments to 10,000 CZK for large apartments, so it pays to make a full comparison. The landlords often want a deposit of up to 20,000 CZK to cover the costs if there is some problem/damage at the end of the rental period. Real-estate agencies will usually charge you a month’s fee for finding and contracting the rental flat for you. Sometimes this fee is charged to the landlord, so please keep asking questions.
NB: Please also double-check the meaning of the word “floor”. Sometimes the “first floor” can refer to the floor just above the ground, and sometimes it is the floor above the ground floor, i.e. the second floor above the ground. In lifts the ground floor is marked by P, E (from French and German respectively), or G or 1 or 0. Usually, it is highlighted in green or with an alternative graphic.