Legal Guarantees for Protecting Housing Tenants in Ukraine and Slovakia: A Comparative Legal Analysis

The article gives a comparative legal analysis of the guarantees that protect housing tenants in Ukraine and Slovakia. It looks at the provisions of Chapter 59 of the Civil Code of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy” of 13 January 2026 No. 4751-IX, as well as the rules of the Slovak Občiansky zákonník and the special Act No. 98/2014 Z. z. on short-term apartment rental. It was found that the level of tenant protection depends first of all on the type of tenancy (general or short-term). The Ukrainian model provides for a written contract, preservation of the tenancy when the owner changes, limits on unilateral changes of rent, and eviction by court decision. The Slovak model separates the general protected tenancy from the short-term regime, with clear rules on deposits, payments and termination periods. The comparison of the laws of both countries on guarantees for housing tenants shows that in Ukraine and in Slovakia the protection of the tenant is combined with the legitimate interests of the owner, and the differences come mainly from the way the legal regulation is built: in Ukraine, general and short-term tenancy are both regulated by the Civil Code, while in Slovakia short-term tenancy is placed in a separate special law. The scope of guarantees in each country depends on the type of tenancy – general or short-term.