Renting in Hungary: the rules

A residential lease (lakásbérleti szerződés) is only valid in writing (Housing Act § 2(5)). It can be open-ended (határozatlan idejű) or for a fixed term (határozott idejű); the law sets no minimum or maximum length and no automatic renewal, so the term is whatever the contract says. A fixed-term lease ends on its end date, but if the tenant stays on and the landlord does not object within 15 days of the end date, the lease becomes open-ended (Ptk. 6:338(1)). Watch that date from both sides. The law does not list compulsory clauses beyond the flat, the rent and the term; the details the Housing Act leaves to the parties (who pays which repairs, extra services, inspections) should be written in. If the contract is silent, rent is due monthly in advance, by the 15th of the month (Housing Act § 12(1)). Rules as of 2026-10.

There is no public register of leases. The way a lease is signed matters, though. One signed by two witnesses who add their names and addresses, or countersigned by a lawyer, is a teljes bizonyító erejű magánokirat (private document with full probative force) (Code of Civil Procedure § 325(1)). With such a lease you can register your address without the owner signing (see Registration). A lease can also be put into a közjegyzői okirat (notarial deed). Then either side can enforce its terms through a bailiff without a lawsuit: the landlord the rent and the move-out date, the tenant the return of the deposit (Notaries Act § 112; information from a Budapest notary's office, as of 2026-10).

The kiköltözési or kiürítési nyilatkozat (move-out declaration) is the tenant's one-sided promise, in a notarial deed, to leave by a given date, often also to pay the rent. If the tenant does not leave, the notary attaches an enforcement clause and a court bailiff can carry out the eviction without a lawsuit (Notaries Act § 112). The fee is set by decree 22/2018. (VIII. 23.) IM. If the deed covers rent, it is based on the rent for the whole fixed term, or three years' rent for an open-ended lease. A one-sided declaration costs two thirds of the scale fee, plus 40% for expenses (§§ 9(4), 10, 11(1), 18). For a one-year lease at 250 000 Ft a month that comes to about 42 000 Ft by our calculation from the fee decree, before any VAT, copies and other costs. A declaration covering only the move-out is charged by the time it takes. The law does not say who pays, and in practice landlords often pass the fee to the tenant. The notary must tell you the expected fee before starting (§ 2). Rules as of 2026-10.

The kaució or óvadék (deposit) is not capped by law. The Civil Code says only that if the deposit is more than three months' rent, a court can reduce it at the tenant's request (Ptk. 6:343), so three months is a ceiling a tenant can challenge, not a legal maximum. There is no public body where it must be lodged; the landlord holds it. Local councils may set deposit rules for council flats let at market rents (Housing Act § 3(1)). Rules as of 2026-10.

The law sets no deadline for returning the deposit, so write one into the contract, together with what may be deducted (unpaid rent, utilities, damage beyond normal wear). The tenant must hand the flat back fit for normal use, and if the parties agreed that the landlord restores it, the tenant pays the cost (Housing Act § 17). Draw up an átadás-átvételi jegyzőkönyv (handover report) with meter readings and dated photos at move-in and move-out. If the deposit is not returned, a claim for money up to 3 000 000 Ft must go through the notaries' fizetési meghagyás (order for payment) procedure, provided both sides have a known address in Hungary (Order for Payment Act § 3(2), (4)). A tenant who has already left Hungary cannot use it and must sue. With a lease in a notarial deed, the tenant can enforce the deposit directly.

Separately, a landlord of real estate has a lien on the tenant's belongings in the flat for unpaid rent and charges, and may stop them being removed. If the tenant objects, the landlord must go to court within eight days or the lien lapses (Ptk. 6:337).

There is no rent control, rent cap or reference rent for private lets in Hungary: the rent is whatever the parties agree. Council flats are the exception, with rents set by local decree on a social, cost or market basis (Housing Act § 34). The law sets no rules on how often or by how much a private rent may rise during a lease. An increase therefore needs either a clause in the contract or the tenant's agreement. If the parties cannot agree on the rent or a change to it, either side may ask a court to set it, and until the final ruling the previous rent is paid (Housing Act § 6(2)). Rules as of 2026-10.

Many contracts index the rent once a year to the consumer price index of the KSH (Központi Statisztikai Hivatal, the statistics office). Prices rose by 4.4% on average in 2025 (KSH, 13 January 2026). Read the indexation clause before signing: it is the only limit. A fixed-term lease with no such clause runs at the agreed rent until its end. On an open-ended lease, either side can give notice (see Notice), which in practice is how unwanted increases are pushed through. Rent is not owed for any time when the tenant cannot use the flat for reasons outside their control (Ptk. 6:336(2)). Advertised rents usually exclude rezsi (utilities) and often the közös költség (building charge); see Repairs, bills and who pays what.

Help with the rent: an employer may pay an employee under 35 a lakhatási támogatás (housing allowance) towards rent or a home loan, up to 1 800 000 Ft a year (150 000 Ft a month). It is taxed as a béren kívüli juttatás (fringe benefit) rather than as salary, and the employee must show the employer the lease (Personal Income Tax Act §§ 70(8b)–(8c), 71(1b), as of 2026-10). Ask your employer whether they offer it. Plans, not yet rules: under government decision 1275/2026. (VIII. 31.) the new government is preparing the Wekerle housing-construction programme and, by 31 December 2026, financial and regulatory incentives for affordable rental housing; nothing in them is open to tenants as of 2026-10-02. The fixed 3% Otthon Start first-home loan, launched in September 2025, continues; on 28 September 2026 the government told Parliament it will keep it but may target it more narrowly (Pénzcentrum, 29 September 2026).

Open-ended lease, either side: notice given by the 15th of a month ends the lease at the end of the following month; notice given later counts for the end of the second month after it (Ptk. 6:347). A private landlord needs no reason. The protected-notice rules, with an alternative flat to offer, apply only to state and council flats (Housing Act § 26). A fixed-term lease cannot be ended early by ordinary notice unless the contract allows it, in which case notice is given by the 15th for the end of the month (Ptk. 6:339(2)). Check for an early-exit clause before signing. The tenant may end any lease if the flat endangers health, even if they knew of the problem when signing, and cannot waive this right (Ptk. 6:332(3)). The tenant may also give notice to the end of the following month after being told in writing of modernisation works (Ptk. 6:346(3)).

Notice for breach. Non-payment: the landlord must first demand payment in writing and warn of the consequences. If the tenant does not pay within eight days, the landlord may give written notice within a further eight days, for the last day of the month after the missed due date, with at least 15 days' notice (Housing Act § 25(1), (5)). Behaviour that grossly breaches the rules of living together, or misuse of the flat: after a written warning, at least 15 days' notice to the last day of the following month. With no warning if the conduct is so serious that the lease cannot go on, served within eight days of learning of it (Ptk. 6:348; Housing Act § 25(3)).

Enforcement. If the tenant does not leave, the landlord needs a court judgment ordering them to vacate, or a notarial move-out declaration with an enforcement clause; a court bailiff (végrehajtó) then carries it out. When a fixed-term lease has expired, the landlord can within 60 days ask the district court for a fast non-contentious order. The court decides within five working days, and the bailiff can act a few days after the order becomes final (Enforcement Act §§ 183, 183/A). Winter rule: the bailiff postpones the eviction of a private individual from 15 November to 30 April. A court can lift the postponement if the tenant has another home, if the landlord houses them meanwhile, or if a landlord who is a private individual shows they have nowhere else to live (§ 182/A). The rule covers the fast-track procedure too, but not squatters. A landlord who changes the locks, removes belongings or cuts off access acts with tilos önhatalom (unlawful self-help). The tenant can ask the jegyző (town clerk) within a year to restore possession, and the order must be carried out within three days (Ptk. 5:5, 5:8). Rules as of 2026-10.

The landlord must hand over the flat fit for normal use, with working fittings to its comfort level (Housing Act § 7). The landlord must also fix defects that endanger life or the building, or that substantially block use of the flat, without delay; other defects can wait until the building is maintained or renovated (Ptk. 6:344). If the contract does not say otherwise, the tenant pays for maintaining and renovating the floors, doors, windows and fittings, and the landlord pays for replacing them (Housing Act § 13(1)). Small upkeep costs fall on the tenant (Ptk. 6:335(1)). If the landlord ignores a written demand with a reasonable deadline, the tenant may have a defect fixed at the landlord's cost (Housing Act § 9(2); Ptk. 6:335(4)). The landlord may inspect the flat at least once a year, or more often if the contract says so, without disturbing the tenant unnecessarily (Housing Act § 12(4)). Rules as of 2026-10.

Bills. The közös költség (common charge) is owed by the flat's owner to the társasház (condominium) under the Condominium Act (§ 24). Many leases pass it on to the tenant, so check whether the advertised rent includes it. Rezsi (utilities: electricity, gas, district heating, water, waste) usually stay in the owner's name and are passed on at cost. Agree how meter readings and settlements work. Household energy prices are regulated, but only up to the average consumption per metering point: 2 523 kWh of electricity and 1 729 m³ of gas a year. Anything above is billed at a much higher retail market price. The limits come from the government's announcement of July 2022; the state supplier MVM Next still bills the electricity limit as of 2026-10. The limit is per flat, not per person, so shared flats and electric heating can push a household over it.

Agencies. Ingatlanközvetítők (estate agents) must hold the required qualification and notify the real estate supervisory authority before starting, which keeps a public register (Housing Act §§ 64/A, 64/C, 64/D). No law sets the commission or says who pays it. Ask in writing before any viewing whether you will be charged. The landlord must show the energiatanúsítvány (energy performance certificate) at the viewing, hand it over at signing, and put its rating in adverts (Housing Act § 11/A). No law requires tenant insurance.

Lakcímbejelentés (address registration) is compulsory for anyone living in Hungary who falls under the population register, which includes EU and EEA citizens staying more than three months and non-EU citizens with long-term residence rights. You register your lakóhely (home address) within three working days of moving in or out, at any district government office or, with Hungarian e-ID, online. A tartózkodási hely (secondary address, somewhere you stay more than three months without moving your home) may be registered too, and lapses after five years unless renewed (Act on the register of personal data and addresses, Nytv. §§ 4, 5, 26, 27). Registration needs the consent of the szállásadó (the person entitled to let you use the flat), normally by signing the form (§§ 26(4), 27/A(2)). No owner consent is needed if you have a lease of full probative force, or a notarial deed, that entitles you to use the flat; you file it with the form (§ 27/A(3)). Registering creates no right to the flat (§ 26(5)). Hungarian citizens' addresses are now stored on the chip of the identity card rather than on a separate lakcímkártya (address card) (§ 26(1a)). Rules as of 2026-10.

Some landlords allow only a tartózkodási hely, or no registration at all, often because of tax or the building's charges. With a properly witnessed lease you do not need their signature, but a landlord who is against it may not renew. Raise it before signing. You need a registered address for many practical things, and the tenant must have the landlord's written consent to take anyone else in, a partner included, other than their own minor child (Housing Act § 21(1)).

Foreigners. EU and EEA citizens staying more than 90 days in 180 must apply to the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) for a regisztrációs igazolás (registration certificate) by the 93rd day after entry. The fee is 1 000 Ft, a lease is accepted as proof of address, and the address card arrives by post (OIF, as of 2026-10). Non-EU citizens need a residence permit, and one of the general conditions is having accommodation or a home in Hungary (Act XC of 2023, § 17(1)(e)), so a written lease is usually part of the application.

A tenant may albérletbe adni (sublet) all or part of the flat only with the landlord's consent, and the sublease is only valid in writing. The sublet rent is free to agree (Housing Act § 33(1)–(2); Ptk. 6:334(1)). A tenant who sublets with consent answers for the subtenant as if they used the flat themselves; one who sublets without consent is also liable for any damage that would not otherwise have happened, and misuse can be a ground for notice (Ptk. 6:333(3), 6:334). The tenant can end a sublet to the last day of the following month. A subtenant on an open-ended sublet can leave with 15 days' notice, to the 15th or the last day of a month (Housing Act § 33(4)–(5)).

In everyday Hungarian albérlet is used loosely for any private rental, so a flat advertised as an albérlet is usually an ordinary lease from the owner. A real sublet ends when the main lease ends, and the subtenant has no rights against the owner of their own. Before paying for a room from a main tenant, ask to see the main lease and the owner's written consent, and make sure your contract states who holds your deposit. A subtenant can register their address with the main tenant's signature, since the main tenant is entitled to let them use the flat (Nytv. § 5(5a)).

To let legally: put the lease in writing (it is otherwise invalid), show and hand over the energy certificate and put its rating in any advert, and agree the deposit, repairs and bills in the contract. Return the flat's deposit as agreed. You may use a notarised lease or a tenant's move-out declaration to make eviction enforceable without a lawsuit (Housing Act §§ 2(5), 11/A; Notaries Act § 112). There is no lease registration and no deposit scheme. A landlord who advertises to the public must not discriminate on protected grounds such as ethnicity, nationality, religion or family status (Equal Treatment Act §§ 5(a), 8).

Tax: income from letting by a private individual is added to the general tax base and taxed at 15% personal income tax. You choose between a flat 10% cost deduction (90% of the rent is taxed) and itemised costs. If the tenant is a private person, you pay a 15% advance each quarter by the 12th of the month after the quarter and declare it in the annual return. No social contribution tax is due on rental income. A private individual letting long-term, VAT-exempt, needs no tax number. If the tenant is a company, it deducts the advance itself (NAV information booklet no. 10, published 3 February 2026). Utilities passed on to the tenant in proportion to use are not income. A közös költség passed on to the tenant, or a fixed all-in charge, does count as income, against which costs can be set (same booklet).

Short-term letting: renting to guests for short stays, with services, is szálláshely-szolgáltatás (accommodation service), not letting. A private individual registers it with the municipal clerk as a magánszálláshely (private accommodation, at most eight rooms and 16 beds) after registering with the NTAK (Nemzeti Turisztikai Adatszolgáltató Központ, national tourism data centre) and reports each guest stay through it. Unlike long-term letting, it needs a tax number, because accommodation is a VAT-able service, and local tourist tax applies. Up to three properties can opt for a flat-rate tax per room: 38 400 Ft a year, or 150 000 Ft in places with more than two million guest nights, which in the list for 2024 meant Budapest (Trade Act § 2, 6/D; Tourism Act § 9/C; NAV booklet no. 10). Each municipality, and in Budapest each district, may cap by decree the number of days a year a private or other accommodation may be let, or set it at zero. Without such a decree there is no limit (Trade Act § 6/D(3)–(5)). Budapest's District VI (Terézváros) set zero days from 1 January 2026 by decree 26/2024. (X. 31.); the Kúria (Supreme Court) found the decree lawful on 11 November 2025 (as reported by mfor.hu), and a petition to the Constitutional Court filed in March 2026 was pending as of 2026-05, with no ruling found as of 2026-10-02 (Népszava, Economx). District VIII (Józsefváros) adopted a plan on 25 June 2026 for short-let quotas from 1 January 2027 (3.5% of homes in the district, 5% in some quarters, 20% of a building's floor area); the decree is not yet in force (Telex, 25 June 2026). District I (Budavár) announced a residents' vote on a ban or conditions on 31 August 2026; we found no published result as of 2026-10-02. See the city page for the local picture. Separately, no new private or other accommodation may be registered anywhere in Budapest, and no change of operator recorded for existing ones, until 31 December 2026 (Trade Act § 11/H). What applies from 2027 has not been decided (as of 2026-10-02).

Tenancy disputes go to the járásbíróság (district court) where the flat is, for claims up to 30 million Ft (Code of Civil Procedure § 20(3)). Unpaid money up to 3 000 000 Ft, such as a deposit or rent, must first go through the fizetési meghagyás (order for payment) handled online by notaries, if both sides have a Hungarian address. The fee is 3% of the claim, at least 12 000 Ft (Order for Payment Act §§ 3, 45). If the other side objects, it becomes a lawsuit. Court fees in a lawsuit start at 18 000 Ft for claims up to 300 000 Ft, plus 4.5% of the part above that up to 3 000 000 Ft (Court Fees Act § 42(1)). A lawyer is not compulsory at the district court. The courts also offer bírósági közvetítés (court mediation). If the landlord changes the locks or removes your belongings, the jegyző (town clerk) can order possession restored within days (Ptk. 5:8). Rules as of 2026-10.

Free help. The state jogi segítségnyújtás (legal aid) service, run by the county and Budapest government offices, pays for legal advice and drafting in housing matters for people with low incomes. As of 2026 the state pays in full where net income per head in the family is no more than 28 500 Ft a month, and advances the cost where it is no more than 286 967 Ft. Application forms are in Hungarian and English (Ministry of Justice information, as of 2026-10). The Utcajogász Egyesület (Street Lawyer Association) gives free legal help to people in insecure housing, including on evictions and address registration. Disputes with an agency, as a business, can go free of charge to the békéltető testület (conciliation board) at the local chamber of commerce; a private landlord is not a business for consumer-law purposes. Discrimination in housing offers by anyone advertising to the public can be reported to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, who has handled equal-treatment cases since 2021 (Equal Treatment Act §§ 5, 13–14). There is no national tenants' union; see the city pages for local groups.

We can never guarantee that an agency, listing or landlord is legitimate. Never pay a deposit or fee before seeing the flat and checking that the person letting it owns it or may let it, for example with a tulajdoni lap (land register extract) from the land registry. See our scam guide.