In Budapest, the median asking rent was HUF 260,000 a month in early October 2026, according to ingatlan.com. Across Hungary, rental supply is at a two-year low. Here are rents by type of home and by district, the lease rules and the scams to avoid.
Budapest's rental market is tight in 2026. In early October 2026, the median asking rent in Budapest was HUF 260,000 a month, based on ingatlan.com listings (reported by Boon, October 2026). The hardest period is summer, from early July until the start of the university year.
Across Hungary, the number of homes for rent fell to a two-year low, with about 15,400 listings in early October 2026, 11.9% fewer than a year earlier (ingatlan.com data reported by Boon, October 2026).
Tight, mainly because supply is shrinking. In early October 2026, about 15,400 homes were listed for rent across Hungary, 5.3% fewer than a month earlier and 11.9% fewer than a year earlier, according to ingatlan.com data reported by Boon (12 October 2026). Tenants in Budapest are therefore choosing from a shorter list than a year ago.
Rents, on the other hand, are rising more slowly. The KSH-ingatlan.com rent index, published by Hungary's statistics office, shows Budapest asking rents down 0.1% between August and September 2026 and up 5.3% year on year. According to an MTI news agency report from September 2026, Otthon Start, a support scheme for first-time buyers, has pushed some would-be tenants towards buying, which is holding rents back.
Competition peaks in summer, when newly admitted university students all search at once. In Budapest, the main channel is the ingatlan.com portal: the official rent index is calculated from its listings, and the portal received 75,000 phone enquiries in the first half of July 2026 (Pénzcentrum). In September 2026, 43% of the Budapest listings observed came from private individuals and the rest from professional advertisers (KSH). Social media is another channel, and it is also where listings for flats that do not exist circulate: in April 2026, Fejér county police reported a victim who paid HUF 120,000 for a non-existent two-room flat found on social media (Feol). For the wider picture, see our Hungary page.
Budget around HUF 260,000 a month for a flat in Budapest, the median of ingatlan.com listings in early October 2026. The figures below are asking rents from listings, not signed rents: the Hungarian press points out that they do not necessarily match the amount finally agreed with the landlord (Boon, October 2026).
| Type of home in Budapest | Median asking rent | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Room in a shared flat | HUF 110,000 a month | ingatlan.com, reported by Pénzcentrum, July 2026 |
| Studio (garzon) of up to 40 m² | HUF 200,000 a month | ingatlan.com, reported by Pénzcentrum, July 2026 |
The median varies widely from one district to another. In early October 2026, the median asking rent was around HUF 350,000 in District V and District II, against HUF 200,000 in Districts XX and XXI (ingatlan.com data reported by Boon, October 2026).
Districts VI and VIII are the two Budapest districts where short-term letting is restricted. In early September 2026, the median asking rent there was HUF 280,000 in District VI and HUF 229,000 in District VIII (ingatlan.com, MTI news agency report, September 2026).
The sources do not say whether utilities, called rezsi in Hungarian, are included, so check each listing and have the lease state who pays the utility and service bills.
When you move in, expect to pay the first month's rent and a security deposit, the óvadék, often called kaució. The amount is agreed in the lease. Under the Hungarian Civil Code (Ptk.), a court can reduce a deposit higher than three months' rent at the tenant's request (lawyer interviewed by HAON, May 2026).
Budapest is divided into 23 numbered districts, called kerület, split between Buda on the west bank of the Danube and Pest on the east bank. So that districts can be compared with each other, the figures below all come from the same series: average asking rents on ingatlan.com in early March 2026. Here are six districts newcomers often look at.
District V is the centre of Pest, on the Danube. Together with District II, it is the most expensive district in Budapest, according to ingatlan.com (Pénzcentrum, October 2026). It suits people who want to live in the heart of the city and have the budget for it.
District II is on the Buda side. Like District V, it is one of the two most expensive districts in Budapest, according to ingatlan.com (Pénzcentrum, October 2026). It is an option if you prefer Buda and have a higher budget.
District VI, in Pest, had an average rent of HUF 290,000 a month in early March 2026 (ingatlan.com). It is one of the two Budapest districts, with District VIII, where short-term letting is restricted (MTI news agency report, September 2026).
District VII, next to District VI in Pest, had an average rent of HUF 250,000 a month in early March 2026, the same as District VIII (ingatlan.com). That is less than District VI (HUF 290,000) at the same date.
District XIII is in Pest, north of the centre. Its average rent was HUF 260,000 a month in early March 2026, between District VII and District XI (ingatlan.com).
District XI, Újbuda, is on the Buda side. Its average rent was HUF 265,000 a month in early March 2026 (ingatlan.com).
On a tighter budget, the outer districts are cheaper in the same series: an average of HUF 200,000 in Districts X, XIX and XXIII in early March 2026 (ingatlan.com).
Insist on a detailed written lease. A lawyer interviewed by HAON in May 2026 recommends that it sets out at least the following:
The same lawyer points out that a Hungarian landlord cannot take matters into their own hands: they may not change the locks, shut the tenant out or remove the tenant's belongings (HAON, May 2026). A dispute has to go through a proper procedure.
Raise the question of your address before signing. In Hungary, registering your address, the lakcímbejelentés, needs the landlord's consent, and many landlords refuse it, often because of common misconceptions (Telex, August 2025). If you need to register your address in Budapest, have it written into the lease.
The main trap is the fake listing that asks for money before any viewing. In December 2025, Hungarian police described the case of a woman who transferred nearly HUF 300,000 to an advertiser who then could not be reached.
Paying before viewing and signing. Warning sign: you are asked to transfer money to reserve the flat, with no contract. According to the police (police.hu, December 2025), an offer with no contract and payment in advance almost certainly hides a scammer. What to do: pay no deposit or rent before you have seen the flat and signed a written lease.
The listing that looks too good. Warning sign: a flat in excellent condition at a very low price, with an "owner" who lives abroad and cannot meet you. The police add that scammers reuse photos and details from other properties. What to do: compare the price with the district medians and insist on an in-person viewing.
Pressure from other applicants. Warning sign: you are pushed to decide quickly because many others are supposedly interested. The police list this as a sign of fraud. What to do: do not give in to the urgency, even in summer, when the Budapest market is at its tightest.
An address you cannot register. Warning sign: the landlord refuses to let you register your address at the flat (Telex, August 2025). What to do: settle this in writing before signing if you need to register.
Start before July if you are arriving for the September start of the academic year. Budapest's peak rental season begins before the university admission cut-offs, the ponthatár, are announced in July (Pénzcentrum, July 2026). In late July 2026, around the time of that announcement, the average asking rent in Budapest was HUF 266,500 a month (ingatlan.com, August 2026).
For students, university residences run on their own calendar. At ELTE university, applications from international students for 2026/27 were open from 21 May to 5 July 2026. The university's housing service runs all year, independently of the residence results (ELTE, 2026).
Much of the search can be done from abroad: comparing listings, contacting landlords, preparing the lease. The viewing, however, happens on site, by you or by someone you trust, before any payment: Hungarian police warn that an offer with no contract and payment in advance almost always hides a scam (December 2025).
Start before July if you are arriving for the September start of the academic year. Budapest's peak rental season begins before the university admission cut-offs, the ponthatár, are announced in July (Pénzcentrum, 21 July 2026). According to Portfolio (13 August 2026), Budapest rents rose between early July and that announcement, then stopped rising.
For students, university residences run on their own calendar. At ELTE university, applications from international students for 2026/27 were open from 21 May to 5 July 2026, with later applications going on a waiting list. The university's housing service runs all year, independently of the residence results (ELTE, 2026).
Much of the search can be done from abroad: comparing listings, contacting landlords, preparing the lease. The viewing, however, happens on site, by you or by someone you trust, before any payment: Hungarian police warn that an offer with no contract and payment in advance almost always hides a scam (December 2025).
In Budapest, supply is shrinking, competition peaks in summer and fake listings ask for a transfer before any viewing. A local home finder, selected by Remoters, searches for the flat on your behalf, checks the listings and organises or carries out the viewings for you. They support you through to the signing of the lease. Remoters assigns your request to a home finder in the city; fees are set in a quote after a first conversation. The service is paid before the search starts, but the funds are held until the search is over. Remoters is paid neither by landlords nor by agencies, and operates in more than 220 cities and more than 60 countries. Find a home in Budapest with a home finder.
Short answers to the questions our readers ask, written to stand on their own.
In Budapest, the median asking rent for a studio (garzon) of up to 40 m² was HUF 200,000 a month in July 2026, according to ingatlan.com. A room in a shared flat was listed at around HUF 110,000. These are asking rents, and the signed amount can differ.
The deposit, the óvadék or kaució, is set in the lease. Under the Hungarian Civil Code, a court can reduce a deposit higher than three months' rent at the tenant's request (lawyer interviewed by HAON, May 2026). Make sure the amount and the conditions for getting it back are written into the lease.
It is risky. Hungarian police (December 2025) warn that an offer with no contract and payment in advance almost always hides a scam. In Budapest, have the flat viewed by you or someone you trust, and sign a written lease before paying.
In summer. The peak season starts before university admission cut-offs are announced in July. In late July 2026, around the time of that announcement, the average asking rent in Budapest was HUF 266,500 a month (ingatlan.com, August 2026). Starting before July gives you more choice.
Registering your address (lakcímbejelentés) needs the landlord's consent, and many landlords refuse it (Telex, August 2025). If you need it in Budapest, have that consent written into the lease before signing.
Sources cited in this article
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