Accommodation in Budapest
Finding accommodation will be one of your priorities, whether you are moving to Budapest alone or with your family. Once you've had a look at the different neighbourhoods, it's time to learn about the types of accommodation available and rent prices to expect.
Rent prices in Budapest
The bad news is that in the last few years the cost of renting accommodation in Budapest has gone up drastically. The good thing is that you have a wide range of accommodation to choose from, depending on your budget and requirements. Rent prices vary from 50 000 HUF up to 500 000 HUF/month, but the average cost for a studio is 125 000 HUF/month, a one-bedroom flat is around 165 000 HUF/month, while a two-bedroom apartment can cost more than 200 000 HUF/month.
These prices mean just the cost of the rent; you have to pay the bills on top, which are at least another 30 000 HUF monthly. Owners will ask for a deposit which is around the value of 2-3 month rent. Rent prices are similar to buying prices, most expensive is district V, but the most popular and sought-after districts are district XIII, XI and XIV, which are still close to the city centre with more green areas. If you are planning to rent a whole house, you will have less choice as mostly students and younger people are renting, not whole families, you can find most of the available houses in the outer districts with prices starting around 150 000 HUF/month.
Finding accommodation in Budapest
The best thing you can do if you are looking a proper and official flat is to register with real estate agencies that can offer you different options and help you with all necessary administration. Of course, all this comes with extra fees, but it might be worth to find a normal place with a correct landlord.
Useful links:
DH.hu
Property.hu
Budapest Estate
Certainly, you can find flats without agencies, and rent from the owner of the property directly. This way, the rent can be cheaper, which might have to do with the owner not paying some tax, but be cautious and try to choose wisely, as you might end up with some fake contract or dodgy place where you need to move out after a month.
You can choose from lots of websites to search for renting options in Budapest. Most of them advertise both types, ads from estate agents and from owners, with all their details to contact them. The biggest sites you can find in English are:
Alberlet
Real Estate Hungary
Property.hu
Accommodation rental procedures in Budapest
So when you rent a flat, it is recommended to sign a rental agreement, which should include the start and end date of the agreement, the amount of the deposit, the rules of the termination of the agreement from both sides. You can sign it in front of a lawyer or without it, but you would need two witnesses at least.
Tips for renting accommodation in Budapest
If you find a place you like, always check if it's furnished or unfurnished, bills (utility costs) are always on top, but you can ask for their approximate total cost in a month. It's also good to check what kind of heating the flat has, is it electric, gas or central heating as it can cost a lot in winter depending on its type. In most block of flats, you will find central heating, which alone can be 25-30 000 HUF/month, but if you are renting in the city centre, in an older building, you probably have gas convector. If you are renting a flat, you need to pay community bills for your waste management, keeping and cleaning costs of the house, and sometimes it includes the water bill as well. Most flats should have Internet, you might want to check its costs as well, as depending on the location, different providers can have quite different prices.
