Hungarian housing glossary: the words you will meet when renting or buying in Budapest

A

adásvételi előszerződés: preliminary sale contract

A binding agreement signed before the final contract, typically when the buyer pays the foglaló and needs time for a mortgage or a permit. It fixes the price, the timetable and the conditions.

When you meet it: Buying, usually a few weeks before completion. Read more: The foglaló, earnest money.

adásvételi szerződés: sale and purchase contract

The final contract that transfers ownership of a home from seller to buyer. To be registered in the land registry it must be countersigned by a lawyer (ügyvéd) or drawn up by a notary.

When you meet it: Buying or selling, at the signing appointment in the lawyer's office. Read more: Before you sign, Selling: lawyer and foglaló.

adóazonosító jel: tax identification number

Your personal Hungarian tax number, issued free by the tax office (NAV). Employers, banks and most contracts ask for it.

When you meet it: Your first weeks, alongside address registration and opening a bank account. Read more: The order to do things in.

ÁFA: VAT (value added tax)

Say it roughly: AH-fah

Hungarian VAT. The standard rate is 27 percent. Qualifying new homes (flats up to 150 m², houses up to 300 m²) carry a reduced 5 percent rate, built into the quoted price. Under current law the reduced rate ends on 31 December 2026, with a transition to 2030 for projects permitted by then; the government has submitted a bill (27 October 2026) to keep it with no end date, which is not yet law. Ask your lawyer which rate applies to a specific project. Lawyer and agent fees are usually quoted plus ÁFA.

When you meet it: Buying a new build, and on every professional fee invoice. Read more: VAT on new builds.

alapító okirat: deed of foundation (of a condominium)

The founding document of a társasház. It defines each flat, the shared parts of the building and each owner's share of the common costs. The building's house rules (SZMSZ) sit alongside it.

When you meet it: Buying a flat, when your lawyer checks what you own and what is shared. Read more: Before you sign.

alapterület: floor area

The official floor area of a flat in square meters, as recorded on the title deed. Listings sometimes quote a larger figure that includes balconies or a gallery, so it is worth comparing with the tulajdoni lap.

When you meet it: Comparing listings and price per square meter. Read more: Compare neighborhoods.

albérlet: a rented flat (literally a sublet)

Say it roughly: ALL-bayr-let

Everyday word for renting a flat from a private owner. Technically it means a sublet, but in listings and conversation it simply means a rental. The formal word for a lease is bérlet.

When you meet it: Searching listings and Facebook groups for a flat to rent. Read more: How renting works.

átadás-átvételi jegyzőkönyv: handover protocol

A written record, signed by both sides, of the flat's condition, the inventory, the meter readings and the keys handed over. It is the single most useful document when the deposit is returned.

When you meet it: Moving in and moving out of a rental, and at completion when buying. Read more: Renting: handover, Buying: handover.

B

bérbeadó: landlord

The person or company letting the flat. Usually the owner, but it can be someone with the owner's permission to let, which is worth confirming against the title deed.

When you meet it: Every rental, from the first viewing to the deposit return. Read more: Checking who owns the flat.

bérleti díj: rent

The monthly rent. The lease should say how and by when it is paid, and whether the common charge (közös költség) and utilities are included or extra.

When you meet it: Comparing listings and budgeting. Read more: The real monthly cost.

bérleti szerződés: lease, rental contract

The written rental agreement. Signed in front of two witnesses, or countersigned by a lawyer, or made before a notary, it has full evidential force (teljes bizonyító erejű magánokirat), which also helps with address registration.

When you meet it: Signing a rental. Read more: The lease and what it should say, Using the lease for address registration.

bérlő: tenant

You, when you rent. The lease lists every person who will live in the flat as a tenant or co-occupant.

When you meet it: On the lease and on the address registration form. Read more: The lease.

betelepülési hozzájárulás: settlement contribution

A fee that a municipality, and in Budapest a district, may ask people moving in from elsewhere to pay, under the 2025 law on protecting local identity (Act XLVIII of 2025, section 11). It exists only where a local decree introduces it, and the decree also sets who is exempt. You may also see it called települési hozzájárulás.

When you meet it: Buying a home or registering an address in a town or district that has adopted a local identity decree; your lawyer checks this for the address. Read more: Annual and local taxes.

bútorozott / bútorozatlan: furnished / unfurnished

Whether the flat comes with furniture. Many Budapest rentals are offered furnished; an inventory list attached to the lease avoids questions at move-out.

When you meet it: Filtering listings and writing the inventory. Read more: Furnished or unfurnished?.

C

cserét pótló vétel: replacement-home purchase (transfer duty relief)

A transfer duty relief for private buyers who also sell a home. If you sell another home within five years before or one year after you buy, the 4 percent duty is charged only on the difference in value between the home you buy and the home you sell (Act XCIII of 1990, section 21).

When you meet it: Buying, if you have sold or plan to sell another home in Hungary. Tell your lawyer so the relief is claimed with NAV. Read more: How transfer duty is charged and paid.

CSOK Plusz: family home-loan scheme

Say it roughly: CHOK plus

A state-subsidised home loan for married couples who are raising or planning children, introduced in January 2024. Eligibility includes residency, age and social-security conditions, so most newly arrived foreigners do not qualify. Check current terms with a bank.

When you meet it: Reading Hungarian mortgage adverts and bank brochures. Read more: Mortgages for foreigners.

E

előleg: advance payment

Say it roughly: EH-luh-leg

A simple advance on the price. Unlike a foglaló, it carries no penalty: if the deal falls through it is normally returned. The contract should state clearly which one you are paying.

When you meet it: Buying, when the first payment is agreed. Read more: Foglaló or előleg.

elővásárlási jog: right of first refusal (pre-emption right)

A right held by someone else, such as a co-owner or the local municipality, to buy the property on the same terms before you. Your lawyer clears it before you commit.

When you meet it: Buying, during title checks. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

energetikai tanúsítvány: energy performance certificate

A certificate rating the home's energy efficiency. The seller must provide a valid one at sale, and some rental listings show the rating too.

When you meet it: Buying, selling, and sometimes in rental listings. Read more: Documents before you sign, Selling: documents.

EnterHungary: online immigration portal

The online portal of the immigration authority (OIF). EU citizens use it for the registration certificate, and non-EU residence permit holders use it to report a change of accommodation.

When you meet it: Registering your first address or reporting a move. Read more: Who registers where.

építményadó: building tax

An annual local tax on buildings. Each municipality, and in Budapest each district, decides whether to charge it, at what rate and with which exemptions. The Local Taxes Act caps it at 1,100 HUF per m² a year, a ceiling indexed to inflation, or at 3.6 percent of the adjusted market value (Act C of 1990, section 16).

When you meet it: Owning a home, when you budget the yearly costs or read a district's local tax decree. Read more: Annual and local taxes.

értékbecslés: valuation

The bank's valuation of the property before it approves a mortgage. You usually pay for it, and the loan amount is based on this value, not on the agreed price.

When you meet it: Applying for a mortgage. Read more: Mortgage fees.

F

felmondás: notice, termination

Ending a contract by notice. For an open-ended lease, written notice given by the 15th of a month ends it at the close of the following month. A fixed-term lease normally runs to its end unless the contract allows otherwise.

When you meet it: Moving out or changing flats. Read more: Ending the lease.

foglaló: earnest money

Say it roughly: FOG-lah-loh

A deposit with a legal consequence under the Civil Code: if the buyer walks away without good cause, the buyer loses it; if the seller backs out, the seller returns double. Typically paid with the preliminary contract.

When you meet it: Buying, at the preliminary contract. Read more: The foglaló, earnest money, Selling: lawyer and foglaló.

földhivatal: land registry office

Say it roughly: FULD-hee-vah-tall

The everyday name for the land registry. Today it is part of the government offices (kormányhivatal), but people still say földhivatal. It keeps the ingatlan-nyilvántartás and issues the tulajdoni lap.

When you meet it: Buying, when ownership is registered in your name. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

fűtés: távfűtés, cirkó: heating: district heating, gas combi boiler

How the flat is heated. Távfűtés is district heating, common in panel blocks. A cirkó is a wall-mounted gas combi boiler serving one flat. The type affects both comfort and the monthly bills.

When you meet it: At viewings, and when estimating utility costs. Read more: The monthly cost of renting.

H

használatbavételi engedély: occupancy permit

The official confirmation that a new building is complete and may be lived in. For some newer homes built under the simplified notification route, an official certificate plays the same role. Your lawyer checks it before completion.

When you meet it: Buying a new build or a recently converted flat. Read more: New builds and off plan.

haszonélvezeti jog: usufruct, right of use

A right recorded on the title deed that lets someone (often an older relative) live in or earn from the property even though they do not own it. It is worth clearing before you buy.

When you meet it: Reading the tulajdoni lap. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

határozott / határozatlan idejű: fixed-term / open-ended

Whether a lease runs for a set period (határozott) or indefinitely (határozatlan). The difference decides how and when either side can end it.

When you meet it: Reading the term clause of a lease. Read more: Ending the lease.

házirend: house rules

The building's rules on quiet hours, rubbish, bikes, pets and shared spaces. Ask for a copy when you move in; it makes life with the neighbours easy.

When you meet it: Moving into a társasház. Read more: How renting works.

I

illeték: property transfer duty

Say it roughly: ILL-eh-tayk

The duty a buyer pays when ownership transfers: 4 percent of the home's market value up to 1 billion HUF and 2 percent on the portion above, capped at 200 million HUF per property, the same for residents and foreigners. NAV assesses it after the transfer is filed.

When you meet it: Budgeting the cost of buying. Read more: Total cost of buying, Buying-cost calculator.

indexálás: indexation (of rent)

A lease clause that raises the rent each year in line with inflation, usually the KSH consumer price index. It is normal and fair when the clause names the index and the date.

When you meet it: Reading a lease, and at each anniversary of the tenancy. Read more: The lease and what it should say.

ingatlan-nyilvántartás: land register

The official public register of every property, its owners and any rights or burdens on it. Ownership changes only when the sale is registered here.

When you meet it: Buying, selling, and checking who owns a rental. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

ingatlanközvetítő: estate agent, broker

An agent who markets or finds property. In rentals the agent is usually paid by the landlord; in sales the agent's commission (jutalék) is usually paid by the seller. You do not need one to rent.

When you meet it: Contacting listings on ingatlan.com or agency sites. Read more: Do you need an agent?.

irányár: asking price

The price a seller advertises. Realised prices usually land somewhat below it, which is why our district figures label asking and transaction prices separately.

When you meet it: Reading listings and price statistics. Read more: Asking vs transaction prices.

J

jelzálogjog: mortgage (charge on the property)

A charge registered on the title deed that secures a loan. When you buy with a mortgage, the bank's charge is registered; when you buy from a seller with a loan, theirs is cleared at completion.

When you meet it: Buying with finance, and reading a seller's title deed. Read more: Mortgages for foreigners, Charge registration fee.

jutalék: commission

An agent's fee. Ask who pays it and how much, in writing, before any viewing.

When you meet it: Working with an agent. Read more: Do you need an agent?.

K

kaució: rental deposit

Say it roughly: KAH-oo-tsee-oh

The security deposit, typically 2 to 3 months' rent (3 with pets). It covers unpaid rent, unpaid bills and damage beyond normal wear, and only for reasons set out in the lease. With a documented handover it normally comes back in full.

When you meet it: Signing a lease and moving out. Read more: Getting your deposit back, Deposit return guide.

kiürítési nyilatkozat: declaration to vacate

A declaration, usually made before a notary, in which the tenant agrees to leave the flat when the lease ends. Some landlords ask for it because it makes the end of the tenancy predictable. Read it with the lease and ask about any costs.

When you meet it: Signing a lease, especially a fixed-term one. Read more: The lease and what it should say.

kormányablak: Government Window (one-stop office)

Say it roughly: KOR-mahny-ob-lock

The government's one-stop customer offices, found in every district. You go there for address registration, the address card, ID documents and many other errands.

When you meet it: Registering your address and collecting documents. Read more: Where to register.

kormányhivatal: government office

The regional government office that runs the kormányablak network, the land registry and the non-EU property acquisition permit.

When you meet it: Buying as a non-EU national, and in official letters. Read more: The non-EU acquisition permit.

közjegyző: notary

A public notary who certifies documents and declarations. A lease made before a notary has full evidential force; notaries also handle declarations to vacate and the payment order procedure for unpaid sums.

When you meet it: Signing a lease, and in the deposit recovery steps. Read more: The lease, The deposit recovery ladder.

közművek: utilities

Electricity, gas, water, sewage, heating and waste collection. Whether the accounts stay in the landlord's name or move to yours should be written into the lease.

When you meet it: Moving in and setting up accounts. Read more: Utilities.

közös képviselő: building manager

The person or company that manages a társasház on behalf of the owners: collecting the common charge, arranging repairs and running owners' meetings. A good first contact for building questions.

When you meet it: Living in or buying into a condominium building. Read more: The common charge.

közös költség: common charge

Say it roughly: KUH-zush KULT-shayg

The monthly fee each flat pays toward the building's shared costs: cleaning, lighting, the lift, insurance and the maintenance reserve. In rentals, the lease says whether it is in the rent or paid separately.

When you meet it: Budgeting rent, and checking a building's finances before buying. Read more: The monthly cost of renting, Renting: monthly costs.

L

lakáshitel: home loan, mortgage loan

A loan to buy a home, secured by a jelzálogjog on the property.

When you meet it: Planning a purchase with finance. Read more: Mortgages for foreigners.

lakcímbejelentő lap: address registration form

The form you fill in to register a new address. It includes a section where the szállásadó (owner or landlord) gives consent, unless you rely on another route described in our guide.

When you meet it: Registering at a kormányablak. Read more: The landlord's consent.

lakcímkártya: address card

Say it roughly: LUCK-tseem-kar-tya

The official card showing your registered address in Hungary. Since 1 February 2025 the physical card is issued on request rather than automatically, and a fee applies.

When you meet it: Your first weeks, and whenever a bank, school or office asks for proof of address. Read more: Registering your address, step by step, Your first weeks.

lakóhely / tartózkodási hely: permanent address / temporary address

The two kinds of registered address. Lakóhely is where you live permanently; tartózkodási hely is a place you stay for more than three months while keeping a permanent address elsewhere.

When you meet it: Filling in the address registration form. Read more: Who registers where.

lakópark: residential complex (new build)

A newer development of several buildings, often with a courtyard, parking and a concierge. Usually sold off plan or new, with VAT built into the price.

When you meet it: Browsing new-build listings. Read more: New builds and off plan.

M

mérőóra, mérőállás: meter, meter reading

The meters for electricity, gas and water, and the readings taken from them. Photograph every meter at move-in and move-out and write the readings into the handover protocol.

When you meet it: Moving in, moving out, and settling the last bills. Read more: Handover, Utilities.

N

NAV: national tax and customs authority

Hungary's tax office. It issues tax numbers, assesses the property transfer duty and taxes rental income and gains on sale.

When you meet it: Getting a tax number, buying and selling. Read more: Tax when you sell, Your first weeks.

négyzetméter (nm, m²): square meter

The unit for floor area and for price comparisons (HUF per m²). Common charges are often calculated per square meter too.

When you meet it: Every listing and price table. Read more: Compare neighborhoods.

O

OIF: immigration authority

The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság), Hungary's immigration authority. It issues registration certificates to EU citizens and residence permits to non-EU nationals, and receives non-EU address changes.

When you meet it: Arriving, registering, and moving within Hungary. Read more: Who registers where.

Otthon Start: former 3 percent home-loan scheme

The state-backed fixed 3 percent home loan launched in September 2025. It closed to new buyers on 31 October 2026 (purchase contracts signed by then could still apply until 15 November 2026), and existing loans keep their fixed rate. Its replacement is Wekerle Plusz.

When you meet it: Older articles, bank pages and listings that still mention it. Read more: Mortgages: the state-backed loan.

óvadék: security deposit (legal term)

Say it roughly: OH-vah-dayk

The Civil Code's word for a security deposit. In everyday renting the same thing is called the kaució.

When you meet it: Reading the deposit clause of a lease. Read more: Getting your deposit back, What the deposit is.

P

panelház: prefab concrete block

A building made of large prefabricated concrete panels, mostly built between the 1960s and 1980s. Often well located and good value; check the heating type and the building's renovation history.

When you meet it: Comparing building types across districts. Read more: Neighborhoods guide.

R

rezsi: utility costs

Say it roughly: REH-zhee

Everyday word for the monthly running costs of a home: electricity, gas, water, heating and often the common charge. "Rezsi nélkül" in a listing means the rent excludes them.

When you meet it: Reading rental listings and budgeting. Read more: The monthly cost of renting.

rezsicsökkentés: regulated household energy prices

Hungary's system of regulated household utility prices. Gas and electricity are billed at a capped price up to a yearly consumption threshold and at a higher rate above it. Ask which tariff the meters are on.

When you meet it: Estimating bills, especially in larger or poorly insulated flats. Read more: Utilities.

S

szállásadó: accommodation provider

Say it roughly: SAHL-lahsh-ah-doh

Whoever provides the home you register at: usually the owner, or the main tenant where the owner allows it. Their consent is part of address registration.

When you meet it: Registering your address. Read more: The landlord's consent.

szállásadói hozzájárulás: landlord's consent (to address registration)

The accommodation provider's consent to your address registration, given by signing the form, attending in person, or in advance online. Registering an address does not by itself create any right to use the property.

When you meet it: Your first weeks in a rental. Read more: The landlord's consent, Copyable request message.

szállásadói nyilatkozat: landlord's declaration

The accommodation provider's formal declaration about how they give consent to address registrations, which they can make at a government office or electronically. In practice people use it and szállásadói hozzájárulás almost interchangeably.

When you meet it: Registering your address. Read more: The landlord's consent.

szálláshely-bejelentés: accommodation notification (non-EU)

The report a non-EU residence permit holder makes to the immigration authority when they change address. It is filed online on EnterHungary and confirmed with an electronic certificate.

When you meet it: Moving flats on a residence permit. Read more: Who registers where.

széljegy: pending entries (on the title deed)

The line on the title deed showing applications lodged but not yet registered, such as another sale or a new mortgage. Reading it is one of the quickest and most useful checks.

When you meet it: Buying, when your lawyer pulls a fresh title deed. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

T

TAJ: social security (health insurance) number

Say it roughly: tie

Your Hungarian social security number, used for public health care. It usually follows from employment or paid contributions.

When you meet it: Your first weeks, and at the doctor. Read more: TAJ and health basics.

társasház: condominium building

Say it roughly: TAR-shosh-haaz

A building divided into separately owned flats plus shared parts, run by the owners through a building manager. Most Budapest flats are in one.

When you meet it: Renting or buying almost any flat. Read more: The common charge in a társasház.

tégla / téglaház: brick building

A traditional brick building, from the classic inner-city apartment houses to post-war blocks. Listings use it to contrast with panel buildings.

When you meet it: Filtering listings by building type. Read more: Neighborhoods guide.

tehermentes: free of encumbrances

A property with no mortgages, seizures or other burdens on the title deed. Sellers often advertise it; your lawyer confirms it on a current tulajdoni lap.

When you meet it: Reading sale listings and title deeds. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

teljes bizonyító erejű magánokirat: private document with full evidential force

A private document that the law treats as strong proof, for example a contract signed before two witnesses or countersigned by a lawyer. A lease made this way can stand in for the landlord's consent at address registration.

When you meet it: Signing a lease, and registering your address. Read more: The lease, Using the lease for registration.

tulajdoni lap: title deed extract

Say it roughly: TOO-loy-doh-nee lop

The official extract from the land register showing who owns a property, its size and any mortgages, rights or pending entries. Checking it confirms you are dealing with the owner.

When you meet it: Before paying a rental deposit, and throughout a purchase. Read more: Checking who owns a rental, Title deed due diligence.

tulajdonjog-fenntartás: reservation of title

A contract arrangement in which ownership passes to the buyer only once the full price is paid. Your lawyer uses it to protect both sides when payment is staged.

When you meet it: Buying with staged payments or a mortgage. Read more: Your lawyer.

U

Ügyfélkapu+ and DÁP: government online ID

Ügyfélkapu+ is the government's online login, part of the central identification system (KAÜ); DÁP is the government's digital citizenship app. With either, many errands, including address registration and booking appointments, can be started online.

When you meet it: Registering an address or booking a kormányablak appointment online. Read more: Doing it online.

ügyvéd: lawyer

Say it roughly: UDJ-vayd

A Hungarian attorney. A lawyer (or notary) is required to make a home sale registrable, and many renters use one to review a lease.

When you meet it: Buying, selling, and reviewing contracts. Read more: Your lawyer and their cost.

ügyvédi ellenjegyzés: lawyer's countersignature

The lawyer's signature on a contract confirming they drafted it and verified the parties. It gives the contract full evidential force and makes a sale registrable in the land registry.

When you meet it: Signing a purchase contract, and optionally a lease. Read more: Your lawyer, The lease.

ügyvédi letét: lawyer's escrow

Money held by the lawyer until agreed conditions are met, such as registration of the sale or clearing the seller's mortgage. It keeps the payment safe for both sides.

When you meet it: Buying with a mortgage or staged payment. Read more: Your lawyer.

újépítésű: newly built

A new-build home. Expect VAT in the price, an occupancy permit to check and sometimes an off-plan payment schedule.

When you meet it: Browsing new developments. Read more: New builds and off plan.

V

végrehajtás: enforcement, seizure

A court-ordered enforcement against a debtor's assets. When it appears on a title deed it must be cleared before the sale can go ahead safely.

When you meet it: Reading a seller's title deed. Read more: Title deed due diligence.

villamos biztonsági felülvizsgálat: electrical safety inspection

An inspection of the home's electrical installation. Since 2024 it is required for a sale unless one was carried out in the last six years.

When you meet it: Buying or selling. Read more: Documents before you sign.

W

Wekerle Plusz: state-backed first-home loan

Say it roughly: VEH-ker-leh plus

The state-backed home loan that replaced Otthon Start from 28 October 2026 (Government Decree 298/2026): up to 50 million HUF over up to 25 years, at no more than 3 percent fixed for a new home and 5 percent for a used one, for first-time buyers aged 18 to 45. EEA citizens living in Hungary for more than three months and non-EU nationals with long-term residence rights can apply; a standard work permit alone is not enough. You must live in the home as your main residence.

When you meet it: Planning a first purchase with finance. Read more: Mortgages for foreigners.

Back to the top