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That time of the month (Hungarian landlord tips)
In this episode of Budacast, Hungary’s online, English language radio show, Uncle Drew and his wife Andrea attempt to give some tips on how to deal with landlords in Hungary.
House pets allowed?
Hungarian landlords can be a different breed, according to Drew, who says their behavior may be quite different than what you’re accustomed to back in your home country (or not). He recalls one of his first landlords in Hungary – a wonderful guy, but who would show up unannounced at the flat Drew was renting, and just barge in if he didn’t answer the door. It was a bit irritating, to put it lightly.
Another thing he says he’s experienced is that, many landlords in Hungary are eager to receive their rent money (that time of the month), but not so eager to spend anything on repairs or renovations to the flat. Before renting a flat in Budapest, you might want to make sure that the owner commits to making repairs in writing.
Andrea suggests that tenants make sure that their landlord see the flat repair in question, before just sending someone over to fix it.
When you’re ready to move out of your apartment, Drew says don’t sell yourself short when it comes to getting your kaucio money back (the deposit). Landlords may expect the flat to be in the exact same condition that it was when you first moved in, even concerning minor details like peeling paint, and are likely to try and deduct money from the deposit money you gave them when you moved in.
All foreigners living and working in Hungary are required to have a registered address (they receive a “registration card” from the authorities). Unfortunately, few landlords want to officially register their tenants at the address of their flat, because they are concerned that the Hungarian tax authorities will be aware of the rent they are receiving, which officially would be subject to taxation. For similar reasons, it’s also typical that most Hungarian landlords want you to pay the rent in cash – no bank transfers!
Of course there are exceptions to these phenomena, so choose your landlord wisely.
Andrea says that if you do like the flat but the landlord won’t let you officially register yourself there, you will likely need to find a friend who gives you permission to register at their apartment. This can be a bit of a problem, as you obviously will not be living there. Make sure your name is on the mailbox there.
She suggests that before renting a flat one should make sure that they have gone over all of the details of the rental contract with the landlord; clarify everything in advance. Also, make sure you show your rental contract to someone familiar with the law in Hungary who can read the fine print.
Typically, apartment owners in Hungary ask for two months’ rent up front as a deposit, as well as the first month’s rent.
In the final analysis, Andrea and Drew think that it’s almost as important to make sure you have a landlord you can live with, as it is to find a decent flat in Budapest. For more info on finding a flat in Hungary, check this out.
If you’re an expatriate in Hungary who needs HELP with these or any similar issues, be sure to contact Andrea Szalczer-Leifheit, who heads Expatriate Services at Helpers Hungary.
Budacast’s Word of the Week is “tulaj” which is the shortened version of tulajdonos, literally “owner” which is how Hungarians refer to their landlords.
Stay tuned!
Uncle Drew & Andrea
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