Budapest's Airbnb Ban: Zero Days a Year in One District, Legal in the Rest

Since January 1, 2026, an apartment in District VI may be rented to tourists for exactly zero nights a year. That rule, set by ordinance 26/2024 of Terézváros, is the only blanket ban on Airbnb-style rentals in Budapest so far, and it covers the Opera House stretch of Andrássy Avenue.

Outside District VI, registered apartments still take guests in 2026, so a trip to Budapest does not mean giving up on an apartment. What changes is the map: District VII now needs the building’s consent, Districts I, VIII and XIII are writing rules for 2027, and the citywide freeze on new registrations runs until December 31, 2026. If you want District VI itself, book a hotel, guesthouse or hostel, which the ban does not touch.

Andrássy Avenue in District VI, the UNESCO World Heritage boulevard at the center of Budapest’s Airbnb ban.

District VI: Zero Nights, Written Into Law

Terézváros did not cap short-term rentals. Its ordinance sets the number of nights a private apartment (“magánszálláshely”) or other non-hotel accommodation (“egyéb szálláshely”) may host paying guests at 0 per calendar year, in force since January 1, 2026. It applies to the whole district, whoever owns the flat and whichever platform lists it.

The penalties are fixed in the ordinance, with no sliding scale: 200,000 HUF (about $620) for a private person or sole trader, 2,000,000 HUF (about $6,150) for a company, and a 45-day temporary closure of the accommodation. The district notary imposes them, and on-the-spot fines are not allowed.

Hotels, guesthouses (panzió) and hostels are commercial accommodation, a different legal category, and keep operating as before. For trip planning that makes the rule simple: a Terézváros listing that is a private apartment should not be taking guests, so skip it and look at a hotel or the next district over.

Ordinance text read on njt.jog.gov.hu, checked on 27 October 2026.

From a Residents’ Vote to the Kúria

The ban started with a district-run vote of residents held from September 2 to 15, 2024, online and at three polling places. According to the district’s own announcement, 6,083 residents took part, a turnout of 20.52%, and 3,265 of them (54%) voted yes. The council adopted the ordinance on October 31, 2024 and set the start date more than a year ahead, to give hosts time to wind down.

The Budapest Government Office argued that a zero-night limit goes beyond what the trade law lets a district do and took the ordinance to the Kúria, Hungary’s top court. On November 11, 2025 the Kúria’s local government panel rejected that challenge in decision Köf.5.023/2025/4, so the ban took effect on schedule. In that case the district said short-term rentals made up about 8% of its housing stock and touched about half of its buildings.

The Constitutional Court Case Is Still Open

An apartment owner with a valid accommodation license filed a constitutional complaint against the ordinance, registered at the Constitutional Court on January 12, 2026 as case IV/111/2026. The complaint argues the ban breaches legal certainty, the freedom of enterprise and the right to property. The court listed the case for its sessions on March 31, 2026, and its case page shows no published decision.

Until the court rules, the ban applies in full. A ruling either way matters far more to owners deciding what to do with their flats than to a visitor booking a week in Budapest.

Kúria decision and Constitutional Court case page read on 27 October 2026.

District VII: Only With the Building’s Consent

Erzsébetváros, the Jewish Quarter next door, took a different route. Its ordinance 46/2025, in force since January 1, 2026, also starts from zero nights, but allows 365 nights a year when the apartment building has agreed to short-term renting in a general assembly resolution, its house rules or its founding deed. Apartments registered by December 31, 2025 must file that building consent with the district notary by December 31, 2026. The fines and the 45-day closure mirror District VI.

For visitors that means District VII apartments are still there in 2026, but listings in buildings that have not agreed may drop out from 2027.

Ordinance 46/2025 read on njt.jog.gov.hu, checked on 27 October 2026.

District VIII: A Cap, Not a Ban

Józsefváros adopted a regulatory framework on June 25, 2026, after a public consultation with more than 1,500 participants. It does not ban short-term rentals; it freezes them. The framework, as published by the district, sets:

• a district-wide ceiling at the current 3.5% of homes, so a new rental can only open when an existing one closes;
• a 5% ceiling in the Palace Quarter and the Corvin Quarter, below their current share, and 1 to 2% in the outer quarters;
• a 20% ceiling per building, measured by floor area;
• from January 1, 2027, building consent for every new rental, while existing rentals are presumed to have consent unless the building’s general assembly votes otherwise.

The detailed ordinance is scheduled for autumn 2026, with the rules applying from January 1, 2027. Apartments in District VIII take guests normally in 2026, and existing ones are presumed to have building consent from 2027.

District VIII framework read on jozsefvaros.hu, checked on 27 October 2026.

District I: A Castle District Ban on the Table

Budavár asked residents for their view in an online vote in September 2026. Of 4,503 participants, 58.6% backed a full ban, rising to 66% inside the Castle District. On October 22, 2026 the district put a draft ordinance out for 15 days of comment:

• inside the Castle District, no short-term renting from January 1, 2028, with apartments registered by December 31, 2026 allowed to keep operating through 2027;
• elsewhere in District I, rentals in condominium buildings could continue from 2028 only with the building’s consent;
• the same fines as District VI and VII, 200,000 HUF or 2,000,000 HUF, plus a 45-day closure.

The council is expected to decide in November 2026. Until then this is a draft, and nothing changes for stays in 2026 or 2027.

District I draft read on budavar.hu, checked on 27 October 2026.

District XIII and the Citywide Freeze

District XIII (Újlipótváros and Angyalföld) announced on September 24, 2026 that it is preparing an ordinance under which, from January 1, 2027, a short-term rental would need the approval of the building’s general assembly. The district counts about 1,100 to 1,200 short-term rental flats (budapest13.hu).

Behind all of this sits a national rule in the trade act: no new private or other short-term accommodation can be registered anywhere in Budapest until December 31, 2026 (section 11/H of Act CLXIV of 2005, in the version in force since October 1, 2026). Already registered apartments keep operating, except in District VI. The districts are writing their rules now precisely because that freeze ends on the last day of 2026.

Trade act and District XIII announcement checked on 27 October 2026.

What Hosts and Guests Pay in Tax

Since January 1, 2025, private hosts in Budapest who choose the flat-rate option pay 150,000 HUF (about $460) a year per bedroom, up from 38,400 HUF (about $120). The higher rate applies where guest nights topped 2 million two years earlier, and the tax authority’s list names only Budapest (amounts: section 57/A(4) of the personal income tax act; list: nav.gov.hu).

Guests pay too: Budapest districts charge tourist tax (idegenforgalmi adó) per night, collected by the host or hotel and usually shown in the final price. In District VI it is 4% of the room price, and guests under 18 are exempt (terezvaros.hu). Other districts set their own rate.

Tax rates checked on njt.jog.gov.hu, nav.gov.hu and terezvaros.hu on 27 October 2026.

Where to Book an Apartment Instead

• District V (Belváros-Lipótváros): the downtown core along the Danube, with Parliament, St. Stephen’s Basilica and the river promenade on your doorstep. You pay for the address, and most sights are a walk away.
• District VII (Erzsébetváros): the Jewish Quarter, with the Dohány Street Synagogue, Gozsdu Courtyard and the ruin bars. It borders District VI, so you get the same nightlife a few minutes away. Apartments need building consent here; see the section above. The ruin bars guide covers the neighborhood after dark.
• District VIII (Józsefváros): the Palace Quarter’s old mansions, the Hungarian National Museum and the Corvin area. Rentals here are capped, not banned.
• District IX (Ferencváros): the Central Market Hall and the cafés and restaurants of Ráday Street, with metro lines 3 and 4 close by.
• District XIII (Újlipótváros): a residential neighborhood of 1930s blocks next to Margaret Island, with trams 4 and 6 running into the center.

For a fuller comparison of neighborhoods, see the complete guide to where to stay in Budapest.

If You Want District VI Itself

The ban does not touch hotels, guesthouses or hostels, and District VI has plenty of them along Andrássy Avenue, around the Opera and near Nyugati station. Book it as a hotel, guesthouse or hostel, and check that the listing says so.

Budapest’s accommodation landscape keeps shifting district by district, but hotels, hostels, and apartments in most areas remain plentiful.

Booking Tips for 2026 and 2027

• Staying in District VI? Choose a hotel, guesthouse or hostel. A private apartment listed in District VI should not be taking guests.
• Want an apartment? Look at Districts V, VII, VIII, IX or XIII. District VII puts you right next to District VI’s sights and bars.
• Booking for 2027? District VII hosts need building consent by December 31, 2026, and Districts I, VIII and XIII are bringing in new rules. Book with free cancellation where you can, and check the listing again a few weeks before arrival.
• Booking direct with a host? Ask for the accommodation’s registration number. Every legal short-term rental in Budapest is registered with the district.
• Comparing prices? Look at the total, including tourist tax and cleaning fees. The guide to costs in Hungary gives a wider picture of travel prices.

Budapest Airbnb Rules at a Glance

District	Rule	In force	Source
VI (Terézváros)	0 nights a year for private apartments; hotels, guesthouses, hostels unaffected	Since January 1, 2026	Ordinance 26/2024, njt.jog.gov.hu
VI fines	200,000 HUF (person), 2,000,000 HUF (company), 45-day closure	Since January 1, 2026	Ordinance 26/2024
VI legal status	Kúria rejected challenge, November 11, 2025; constitutional complaint pending since January 12, 2026	No ruling published	kuria-birosag.hu, alkotmanybirosag.hu
VII (Erzsébetváros)	0 nights without building consent, 365 with it; existing hosts file consent by December 31, 2026	Since January 1, 2026	Ordinance 46/2025, njt.jog.gov.hu
VIII (Józsefváros)	3.5% district cap, 5% in Palace and Corvin Quarters, 20% per building	Framework June 25, 2026; rules from January 1, 2027	jozsefvaros.hu
I (Budavár)	Draft: Castle District ban from January 1, 2028; building consent elsewhere	Council decision expected November 2026	budavar.hu
XIII	Planned: building consent from January 1, 2027	In preparation	budapest13.hu
Whole city	No new registrations	January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026	Act CLXIV of 2005, section 11/H
Host tax	150,000 HUF per bedroom per year (flat-rate option)	Since January 1, 2025	nav.gov.hu

Prices are in HUF, which is what the fines and taxes are set in. Dollar figures are converted at 1 USD = 325 HUF, the ECB reference rate on 21 October 2026, and rounded. Rates move, so treat them as indicative.

Laws, court records and district announcements checked on the official sites named above on 27 October 2026.