Hungarian gov't mulls tightening Airbnb regulation

Márton Nagy said that the government is dealing with the issue, but is waiting for Alexandra Szentkirályi's proposal, with whom they will consult. The government was already thinking about regulating Airbnb as a housing issue before the initiative of the mayor of Terézváros [Budapest's 6th district].

There was also a proposal on the government's table to tighten up Airbnb [rules].

This included a 180-day cap on the renting period and stricter tax rules, but also included other elements such as more rigorous proposals for new applications and stricter operating rules.

As we have previously reported, Distric 6 residents voted to ban Airbnb-type accommodation in a local referendum that closed on 15 September. According to Tamás Soproni, the mayor of Terézváros, a draft decree will be prepared for the council meeting at the end of October, according to which the number of days private and other accommodation may be rented will be set at zero from 1 January 2026.

A total of 6,083 people (20.52% of the eligible voters) took part in the vote, of which 3,265 (53.67%) voted in favour of the ban and 2,818 (46.33%) voted against.

In response to another question at today's press conference, Márton Nagy said,

if the will of the people is that it [the regulation] should be stricter, we can move towards stricter.

Cover photo (for illustration purposes only): Getty Images