A binding referendum will be held on short-term rental housing, specifically Airbnb, in Budapest’s 6th district, known as Terézváros, in September, as announced by the local government.
According to their statement, district residents will be asked the following question: ‘Do you agree with banning the rental of properties situated in blocks of flats as Airbnb-type accommodation in the 6th district?’
The vote will be conducted by the local government, based on the authority granted by the National Assembly, which allows them to restrict the number of days a property can be rented out annually. The municipality highlighted that since there is no legal mechanism to monitor whether a flat is rented out for 60, 75, or, for instance, 130 days a year, residents will be deciding between a complete ban and maintaining the current status quo. Mayor Tamás Soproni stated: ‘The voting will take place from 2 September for two weeks, with both online and in-person voting available for residents aged 16 and over who have a permanent or temporary residence [in the district].’
As noted, there are currently 2,226 legal private and other accommodation facilities operating in Terézváros. According to data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), on 1 January 2023 there were 29,251 flats in the district, meaning that
short-term rental properties constituted approximately 7.6 per cent of the total housing stock.
The local government will also distribute a publication to every household before the vote, outlining arguments for and against a complete ban to aid citizens in the decision-making process.
In comparison, Barcelona announced in June that short-term rentals would be banned from 2028, while New York has been restricting Airbnb rentals since September 2023, with the effects of the regulations already observable in the city.
Residents in Budapest often complain about Airbnbs, especially in Central Budapest. Most flats are rented by tourists who visit the capital for the nightlife, thus they arrive home late and loud, even on days when others would like a good night’s sleep before waking up for work the next day.
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