BUDAPEST, Sept 16 (Askume) – Residents of Budapest’s sixth district have voted to ban short-term rentals from 2026. The decision could have a huge impact on the property market in one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations.
According to Eurostat data, last year there were around 719 million accommodation nights across the EU booked via online platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and TripAdvisor, with the EU capital Paris topping the list with more than 19 million accommodation nights.
In Central Europe, Budapest is the most popular short-term accommodation city, with 6.7 million room nights, ahead of cities such as Vienna, Prague, Warsaw and Krakow.
Results published on the Budapest regional website on Monday showed that 54% of voters supported the ban, on a turnout of 20.52%, which the region said was significantly higher than the level of other local initiatives.
The local council said in a statement: “The majority voted ‘yes’, indicating that residents of the area value the peace of their homes more than the loss of income.”
District Mayor Tamas Soproni said that due to the town’s popularity,Local people need to be asked about the impact of short-term residence on housing affordability and quality of life .
Opponents of the ban said the move would affect the income of not only apartment owners but also nearby cafes and restaurants that mainly cater to foreign tourists.
The vote could have wide-reaching implications as Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government considers regulating short-term rentals, which the economy minister says will lead to housing shortages and push up prices.
Real estate website ingatan.com said last week that the supply of high-end apartments for sale in District 6 rose by about 3% compared with the previous month, while prices fell by 1%, in line with election expectations.
