Renting office space in Budapest, step by step

1. Write down what you need

Before you look at offices, write down the essentials:

• Headcount: how many workstations you need now, and how many in two or three years.
• Layout: cellular offices, open plan, or a mix of the two.
• Support rooms: meeting rooms, a kitchen, an archive, a server room.
• Location: where your colleagues come in from, and where your clients come from.
• Parking: how many parking spaces you need in the garage or on the surface.
• Timing: when your current lease ends, and what the notice period is.

The space you need depends on your headcount and layout. Officerentinfo.hu's rent calculator counts 15 m² per workstation in cellular offices and 7.3 m² in open plan. It then adds the corridors, the support rooms and a share of the common areas. You find the calculator on each office building's page.

2. Choose the area

Budapest's largest office district is Váci út, but many office buildings stand in the city centre, in the inner districts of Pest and in South Buda too.

The area is mostly decided by where your colleagues and clients come from. Public transport is best in the city centre, while parking is easier in the outer districts. The Budapest office market page shows, quarter by quarter, which area has the highest and which the lowest vacancy.

3. Work out the monthly cost

The monthly cost is made up of several items:

• Rent: usually quoted in euros per square metre per month (€/m²/month), plus VAT.
• Service charge: covers the building's shared costs, such as cleaning, security and maintenance. It differs from building to building, and each building's page shows it.
• Add-on factor: you pay not only for your own office but also for a share of the common areas, such as the lobby and the corridors. As a result you usually pay for 5–15% more space than you actually use.
• Parking: you pay a separate monthly fee for each parking space.
• Your own consumption: ask what the service charge covers and what you pay separately, such as your office's electricity.

So the monthly cost is: leased area × (rent + service charge) + parking, plus VAT. The landlord also asks for security, a deposit or a bank guarantee. Ask how much it is.

The market rents published by the major advisory firms are collected on the Budapest office market page. Each building's asking rent is shown on its own page.

4. Start in time

If you are looking for more than 1 000 m², start six to nine months before the move, because the fit-out alone takes two to three months. For a smaller office, less time is enough. Check the notice period of your current lease too, because it may mean you have to decide sooner.

5. View the offices

On a viewing, look at the whole building, not just the office: the entrance, the lifts, the common areas and the toilets. Notice the daylight, the noise and the temperature, and whether the planned layout fits the floor plan.

Ask the same questions in every building:

• what the service charge covers;
• what the add-on factor is;
• how many parking spaces come with the lease, and what one costs;
• when the office is available;
• what the shortest lease term is;
• how much the landlord contributes to the fit-out.

That way you can compare the offers. We have written a separate guide on comparing office buildings.

6. Negotiate the terms

You can negotiate more than the rent. You can ask for a rent-free period, a larger fit-out contribution, a lower parking fee, an option to expand within the building or more flexible break terms. Where a building has a lot of vacant space, you are in a stronger position as a tenant.

The main terms are usually set out in an offer or a letter of intent, and the lease is drawn up on that basis.

7. Check the lease

Leases in modern office buildings usually run for three to five years. Watch for these:

• Indexation: a rent in euros is usually raised once a year in line with a price index. Ask which index is used.
• Notice and break: when, and on what terms, you can end the lease.
• Expansion and subletting: whether you can expand within the building, and whether you can sublet part of the space.
• Handback: the condition in which you must return the office at the end of the lease.

Have a lawyer review the lease before you sign it.

8. Fit-out and moving in

The landlord usually contributes to the fit-out, and the amount also depends on the length of the lease. While the office is being finished, prepare the IT, the furniture and the move. If the company's registered seat moves to the new office too, the change must be reported to the court of registration.

Serviced office or your own lease

If you are looking for an office for a small team, or want a shorter commitment, a serviced office can be a good solution. You move into a furnished office, pay one monthly fee and can sign a short contract, even month to month. With your own lease you fit out the space to your own needs, the rent is charged per square metre, and you sign for a longer term.

How Officerentinfo.hu helps

• Search the offices for rent by district, size, category and rent, on a map too.
• Each building's page shows the available units, the rent and the service charge, the parking fee and photos.
• The comparison shows the buildings you choose side by side.
• If you have no time to go through the listings, describe the office you need, and the landlords of matching buildings will send you offers. It is free for you.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to rent an office in Budapest?

For a smaller, ready office a few weeks can be enough. Above 1 000 m², start six to nine months before the move, because the fit-out alone takes two to three months.

How much does an office cost in Budapest?

The monthly cost is: leased area × (rent + service charge), plus parking and VAT. The market rents published by the major advisory firms are on the Budapest office market page, and each building's rent is on its own page.

What is the add-on factor?

The share of the building's common areas, such as the lobby and the corridors, that the landlord adds to the area of your office. As a result you usually pay for 5–15% more space than you actually use.

Do I need an agent to rent an office?

No. On Officerentinfo.hu most office buildings are advertised by their owner or developer, so you can deal with them directly. When you look for a larger space, an agent can help you survey the market and negotiate with the landlord.

Can I rent an office for a short time?

Yes, mainly in a serviced office, where you can sign a short contract, even month to month.