A lakhatás megfizethetősége: lakbérek és albérletpiac[Affordability of housing: rentals and apartment market]

The affordable and adequate housing in a safe environment is a basic necessity and a fundamental right. There are two major disadvantages of renting a home in Hungary today: uncertainty and high price. However, many international examples show that renting a home is often more popular and cheaper than buying a private home: while only 9% of the population rent a flat in Hungary, almost half of the population in Germany, and more than 40% in Austria and over 30 % in the Netherlands live in a rental apartment. Even the significant differences between the rental fees do not diminish the migration of the Central and Eastern European labour force, since an average of € 1,200 in London and € 1,500 in Berlin remain at the foreign employees for living after the payment of it, while at home it is only € 500. Housing affordability is a problem in all the European Union countries. It is worth noting that the tighter state oversight of the apartment market is commonplace in Western and Northern Europe.