You like the flat and you want to stay. But your lease is about to end. The good news: most landlords are happy to keep a reliable tenant. The real question is when and how to bring it up.
When should you ask?
At least two to three months before the end date. That way your landlord doesn't have to advertise, and you're not rushing to find a new place if you can't agree. If your lease sets a deadline for saying you want to extend, stick to it.
Check your current lease
Before you negotiate, read it through:
- When exactly it ends, and whether it renews automatically.
- Whether there's a rent increase rule, for example a yearly inflation adjustment.
- How notice works, in case you decide to move after all.
If the lease already covers increases, the talk is easier. If not, now is the time to agree on it. For the landlord's side, see our article on raising the rent.
How to negotiate the rent
Expect your landlord to want an increase. That's not necessarily bad faith: their costs go up too. A few arguments that can help:
- You've always paid on time, and you've looked after the flat.
- You'll commit for longer, say two years. That's security for them too.
- The market rate. Check Budapest rents in your district for a similar size.
Changing tenants costs the landlord money too: empty weeks, ads, cleaning, painting. It's fine to mention this, calmly and in a friendly way.
Always in writing
Put the extension in writing: a lease amendment or a new lease. It should state the new end date, any new rent, and that the deposit stays in place. A verbal "sure, stay" counts for little if there's ever a dispute.
What if you say nothing?
If a fixed-term lease ends and you just keep living there, your legal position can get unclear. Under certain conditions the lease can turn into an open-ended one; in other cases the landlord can ask for the flat back at any time. Don't leave it to chance: talk in good time.
If you can't agree
It's not the end of the world. If you raised it early, you have time to look. We've covered the steps of finding a new flat and getting your deposit back.
FAQ
Does the landlord have to extend?
No. When a fixed-term lease ends, both sides are free to decide.
Can the landlord raise the rent by any amount?
In a new agreement, you negotiate the rent freely. If the increase is too steep, you can decide to move.
Do we need a new handover report?
Not if you stay. But if something in the flat has changed since you moved in, it's worth recording it.
Rentkey
In Rentkey, the landlord records the extension from the lease's Actions menu, and the lease end date updates to match. Documents stay attached to the lease, so you can find them later too.
