Debrecen4U August 24, 2026

New Municipal Rental Housing Regulations and Housing Strategy Under Development in Debrecen

Debrecen is putting its municipal rental housing system on a new footing. The most important change to be introduced by the new housing strategy and rental housing regulations is that social considerations will take priority in the future allocation of municipal rental properties, while the aim is to expand access to affordable housing and improve the existing municipal housing stock. Once the regulations come into force, 200 rental properties will become available exclusively on the basis of need.

In accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act, three rental categories will be established: social, cost-based and market-based rental housing.

The competitive tendering process based on bidding for rent will be discontinued. Instead, applicants will be able to obtain social rental housing through an application procedure based on a dedicated set of criteria. The decision to issue a call for applications will be taken by the Property and Economic Development Committee on the recommendation of Cívis Ház Zrt., while applicants will be ranked through an official administrative procedure based on the social criteria set out in the regulations. Factors that may give applicants priority include being part of a large family or a single-parent household, having a lower income, living with a disability or long-term illness, having recently left the child protection care system, or living in a temporary home for families.

Debrecen’s aim is to preserve and develop its municipal housing stock. Under the former council-owned rental housing system, Debrecen had a housing stock of 22,000 properties in 1991. By 1998, this had fallen to 5,237. Since December 2015, the city administration has effectively halted the sale of municipal housing.

Rents have not been increased since 2017, while inflation rose by more than 70 per cent between 2018 and 2025. In line with the provisions of the Housing Act, rents will be increased by 15 per cent in accordance with the respective rent categories; even so, rents for municipal properties will remain well below market rates. In the case of an average social rental property, tenants can obtain accommodation at an average discount of 70 per cent compared with the market rent.

The Municipality is committed to developing its rental housing stock and renovating its properties. Given that Debrecen’s rental housing stock has declined considerably in the decades since the change of political system, increasing the housing stock is an explicit municipal objective. If the solidarity contribution is abolished and the Municipality is able to retain the revenue from local taxes, Debrecen undertakes to allocate at least 5 per cent of local business tax revenue to developing the rental housing stock for a period of 10 years; the landlord, Cívis Ház Zrt., will also use at least 20 per cent of its rental income from the properties to renovate the housing stock.

Protecting the housing security of current tenants is a key priority. For properties already let before the regulations come into force, expiring tenancy agreements may be extended for a further five years at the tenant’s request. Social tenants who have reached the state pension age may, at their request, apply to have their tenancy extended for a further five years each time it expires.

Supporting young people’s access to housing will remain a key element of Debrecen’s housing policy. The Főnix Housing Programme may provide five years of support to young employees under the age of 35 who work in Debrecen in the private or public sector and have an open-ended employment contract.

The City Council will consider the draft regulations at its meeting on 27 August 2026. If adopted, the new regulations could enter into force on 1 October 2026.

The full housing strategy and detailed proposal are available on the debrecen.hu.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu