Do not put money down unless you are sure you want the apartment. Although you may be legally entitled to the return of your money up until the landlord formally accepts you as a tenant, that money may be difficult to recover. Calculate the anticipated costs of utilities (i.e., heat, electricity) when determining which apartments you can afford. Know what is expected of you in terms of pre-payments or a finder’s fee. Check the apartment to ensure that it is in acceptable condition. Put all agreements for repairs in writing. Evaluate the proposed tenancy agreement and the response record of non-resident superintendent to "after hours" emergencies. Talk with prospective neighbors about the competency and reputation of the landlord and/or management company.

Tenants have these basic rights:

• Right to a livable dwelling.
• Protection from unlawful discrimination.
• Right to hold the landlord liable for damage caused by the landlord's negligence.
• Protection against lockouts and seizure of personal property by the landlord.

Here's how to decipher Budapest addresses. In the address "V. Garibaldi u. 4. III/21", the Roman numeral V indicates District V. "Garibaldi u." means Garibaldi Street ("u." ="utca" = street). 4 is the house number, III is the floor number, and 21 is the apartment number. The two digits in the middle of the four-digit postal code also identify the district (thus the postal code 1054 indicates a building in District V).

In Hungary, as in most of Europe, floors of a building are numbered not from the ground floor (foldszint) but from the floor above it, the first floor (I. emelet). After that comes the second floor (II. emelet) and so on. A few buildings have a mezzanine (felemelet) between the ground floor and the first floor.

Hungarians give their family name first, thus Szabo Richard is Richard Szabo. This rule is not usually applied to foreign names. The letters 'ne' at the end of a name indicate a married woman; thus Szabone is Mrs. Szabo; Szabo Richardne is Mrs. Richard Szabo.

Beware of attractive young women on Vaci utca, who ask you to invite them for a drink; money changers on the street who offer a better rate than the official booths; taxi drivers who do not use a meter; and pickpockets.