Job Discussion Forums

[keepthepenny]

I will be taking the CELTA at IH Budapest in a few months and am looking for housing. I'm currently in school in the United States so I'm not actually in Budapest yet. The school offers to set up students with accommodations for a reasonable price but I prefer to have more control over my housing situation if possible-- location, etc.

Is it possible to find an apartment for 4-6 weeks in Budapest or are renters generally required to sign a year lease as in the United States? If anyone has any advice, please send it my way! I am particularly curious about general costs I should expect, best places to look, safest neighborhoods for a single female, and any online links you may have up your sleeve!

Thanks a lot!


P.S. I should add that I'm not asking this question "cold", I've been researching this online for several weeks and have found several websites advertising expensive tourist apartments as well as a map of the districts in Budapest, etc. I'm writing in here because I'm looking for an "insider's" view, I suppose.

P.P.S. x-posted to "newbie forum" and "europe general"!

[OzBurn]

My experience was that it is very difficult or impossible to rent an apartment for the short term. If you study the Budapest Sun, you may, however, find ads for shares. However, even they will probably not want to rent to you for that short a term.

My advice: take the apartment IH sets up for you. The course itself is a hideous experience, and the last thing you will need is the stress of looking for an apartment during your stay. Actually, their apartments are not bad. The best thing about the course, in fact.

My advice 2: find somewhere else but Budapest to take the course. Sure, it's cheaper there. Guess what: there is a good reason for that.