Changes Relating to Warranty (Statutory Guarantee)

From 1 March 2026, the mandatory statutory guarantee will apply not only to private individuals but also to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), provided that they are not acting within the scope of their business activities, as in such cases they qualify as consumers. This classification is independent of whether the product is subsequently accounted for by the undertaking within the framework of its economic activity.

Another important amendment is that, in the event of a request for replacement within three working days, the business may no longer rely on disproportionate additional costs and is obliged to replace the consumer good within eight days (provided that the defect hinders proper use). If replacement is not possible, the business is required to refund the purchase price without delay.

The mandatory content of the warranty certificate is also expanded: it must now include the date of delivery or commissioning of the consumer good, as well as the name, address and contact details of the repair service.

A further significant change is the increase of the value threshold below which businesses are not required to issue a separate warranty certificate. Instead of HUF 50,000, the new threshold is an sales price of HUF 100,000. Accordingly, if the sales price of the consumer good does not exceed HUF 100,000, the issuance of a separate warranty certificate is not mandatory. In such cases, rights arising from the statutory guarantee may be enforced on the basis of proof of payment of the consideration (e.g. a receipt or invoice).

Changes Affecting Webshops and Online Service Providers

From 19 June 2026, webshops and online service providers will be required to provide an online withdrawal function. This must take the form of a clearly worded, easily readable online withdrawal statement through which the consumer may notify the business of their intention to withdraw from the contract. Businesses are obliged to make this function clearly visible and easily accessible throughout the withdrawal period. Upon becoming aware of the withdrawal, the business must send an acknowledgement of receipt to the consumer.

This amendment is expected to simplify the withdrawal process for consumers and, at the same time, to make businesses’ withdrawal practices more transparent, better documented and more effectively enforceable.

Changes Related to the Restructuring of the Authorities

(effective from 1 January 2026)

In the field of market surveillance, new regulation has been introduced in line with EU legislation. From the beginning of the new year, the National Consumer Protection Authority (NKFH) and the government offices will be entitled to act jointly. In practice, this is expected to result in more frequent and stricter product safety inspections, accompanied by an increase in the liability of manufacturers and distributors.

Under the amendment affecting tobacco products, the competent authority will henceforth be the consumer protection authority uniformly, instead of the “minister responsible for consumer protection”. The purpose of this change is to establish a more coherent and transparent system of authorities, which will also promote the standardisation of inspection practices relating to tobacco products.

The decree on the designation of the consumer protection authority is amended in such a way that the NKFH becomes an expressly designated consumer protection authority in several areas. The practical consequence of this may be faster and more focused enforcement action by the authorities, as well as an increase in compliance risks for businesses.

What Does Compliance Mean? Compliance means that a business operates in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, official requirements and its internal policies. If a business fails to comply with the relevant rules, it may face legal consequences, such as the imposition of consumer protection fines.

Several amendments to the Civil Code entered into force on 1 March 2026. The need for these amendments arose from the demand to address practical problems identified on the basis of the practical experience gained in the application of the law over more than ten years since its adoption. The amendments rely on the results of the working group analysing the experiences of civil adjudication. In this article we present the most important amendments to the Civil Code.

As of 1 March 2026, a significant amendment has entered into force in Hungarian real estate law affecting condominium developments: the legislator has introduced a new legal institution, the Condominium Right of Improvement (társasházi építményi jog).

The new regime was enacted, inter alia, through amendments to Act CXXXIII of 2003 on Condominiums and Act C of 2021 on the Real Estate Registry. Its purpose is to provide a more structured and secure legal framework for purchasers in condominium projects under construction.

In this article we summarise the practical implications of the Condominium Right of Improvement for developers, purchasers and financing institutions.

Decree 2/2026 (II. 19.) KTM amends two existing legislative instruments: on the one hand, it clarifies the rules governing the allocation of topographical lot numbers (place numbers) to independent real properties; on the other hand, it introduces detailed amendments to the provisions concerning the fees payable for specified land registry proceedings, as well as for the provision of data from the land registry and from state basic data registers.

On 19 February 2026, Government Decree 28/2026 (II. 19.) was promulgated, introducing an important amendment to the implementing regulation of the electricity (Government Decree 273/2007 (X. 19.) – hereinafter: “Implementing Decree”). The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that inverter replacements carried out in connection with the Home Energy Storage Programme („Otthoni Energiatároló Program”), launched in 2025 and announced for 2026, do not result in unfavourable settlement consequences for operators of household-sized small power plants.

The Home Energy Storage Programme is a state aid scheme designed to promote the installation of battery energy storage systems connected to residential photovoltaic systems. Within the framework of the programme, households may apply for non-repayable grants, subject to specified conditions, for the establishment of energy storage systems.

In this article, we present the essence and practical relevance of the legislative amendment, as well as the legal framework within which inverter replacements and settlement-related issues must be assessed.

Government Decree No. 415/2025 (XII. 23.) on the amendment of consumer protection–related government decrees with a view to ensuring a higher level of consumer protection introduces substantial changes in the field of consumer protection as of 2026.

In this article, we briefly summarise those amendments which will be perceptible to consumers in everyday life and may be of particular practical importance from 2026 onwards.

Government Decree No. 415/2025 (XII. 23.) amends a total of six government decrees related to consumer protection.
The objectives of the amendments are, on the one hand, to strengthen consumer protection and, on the other hand, to reduce the administrative burden on businesses, while also ensuring compliance with EU law and legal harmonisation.