For years, home insurance could only be switched around the renewal date - so the market moved slowly, and old contracts quietly fell out of date. The March window introduced in recent years changed that: since then, every March, home insurance can typically be cancelled and rewritten independent of the renewal date, under the rules in force in the given year. It is still a live, nationwide option in 2026 - and the rule is now laid down in statute (from 14 May 2026, Section 2 of Act XIV of 2026 replaced the earlier emergency government decree).
- Every March, home insurance can typically be cancelled and switched independent of the renewal date - under the rules in force in the given year.
- The option typically applies to open-ended residential contracts without premium arrears.
- The real value of the March window is not the switching itself, but the comparison: you can request quotes from the whole market at once.
Why was this needed?
Home insurance is typically a "sticky" product: many contracts run for decades, while sums insured and cover have not kept pace with life. Because switching used to typically only be possible at renewal - which falls on a different date for every household - the market struggled to move, and comparison was difficult too. The March window resolves this: it gives everyone a shared, nationwide window to compare offers at the same time - which is also when insurers compete hardest for customers.
It is worth being clear about what March does NOT mean: switching is not compulsory, it does not come with an automatic price advantage, and it is not a "sale" - it is a right you can use if the comparison supports it. For most households, simply taking a good, close look at their contract once in March is already a win.
How does it work, in a nutshell?
The schedule typically runs like this: notice of cancellation needs to reach the insurer in March, the old contract ends on 30 April, and the new cover starts on 1 May - so protection stays continuous. The exact deadlines and conditions are always set by that year's rules and the insurers' own notices; the timeline article covers the detailed schedule, and the step-by-step switching guide covers the steps.
An important frame: the option typically applies to open-ended contracts without premium arrears. For a mortgaged property, notifying the bank is also part of the process - a separate article covers this: switching with a mortgage.
What is it good for, and what is it not for?
The March window is a tool for comparison: you can request offers from across the market at once and weigh them against your existing contract by substance. It is not there so that everyone switches on reflex - if your existing contract has good substance and is well-sized, staying put is a perfectly good decision too. We say this openly: when to switch, and when not to. Switching is worth doing when the substance is better too - not just when the price is lower: price vs substance.
What is worth doing now?
The March window leads to a good decision when it does not start from a rush. The preparation is simple: dig out your policy, look at the sums insured and the scope of cover, and run the numbers with the online calculator (in Hungarian) - so that by March you already know whether there is anything worth discussing. The switching checklist gives you the same thing in tickable form, and I will put together the criteria-table comparison for you at no charge: book a time.
A question about your own home? Run the numbers in minutes with the online calculator (in Hungarian), or book a free 20-minute consultation →
