Rent and Housing in Austria: Everything You Should Know | International Organization (2023)

rent a house or apartment

In this section we will tell you how to rent a house and an apartment in Austria, a country with a progressive housing program but prices are also rising rapidly in some areas. In Vienna, for example, average real estate prices rose by almost 10% between 2017 and 2018, partly due to the trend of refurbishment of old apartments.

If you're looking for a palatial property in Austria, Vienna is one of the best places to see it, with a collection of 19th and 20th century properties. However, you'll have to pay over a million euros ($1,103,350) to buy one of these period properties in Vienna.

In Austria, policymakers believe that everyone should benefit from decent, affordable housing, and the government has spent a lot of money to make sure this is possible, and the results are visible. Vienna has one of the most impressive social housing systems in the world, housing more than 60% of the city's residents. Anyone with an annual income of up to €53,225 ($58,980) and who has lived in Austria for at least five years can apply for one of these subsidized public city apartments.

Austria’s rent rules mean households spend an average of just 21% of their income on housing, compared with 37% in the US and as much as 60% in cities like New York.

Although this is true in other countries, subsidized housing is not only available to low-income families in Austria. Subsidized housing also provides refuge for many middle-class people. This type of housing is very attractive as it often comes with swimming pools, saunas, childcare facilities, striking architecture and well kept bushland.

You can find apartments in Austrian national newspapers such as Der Standard and Kurier.

Average rent in Austria

The average rent in Austria (including operating costs) was €530 ($590) per property per month in Q2 2019, and €8 ($9) per square meter (10.76 sq ft) of living space.

The average rent (excluding operating costs) in Austria in 2018 was €385 ($425). However, keep in mind that the rent you will pay will vary depending on which province you live in.

How much is the monthly rent in Austria?

Below you will find the average monthly rents, excluding operating costs, for all different types of property in all provinces in Austria. The national average rent is €390 per month. The lowest average house rent in Austria can be found in Carinthia, where monthly rent is around 310 euros ($350). The highest average monthly rent in Vorarlberg is €500 ($550).

Average monthly rent in different regions

• Burgenland: €350 ($390)
• Carinthia: €313 ($350)
• Lower Austria: €350 ($390)
• Upper Austria: €370 ($410)
• Salzburg: €450 ($500)
• Styria: €350 ($390)
• Tyrol: €460 ($510)
• Vorarlberg: €500 ($550)
• Vienna: €390 ($430)

average living area

The average living space in Austria is expanding. It was 100.1 square meters (1,077 square feet) in 2018, up from 99.6 square meters (1,072 square feet) in 2017 and 99.3 square meters (1,069 square feet) in 2016.

Regulated Austrian rental prices

Rental prices in Austria are influenced by many factors, but are mainly regulated by the authorities. For example, landlords can add a location surcharge of 0.33% per square meter to the final published rental price if the property is in an above-average area.

In less desirable areas, the location surcharge is 0.33% of the lower land price or "reference rent".

The Supreme Court required certain criteria to be met in order to increase the surcharge.

Some criteria for comparing areas and deciding whether a location surcharge can be added are:

• high density area
• medium density area
• low density area

Only high-density areas can be compared to other high-density areas, medium-density areas can be compared to other medium-density areas, and so on.

Other criteria considered were public transport, infrastructure, proximity to cultural institutions such as theaters and museums, public transport and noise emissions.

Leasing process and rules: leasing contract and deposit

type of contract

There are two types of lease contracts in Austria: the main leasehold (Main lease) and sublease (Sublet). Lease contracts in Austria usually have a minimum term of three years and no maximum term. limited contract (temporary) and infinite (Unfettered) contract appeared in Austria.

Contract Details: Issue Notice

If, before you sign the lease and move in, you know that you may have to move out for work reasons before the three-year period expires, you can request that a diplomatic or repatriation clause be inserted into the contract. This allows you to leave the property before the three-year period expires by giving your landlord two months' notice. In this case, you can still get your security deposit back. If you just want to move out of the property, you can do so after 16 months, as long as you give the landlord three months' notice.

The landlord can only terminate your rental contract if you do not pay rent or if you use the property improperly (for example, if you physically damage it or disturb neighbours).

Margin

The security deposit is usually equivalent to three months' rent. However, up to six months' rent.

Survival status

By law, apartments must have central heating, hot water, a kitchen sink, stove, shower and toilet.

utility bill payment

You can pay your electricity and gas bills by direct debit each month. Bills are calculated based on consumption estimates from the previous year. You can choose to pay monthly or in installments. Remember to read the water meter before you start living in this property.

Lease Requirements and Documentation

Renting an apartment in Austria as a foreigner is very simple. Usually, you can rent an apartment simply by signing a lease and showing identification. However, you may also be asked to provide proof of employment from previous landlords, your Austrian visa and references (translated into German if necessary).

subsidized housing

Foreigners can apply for subsidized housing in Austria if they have lived legally in Austria for at least five years. Remember, your eligibility also depends on:

• your family size;
• Household income (income of all people living in the same household);
• Unit area;
• housing expenses (housing costs);

furnished apartment

It is difficult to rent out furniture on a monthly basis in Austria. Many rental apartments are unfurnished, and if you're looking for something furnished, it may cost you more. In one of Austria's major cities, such as Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg, the average cost of a furnished apartment is about 1,380 euros ($1,523) per month.

short term rental

Since rental contracts in Austria are usually three years, short-term rental apartments do not actually exist, you still have to sign a rental agreement. If you need to stay somewhere for up to a year (but less than three), short-term rentals may be the best option for you. InterNations offers ahome search serviceHelping you find your short-term or long-term sweet home abroad is what not to dokeep in touchAre you with us today?

If you are thinking about finding a place to live on a short-term or flexible contract, you should keep in mind that the average monthly price for short-term, temporary rentals in Austria is around EUR 1,600 (USD 1,765).

What documents do I need (and other things I need to know)?

Most temporary rentals only require you to show some form of identification, and most likely your passport. Landlords can ask for proof of employment, your Austrian visa, and even references from previous landlords. If you're only going to be somewhere for about four weeks or less, you may need more than your official ID.

Buying Property as a Foreigner

The ease of buying real estate in Austria depends partly on whether you are from an EU or non-EU country. As with most official procedures in Europe, nationals from EU countries face fewer restrictions than those from non-EU countries. When buying property in Austria, both EU and non-EU nationals can buy a house in Austria, but those outside the EU will face more restrictions and requirements. Read on for our guide to find out more about buying property in Austria as an expat.

How foreigners buy property

For people from the European Union, the requirements for buying property in Austria are very simple. There are practically no restrictions on buying property, although some Austrian provinces prohibit buying real estate in certain areas if one does not use the property as a permanent residence.

Third-country nationals can buy real estate in Austria. However, you may need to apply for special permission from the land transfer agency before buying. The different provinces in Austria have different land transfer laws and requirements for applying for special purchase permits. Please note that you cannot buy a property in Austria for citizenship, permanent residence or a visa for buying a property in Austria.

The process and steps of buying a house in Austria

Unless your fortune rivals Red Bull's Austrian billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz, you probably don't have the luxury of scouting the Alps for the finest castles, villas and churches. However, once you find the perfect property for you, the process is as follows:

make a formal offer

Once you find a property you like, the first step in buying it is to make a formal offer in writing through a real estate agent. InterNations has local real estate experts around the world who can help youSecure Your Ideal Homein your new country.

cost report

Attached to the quotation should becost report, which is a list documenting related transaction costs (9.4 to 13%) such as legal fees, any property transfer tax (3.5%), registration tax (1.1% of the sale price), notary fees (120 EUR/per signature $132 plus 20% VAT) and real estate agency fees (3 to 4% plus 20% VAT). Buyer and seller each pay half of the real estate agency fee.

Sales Contract

Once the seller agrees to your offer, an Austrian lawyer should draw up the purchase agreement or sales contract.

Deposit

Once the contract is signed by all parties, the buyer may be required to pay 10% of the purchase price as a deposit. This amount will be deposited into a security account until the sale of the property is completed.

Register ownership

When the transaction is complete, your attorney should register the transfer of title with the local registry. Transfer and registration taxes also need to be paid.

registration time

Property registration fees are approximately 4.5% of the property value. Property registration takes 9 to 32 days.

Austria house prices

vienna

In Vienna, house prices vary across the city's 23 districts. The lowest average house price is in the 10th district - Favoriten - around €198,000 (US$218,400) for properties smaller than 50 square meters (538 square feet). The highest average house price is in the expensive first district - the inner city - where properties over 130 square meters (1,399 square feet) fetch around €1.64 million ($1.82 million).

Other average house prices in Vienna:

• €250,000 ($277,000): A three-bedroom subsidized apartment in the 22nd district of Donau City.
• €5 million ($2.7 million): A villa with a view in the 18th district of Währing.
• €40 million ($44 million): Nine-bedroom penthouse on Börseplatz in the 1st district (Innere Stadt).

Graz

In Graz, a property smaller than 50 square meters (538 square feet) will cost around €165,000 ($182,000). For properties larger than 130 square meters (1,399 square feet), the average cost is around €570,000 ($628,900).

Salzburg

In Salzburg, properties under 50 square meters (538 square feet) sold for an average of €269,750 (US$297,600), while those above 130 square meters (1,399 square feet) sold for an average of around €752,960 (US$830,770). ).

property type

According to Austrian law, property is divided into two types: ordinary property and common property. "Common property" means the owner has disposition over the house and the land it is built on. However, the owner is not allowed to build a house on the land. "Co-ownership" means that the owner can develop more buildings on the same piece of land.

Property Type

In Austria, almost 50% of people live in detached houses, while around 7% live in semi-detached houses. 45% live in apartments and less than 1% live in different types of houses.