Finding accommodation
Vacant accommodation
You can obtain information on available apartments and other kinds of property - from advertisements in newspapers (especially the weekend editions)
- from estate agents which you can find in the business telephone directory under real estate (Immobilien)
- from various Internet sites
- from city authorities and local councils
Costs of accommodation
The average cost of accommodation (rent and running costs) is lowest in Burgenland (2014: €5.1 per square metre), and highest in Salzburg (2014: €8.4 per square metre).
The rent per square metre depends on many factors such as communication and transport links, infrastructure, neighbourhood, and fixtures and fittings. Inner city locations and locations in the outer suburbs with good transport links and infrastructure are expensive. Smaller apartments are often more expensive per square metre than larger ones.
Some costs arise in addition to the rent:- operating costs (about 25% of the net rent)
- heating costs
- gas and electricity charges
Landlord and Tenant Act
Rents for the majority of primary leasehold apartments and local authority and housing association apartments are regulated throughout Austria by the Landlord and Tenant Act (Mietrechtsgesetz). This Act categorizes, among other things, primary leasehold apartments (older buildings) according to their installations (heating, WC in the corridor or in the apartment, hot water supply, etc.), and also sets upper limits for rents and standard rental rates, periods for giving notice, etc. As a general rule, single-family houses are not covered by the Landlord and Tenant Act. However, they are subject to legal requirements for periods of notice.
Please note:
Before you conclude a lease or purchase contract, you should approach an appropriate advice service e.g. Tenants’ Association (Mietervereinigung), Association for the Protection of Tenants (Mieterschutzverband), Consumer Information Association (Verein für Konsumenteninformation), Chamber of Labour (Arbeiterkammer) in order to have your lease or purchase contract checked for legality.
Further information and useful links
Links
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