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© 2016 Dwellworks
Page 11
Vienna City Guide
Housing in Austria
Housing Situation
Depending on your home country, you may be accustomed to spacious, detached houses
surrounded by gardens, which can be bought or rented for a moderate price. Please be
prepared that the housing situation in Austria may be quite different. Houses and
apartments in Austria are much smaller and offer less amenities such as built-in furnishings
at a comparable higher price than in many other countries.
Most foreigners moving to Austria choose to rent their accommodation rather than to buy a
property for various reasons, i.e. limited period of assignment or the cost. Austrians tend to
buy houses for life, and not buying now and upgrading later. There is little fluctuation in the
real-estate market, although the demand for choice locations remains high. It is not unusual
for would-be owners to take up to two years to find their home.
The rate of ownership in Austria is low. The overall figure is only approximately 56%,
representing the one of the lowest rates in the European Union.
Good properties are not on the market for very long. This situation means that there is
usually not much time and room for negotiate the lease terms and that a speedy, sometimes
even immediate decision is required if one decides to rent a particular property.
The multiple listing system does exist in Austria. Therefore, please be aware that if a
property was presented to you (private research) and Dwellworks on behalf of you at any
time by two different estate agents they will both be entitled to charge their full commission.
Please note that realtor/estate agents do not usually work on Saturdays and Sundays, as
well as landlords/-ladies may not agree to viewing appointments on weekends.
Estate agents are not the only option when looking for housing. Occasionally, private offers
can be found directly from landlords through newspaper advertisements and the internet.
This has the advantage that no estate agent fees need to be paid. However, most properties
are only available via estate agents and not all landlords would be able to negotiate lease
terms in English, as required my most expat tenants.
Fittings in Apartments and Houses
Unfurnished Properties
In Austria, apartments and houses are in most cases empty on new occupation. This means
that there are no lamps to take over, curtains and built-in cupboards are seldom found, the
kitchen will have a sink but no other equipment such as oven, refrigerator or dishwasher,
unless the apartment has a built-in kitchen. Therefore, people moving into an empty
property may need to either bring complete fittings and furnishings with them, or buy
everything new. Sometimes properties do come with a fitted kitchen or the tenant is
requested to pay a sum to take over the kitchen from the previous tenant or the landlord. It
is advisable to check regarding compatible electric equipment before transporting such
items to Austria, e.g. US washing machines.
Occasionally items can be purchased from the previous tenant. However, the new tenant
must be careful that this situation is not exploited. Negotiations on the take-over of fittings
should, where possible, be conducted with the previous tenant and not with the landlord or
estate agent. Details on take-over should be done in writing. A complete list of items to be
taken over with their individual prices should be signed by both parties. This take-over
agreement is not part of the rental contract.