Finding housing in Vienna, from private rentals to the Gemeindebau

You must register your address within three days of moving in, and the Meldezettel must be signed by the person providing the accommodation. Before you book a sublet, a serviced apartment or a room, ask in writing whether you can register a main residence there. Your registration confirmation is needed for a bank account, for MA 35 and, later, to count your years of residence for the Wiener Wohn-Ticket.

Private flats are advertised on online property portals, through estate agents (Makler) and by word of mouth. Rents vary widely with location, size, condition and the type of building, because different parts of the Tenancy Act (Mietrechtsgesetz, MRG) apply:

• In older buildings (generally built before mid-1953) the MRG applies fully, and the basic rent is usually limited by the reference value (Richtwert), which for Vienna is €6.74 per m² from 1 April 2026, plus surcharges and deductions.
• In most privately financed newer buildings the rent is not capped in the same way, but rules on deposits, fixed terms and protection against termination still apply.

See Tenant rights in Austria for how to tell which rules apply and how to have a rent checked.

Since 1 July 2023 the "ordering party pays" principle (Bestellerprinzip) applies: tenants pay a broker's commission only if they commissioned the broker themselves. In practice, the landlord usually commissions the agent and pays. If a tenant does owe commission, it is capped at two gross monthly rents for open-ended leases or leases over three years, and one gross monthly rent for fixed terms up to three years, plus 20% VAT.

• Deposit (Kaution): agreed in the lease. If you pay it in cash, the landlord must invest it in an interest-bearing account and repay it with interest promptly at the end of the tenancy, minus justified claims.
• Fixed terms (Befristung): according to the Arbeiterkammer, three out of four new private leases in Austria are fixed-term. Since 1 January 2026 the minimum term in buildings covered by the MRG is generally five years (three years if the landlord is not a business), and the tenant may give notice after the first year with three months' notice.
• Operating costs (Betriebskosten) are charged on top of the basic rent, and heating and energy may be billed separately. Ask for the last operating-cost statement before you sign.

The Wiener Wohn-Ticket is your entry ticket to municipal, SMART and subsidised flats. You register for it online at the Wohnberatung Wien. According to the Wohnberatung's 2026 leaflet, the basic conditions are:

• Age: at least 17 (contracts only from 18).
• Citizenship or status: Austrian, EU, EEA or Swiss citizens, recognised refugees, or holders of a Daueraufenthalt – EU or Daueraufenthalt – Familienangehörige permit.
• Residence: two years of continuous main residence in Vienna (without a secondary residence).
• Income: below the limit, for 2026 a net annual income of €61,280 for one person, €91,320 for two, €103,330 for three and €115,360 for four (plus €6,730 per additional person).
• Married couples and registered partners apply together.

For municipal flats, SMART flats and re-let flats with own funds under €10,000 you additionally need a justified housing need (begründeter Wohnbedarf), for example overcrowding, setting up your first household (under-30s who have lived with their parents for over ten years), age- or illness-related needs, single parenthood, or high housing costs. People who have lived in Vienna for more than five years receive a bonus of three months per five years of main residence in the ranking, up to nine months.

• Wohnberatung Wien, Paragonstraße 4 / corner of Guglgasse, 1030 Wien, informs about all social housing; open Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 16:00 and Friday 8:00 to 14:00, phone 01 24 111 for appointments and information (Monday to Friday 7:00 to 20:00).
• MieterHilfe, the city's free tenant advice service, Guglgasse 7–9, 1030 Wien, phone 01 4000-8000 (Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00), in German, English, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Turkish and Ukrainian.
• Arbeiterkammer Wien advises its members (employees working in Vienna) on tenancy questions.