Apartment for rent in Austria

Most expats who come to Austria start their lives in this country by renting an apartment. This is the easiest and most convenient way to start life in a new place, to get comfortable. If you want to buy real estate in Austria, the initial lease will allow you to get enough time to decide on the ideal area of residence and type of property for yourself, and thus make a more successful purchase.

If there are no plans to buy housing, long-term rent is what will suit you. In Austria, even local people tend to rent rather than buy apartments. In our article, we will tell you everything you need to know before you start choosing an apartment for rent.

The process of renting an apartment in Austria

To rent an apartment in Austria, a foreigner will have to go through the following steps:

1. Search for housing
   You can search both independently, through websites, or entrust this process to professionals.
2. Inspection of the object
   It is important to pay attention to all the shortcomings of the home, especially if it is rented for a long time.
3. Conclusion of a contract and payment of a deposit. The document should reflect the rights and obligations of the parties as much as possible. A well-drafted contract will protect both the tenant and the lessor.

It is important to note that the rental market is a landlord market, not a tenant market, and there are many requirements for this.

Before you rent out your home, you will most likely be required to show your employment contract to see how much you earn. And you may actually be refused to conclude an agreement if you do not agree with one of the clauses of the agreement. Before signing a contract and paying, it is very important to find out which furniture and household items remain and which do not, so as not to run into additional expenses.

When visiting an apartment, it is important to pay attention to the following points

1. Schedule an inspection of the apartment during daylight hours to see how well the apartment is lit, where the windows face, etc.
2. Pay attention to how the apartment is heated - gas, boiler room, etc., how heating devices look like and whether there are enough of them in the apartment.
3. How the apartment is equipped - the kitchen, bathroom, toilet should be fully equipped. Find out what furniture the owner leaves, and if you rent an apartment with Ablöse, make sure that the requested amount for the purchase of furniture is adequate.
4. Pay attention to the windows - if they are well built in, if there are gaps, cracks in the frames, etc. Also, are there high humidity stains on the ceiling or walls.

The lease agreement is concluded according to the following scheme:

1. A draft contract is being drawn up.
2. The contract is signed by the parties.
3. A rental deposit is paid.
4. The tenant can move into the rented apartment.
5. A month after signing the agreement, the participants receive copies of it, registered with the tax office.

How much will you need to pay?

When choosing a rental, you need to clearly understand that paying for a month is not all the expenses that will expect you at the beginning of the rental period. There are several important concepts to keep in mind when comparing options.

1. Provision commission to an agent (realtor) for assistance in concluding a contract.
2. Kaution a prepaid deposit for rental housing or possible damage to property. Usually it is the amount of three months rent.
3. Ablöse covering the costs of the landlord or previous tenant invested in the apartment. If the previous tenant bought a new refrigerator for 500 euros for a rented apartment, and he has not taken it away, then in addition to all expenses, he exposes the so-called Ablöse. At the same time, it is not always possible to refuse Ablöse, usually it is part of the lease agreement. You simply won't be able to rent an apartment out without it.

But there is also a good side in it. If you move out of your rented apartment, you can also "sell" the furniture you bought to the next tenant.

Austrian law allows landlords to demand prepayment for the first six months of their residence. However, this opportunity is not used by all property owners. Usually, to rent an apartment in Austria, the tenant will have to pay for 2-3 months. The amount includes the tax and the cost of the communal apartment.