Renting in Austria
Many people need to rent when they take a job in Austria for a few years, particularly the City of Vienna.
So to give some examples of what is involved: When the fixed-term rental contract expires, these are Generally for 3 years.
Looking for a new apartment at short notice is not possible for many people. What options are there?
Most tenancy agreements today are only concluded for a few years – after that, as reported, you are dependent on the discretion of your landlord or landlady when it comes to extending your tenancy agreement. A common scenario: tenants assume that their lease will be extended because they were informed of this when they moved in – and then only find out a few weeks before their lease expires that it will not be extended after all.
For many people, looking for a new, affordable apartment in the short term in an overcrowded rental market is completely utopian. So what do you do when the deadline for moving out is approaching – and there is no new apartment in sight?
At Volkshilfe Wien, fixed-term tenancies are an increasingly important topic in consultations. These would not only lead to more uncertainty on the rental housing market, but also to higher costs for tenants – not only because rents are increased in the non-capped segment if the contract is extended, but also because any relocations and the associated search for accommodation incur costs.
Stay in the apartment
And in the worst case, the search remains unsuccessful. “Out of great need, people then move into very precarious, dilapidated and overpriced apartments,” says Tanja Wehsely, Managing Director of Volkshilfe Wien. Tenant protection organizations recommend that tenants in an extreme situation where homelessness is imminent stay in their apartment. In this case, the landlord or landlady may take legal action to evict the tenant, and those affected usually end up having to pay the legal costs. However, this takes months, during which those affected can at least stay in their own apartment.
Volkshilfe Wien advises those affected to seek advice at the Residential Hub, which provides information about the Viennese housing market and private rental apartments in particular. They also provide referrals to other agencies – for example to the Homeless Assistance Counseling Center of the Vienna Social Fund (FSW). The FSW also recommends the Specialist Center for Housing Security and – if there is a need for social work or psychosocial support – the Counseling Center for Homeless Assistance (bzWO). Organizations such as the Tenants’ Association, the City of Vienna’s tenant assistance service and the Chamber of Labour also offer advice on housing law. Large families
The City of Vienna recently launched a campaign to make a total of 1,000 council apartments available to people whose fixed-term rental contracts are due to expire in the coming months. It is not yet possible to say how many apartments have already been allocated so soon after the start of the campaign, according to an inquiry; after all, the allocation process takes up to three months.
Apartments with one to three rooms are on offer, which also means that a maximum of three-person households will be considered and larger families will not be eligible. However, the city emphasizes that there are other options for people in emergency situations. In cases of particular hardship, for example, there is the housing commission, which can also decide on an exception to the city’s allocation guidelines. (Franziska Zoidl, 24.7.2024)
Source: Der Standard – translated from the German – Image by Schluesseldienst from Pixabay
https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000228502/wenn-der-befristete-mietvertrag-auslaeuft