91 new apartments on the market thanks to the “Secure Rent” project. There are other levers for owner associations.
Dornbirn Housing has become a dominant issue in the country. But how do you manage to provide the population with living space that they can afford?
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One lever here is the activation of vacant properties. Because not all apartments and houses in the country are actually inhabited. According to calculations, around 8,500 residential units fall into this category in Vorarlberg. 2000 of these are considered to be capitalizable at short notice, 2000 to 4000 could come onto the market after renovations or under other framework conditions.
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6.86 to 7.71 per square meter
In order to bring more vacant living space to the letting, the “Secure Renting” initiative was started by the state, owners’ association and Vogewosi. It promises owners a rental without effort or risk. Because any rental and operating cost arrears or costs incurred for repairs are covered by the state. In addition, the owner does not have to worry about signing or terminating the rental agreement. For this, compromises in terms of rent must be accepted. For example, owners in municipalities with more than 10,000 inhabitants receive 7.71 euros net per square meter; for apartments in other communities 6.86 euros net.
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Corresponds to eleven residential complexes
After an initial pilot phase in Dornbirn, the project has now been expanded to include the entire country. A total of 91 tenancies have been concluded since 2016. 45 of these leases were signed this year alone. By the end of the year, those responsible for the project are assuming 100 tenancies. This is a great success for Markus Hagen, President of the Vorarlberg Owners’ Association. “Every apartment is an asset, especially in view of this crisis-ridden phase. You have to think about how many residential complexes there are without spending millions on the construction, ”he says in the UN discussion.
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Carer against fears
In the beginning there were certain teething problems, but since Rudolf Erath had its own project coordinator and caretaker on the part of the state, “Secure Rental” has clearly picked up speed. “You need a supervisor who explains the project to potential landlords and also takes away their fear,” Hagen is convinced. Because the strict tenancy law would prevent many from renting out their vacant property. “There’s a strong psychological aspect to that. Many landlords are afraid of damage or that they will never get a tenant out of their apartment. “
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Much in trouble
In general, Hagen sees a lot of problems in tenancy law. “A balanced and fair tenancy law would certainly help to eliminate vacancies”. Another approach from his point of view: The introduction of the “small landlord”, ie a person who does not rent out more than five apartments. “He would have to be exempted from these restrictive and dangerous rental conditions.” One problem, for example, lies in the limitation of a tenancy. “If a mistake happens here, you immediately run into an open-ended lease,” the VEV President is convinced that this solution would bring many more vacant apartments onto the market.
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In addition, one must also think about changing the tenancy law in certain areas. “Anyone who renovates old buildings and creates apartments there cannot charge more than the standard rent, even if it is a villa on the Pfänderhang,” says the lawyer, giving an example of why many are not involved in the renovation.
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“The fear of tenancy law prevents many from renting vacant apartments.”
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