Special campaign by the City of Vienna makes it easier for those affected to access a municipal apartment – registration possible until the end of November
More and more Viennese are coming under pressure in the private rental sector due to fixed-term rental contracts. This is shown by an OGM study commissioned by the City of Vienna (500 interviews with selected tenants in private rental apartments).
The number of fixed-term rental contracts is increasing rapidly: while 93 percent of contracts concluded with private landlords more than 20 years ago were open-ended, this figure is only 44 percent for contracts concluded in the last three years. The proportion is even higher for new rentals. An evaluation by the City of Vienna’s Tenant Help Center has shown that 70-80 percent of private rental apartments in old buildings advertised online are only available for a limited period of time.
A third of Viennese people with a fixed-term rental agreement do not know whether they can continue to stay in their apartment. Around 12 percent fear that they will have to move out against their will once the fixed-term period expires.
“The high proportion of fixed-term rental contracts in the private rental sector is becoming more and more of a problem. And for many Viennese it means an enormous burden in their everyday lives. It is therefore clear once again: a new federal government must finally tackle the urgently needed reform of Austrian tenancy law. In a new fair system for tenants and landlords, the focus must be on the new regulation of fixed-term options,” emphasizes Deputy Mayor and Housing Councilor Kathrin Gaál and further explains: “As a social property management company, Wiener Wohnen steps in where the private sector has housing is no longer available under fair conditions. It is therefore very gratifying that the current special campaign has already provided lasting help to hundreds of Viennese.”
Over 200 Viennese have already found a new apartment
Since July, the City of Vienna has launched a special campaign to make it easier for people with expiring private rental contracts to have easier access to a municipal apartment. The campaign runs until the end of November and has already given many of those affected access to a new, permanent council apartment and thus saved them from the threat of losing their home.
Of the 610 Viennese interested so far, 219 have already signed a permanent rental contract or are about to sign the contract and have already been assigned a new apartment. The remaining interested parties are still in the selection or viewing process. As part of this campaign, the City of Vienna is opening a total of 1,000 municipal apartments with 1 to 3 rooms and permanent rental contracts for Viennese people who are at risk of losing their previous apartment in the private rental sector due to the expiry of their fixed-term rental contracts. The campaign runs until the end of November.
The housing offensive runs until the end of November – registrations are still possible
The special offer from Wiener Wohnen in cooperation with Wohnberatung Wien is aimed at all Viennese people who have a fixed-term rental agreement that expires within the next six months and who are looking for a 1 to 3-room apartment. As part of the campaign, people who are not normally entitled to a municipal apartment because they do not meet all the requirements for a Vienna Housing Ticket with a “justified housing need” are also eligible.
However, some criteria, analogous to the Vienna Living Ticket, must still be met: a minimum age of 18 years, two years of continuous primary residence at a Vienna address, Austrian citizenship or equivalent. In addition, the maximum income limits apply according to the Vienna Housing Promotion and Renovation Act (WWFSG). If you have any questions, you can contact the Vienna Housing Advisory Service directly and visit the website wohnberatung-wien.at inform in advance.
