How to rent an apartment in Vienna as an expat

Where homes are listed

Most private rentals are advertised on the big portals, such as willhaben.at, ImmoScout24 and derStandard Immobilien, and through agents. Set alerts and reply the same day.

Since 1 July 2023 the party who hires an estate agent pays the agent. For most rentals that means the landlord, so as a tenant you normally pay no commission.

What landlords ask for

• A passport or national ID.
• Proof of income: usually your last three payslips, or an employment contract if you have just started.
• A credit report from KSV1870, or, without an Austrian history, a guarantor, a bank guarantee or a larger deposit.
• Sometimes a reference from a previous landlord.

What you pay up front

Expect a deposit (Kaution) of commonly three months' gross rent, plus the first month's rent. Some flats also ask an Ablöse for a kitchen or furniture left behind: ask for a written list of what it covers.

Gross rent (Bruttomiete) includes the base rent, operating costs and VAT. Electricity, gas and internet are usually separate contracts.

Words you will meet

• Hauptmiete: you rent directly from the owner. Untermiete: you sublet from another tenant, with fewer protections.
• Befristet: a fixed-term lease. For flats under the Tenancy Act a fixed term must run at least three years.
• Meldezettel: the address registration you must file within three days of moving in.

Move fast, safely

Keep your documents in one place, apply the day an ad appears, and ask your questions in writing.

Never pay a deposit before you have seen the flat and signed a lease. A landlord who is abroad and asks for a transfer before a viewing is the most common scam pattern.