Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

VIENNA

How does urban gardening work in Vienna?

If you live in Vienna, you have a great opportunity to grow your own vegetables and other plants in public spaces together with your neighbours.

Published: 17 April 2024 16:38 CEST
How does urban gardening work in Vienna?
Urban gardening is becoming very popular in Vienna. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

While living in a larger city, growing your plants and vegetables might seem difficult. However, Vienna offers urban gardens where you can sow seeds with others from your neighbourhood.

When you walk around in the different districts of Vienna, you are likely to run into some of the city’s many communal gardens where residents grow plants, vegetables, or whatever they feel like. Sometimes, the urban garden is just a smaller wooden box in the middle of a pavement street, and other times, it occupies a larger area in a greener location. Every urban garden is different.

Meet, connect, and learn.

Following examples from cities like Paris, Berlin, London, and New York, community gardens are becoming increasingly common in Vienna. Schools and preschool groups are involved in many projects.

Since 2010, Vienna has actively supported urban gardens, with many projects in place and others in development. These gardens create urban green spaces and encourage neighbours to meet, connect, and participate in a community. Using the motto “Gemeinsam garteln verbindet” (gardening together connects), the gardens also promote closeness to nature within the city and knowledge about the production and quality of food.

Urban gardens allow you to grow your plants and meet others. Photo by Elisa Calvet B. on Unsplash

How do you get involved?

In Vienna, every district offers a certain number of urban gardens. To become a member, you can look at the options in your desired district and contact them directly to ask if there is space for you to participate.

On this website, you can find information about the different gardens based on districts and their contact information. It is good to email or phone them, tell them a bit about yourself and why you are interested, and see if you can participate. 

If you live in a Gemeindebau (social housing), there are special community gardens available for you, which you can find here.

Most urban gardens in Vienna are intended for long-term use, but there is also a possibility of participating in them for a shorter amount of time; everything depends on the specific garden you choose.

However, active participation is only possible for registered members in most projects. If you do not get an opportunity to participate immediately, you have some alternatives, such as Naschgarten in the 21st district, where you can go and lend a helping hand or taste the garden’s vegetables and fruits.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to start a Verein in Austria

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

RENTING

‘Betriebskosten’: What are the extra costs renters must pay in Austria?

Renting an apartment in Austria means you’ll have to budget not only for the rent, but other somewhat hidden monthly costs and expenses.

Published: 30 April 2024 11:29 CEST
'Betriebskosten': What are the extra costs renters must pay in Austria?

Understanding operating costs or the specific expenses landlords or property agencies charge renters, is crucial for staying on top of your monthly payments when renting a place in Austria. These extra costs, known in German as Betriebskosten, are strictly regulated by Austria’s Tenancy Act. 

Here are the operating expensses that are chargeable to tenants, according to the MieterHilfe Public Association:

  • Water/wastewater and costs of leak testing, plus excess consumption due to burst pipes, but does not include disproportionate additional consumption for commercial operations;
  • Rubbish removal (and also clearing out floors and cellars);
  • Clearing out abandoned property;
  • Pest control, with costs such as extermination and periodic inspection or removal of pigeon droppings. Installation of pigeon screens is not included;
  • Sweeping fees (chimney sweep);
  • Electricity for lighting and communal facilities, such as the stairwell, but also replacement of light bulbs, fuses or switches;
  • Insurance premiums for fire, liability and water damage;
  • Insurance premiums for glass breakage and storm damage provided that more than half of the tenants have agreed to this being passed on;
  • Management fee (there is a set administration fee per square metre of usable space and building construction year)
  • House cleaning, including wages and social payments if there is a caretaker, plus materials; 
  • Public charges, unless there is a prohibition on passing them on – offsetting of property taxes is permitted;
  • Ongoing operating costs for communal facilities (lift, heating, playground, green areas, common rooms, etc.).

However, costs such as maintenance and repair work can never be charged under operating expenses.

The same goes for any ‘disproportionate additional costs or consumption due to commercial operations ‘, which refers to costs that are significantly higher than what would be considered normal for residential use or costs that are incurred due to the operation of a business within the rented property. 

READ ALSO: Tenant or landlord – Who pays which costs in Austria?

Vienna’s association for tenants MieterHilfe has a calculator that uses average values to show whether the Betriebskosten you pay are comparatively low, medium or high. The association notes, however, that even low values could be considered unauthorised billing in some cases. In contrast, high values could be correct – the calculator only shows if you are paying too much compared to other properties in the city.

You can check the values HERE. You will need to know either the total usable area of the building or the usable area of the flat and the operating cost share—this information is usually shown in a payment statement you receive from property management. 

What if I believe I am being unfairly charged?

If you think you are paying too much, but the charges are legal – such as for water electricity etc, then you would need to raise this issue with property management. They could take measures to save on operating costs, such as replacing old light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones or setting lights to a timer instead of a traditional light switch, for example.

There are many possible reasons for high or low values, according to the City of Vienna. For example, you may pay comparatively low for water one year because of a small number of residents, while the following year, there are leaking sanitary facilities and a burst water pipe that raises costs.

Buildings with many communal areas and green spaces often tend to have higher operating costs, especially for water, electricity, and housekeeping. 

However, things are different if you think you are being unduly charged—that is, there are charges in the operating costs that do not belong there, such as unapproved construction repair.

READ ALSO: Renting in Austria – The key things foreign residents need to know

If you are unsure of the costs, there is a significant deviation from average prices for no particular reason, or you believe that you are being charged for something not legally admissible as an operating cost, you could have a free check carried out by MieterHilfe or a tenant protection organisation. 

If there is a suspicion of unauthorised billing that cannot be dispelled between tenants and the property management company, this will be clarified at the arbitration board. The arbitration board is an independent body that mediates disputes between tenants and landlords. It is a point of contact before the courts in case of difficulties or legal disputes, and its decision is legally binding.

Property management companies and landlords must settle the operating costs for the previous year by 30 June at the latest and disclose them to tenants. This deadline is set to ensure that tenants have sufficient time to review their cost statements and raise any concerns before the new rental year begins. All expenses must be itemised in the statement, providing transparency and allowing tenants to see exactly what they are being charged for.

They are obliged to provide tenants with a detailed summary of the statement and the invoice documents. If the operating costs per square metre exceed €2, a more detailed review is recommended, according to the City of Vienna.

SHOW COMMENTS