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Repair bonus: How to get money back when electrical items break in Austria

There's never a good time for your fridge or washing machine to break, but Austria's new 'repair bonus' scheme does at least bring a silver lining by covering some of your costs.

Published: 25 January 2022 11:42 CET
Updated: 26 April 2022 09:38 CEST

Broken washing machine

No need to ditch your broken electrical devices; Austria will soon allow you to get them repaired for half price. Photo: Simon Hurry/Unsplash

The new Reparaturbonus scheme can be used to cover costs of repairs of electrical devices, but not regular maintenance.

The scheme started in just a few of Austria’s regions earlier this year, but from Tuesday April 26th the repair bonus is available nationwide.

The Reparaturbonus works by covering some of the cost of repairs for Austrian residents, with up to €200 per device refunded. It covers large household items like fridges, washing machines, tumble dryers, and coffee machines but also things like computers, mobile phones, e-bikes, electronic toys and garden tools.

READ ALSO: How to save money on bills in Austria

This is part of Austria’s so-called ‘eco-social’ tax reform, and the scheme is set to be in place across Austria until at least 2026. The Ministry of Climate Protection has allocated €130 million to cover the costs of the scheme.

The process involves creating a repair voucher at reparaturbonus.at and downloading it or printing it out. The voucher can then be taken to a participating repair business.

This means you will only need to pay up to 50 percent of the full cost upfront, with the business using the voucher to apply for the remainder of the money from the government.

READ ALSO: Seven tips to save money in Austria

Customers can apply for one voucher per device, but can then apply for more vouchers for other devices.

All participating companies are marked as a Reparaturbonus business and listed on the website, which also has a search function to allow users to find a registered business in their district.

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Can I get out of a rental contract in Austria?

In Austria, the rental market is highly competitive, with apartments often staying on rental platforms for short periods due to high demand and limited supply. This, coupled with brief apartment visits (sometimes with other prospective tenants) and the pressure to secure a place, can lead to hasty contract signings.

Understanding your withdrawal rights is essential in such a market.

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

If you signed a rental contract and then realised you don’t want the place, you might feel stuck in your contract. Austria does have really strict rules on contracts, so that “anyone who signs a rental offer makes a binding declaration that they wish to rent the apartment at a certain rate”, Austria’s Tenants Association says.

The real estate agent will also remind you that you cannot leave your contract, as you signed a contractual agreement (“verbindliches Angebot“, which means a binding offer). But what exactly are your rights then?

It’s all about timing

Basically it’s very tricky and almost impossible to back out after signing a rental contact in Austria.

According to Austria’s Chamber of Labour (AK), Austrian law is on your side – but only in a particular case.

Under a consumer law that applies to all types of contracts, including rental agreements, you are protected against potential pressure from real estate agents and property owners. If you view an apartment and sign an agreement on the same day, you have the right to withdraw from the contract within the week. Furthermore, if the estate agent fails to inform you of your right to cancel, you can withdraw from the contract within one month.

READ ALSO: Shopping in Austria – What are your consumer rights when purchasing goods?

The Tenants Association is more critical and explains that withdrawal is only possible within the “narrow” limits of the Consumer Protection Act. “If you as a consumer submit your contractual declaration on the same day that you viewed the apartment for the first time, you can withdraw from your contractual declaration in writing within one week.”

If the offer was not signed on the day of the very first viewing, though, there is no right of withdrawal in Austria.

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

If you have the right to do so, the most effective way to withdraw from a rental contract is to do it in writing, preferably by a registered letter, as explained by the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK). This not only provides a clear record of your intent but also empowers you to navigate the legal aspects of the process with confidence.

If you signed the offer after the viewing, you don’t have the right to withdraw from the contract you signed. In that case, you could ask for a mutual agreement termination, seeking an amicable termination option with the landlord. Otherwise, you’d be bound by the contract, which in Austria usually means you’d have to stay for one year in the apartment and give three months’ notice before leaving.

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