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Today in Austria: A round-up of the latest news on Friday

Find out what's going on today in Austria with The Local's short roundup of the news.

Published: 19 March 2021 10:00 CET
Pamela Rendi-Wagner
The former leader of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPOe) Pamela Rendi-Wagner arrives at Hofburg Palace for post-election TV debates in Vienna, Austria, on September 29, 2019 (Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK / AFP)

‘Lockdown needed’ says opposition SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner

SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner says Austria should lockdown soon, in order to stop the “worrying upward trend” of infections which risk overwhelming the country’s  intensive care units, she told the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” on Friday.

She said school closings or an extension of the Easter holidays, should be “the last resort”, the Der Standard newspaper reports.

Deaths fall in care homes

Deaths are falling among people in retirement homes, due to the vaccination campaign, figures from the Ministry of Health show. Patient advocate Gerald Bachinger is now calling for the visiting rules to be relaxed.

Scientist Niki Popper has urged the vaccination campaign to now focus on people aged 65 and over as these make up a large proportion of intensive care patients.

He says if this “vaccination gap” is closed, further openings are possible in May, broadcaster ORF reports. 

Paper version of Digital Green Certificate for travel

Austria’s Ministry of Health has said there will also be a paper version of the EU Commission’s proposed Digital Green Certificate for travel. This would be in addition to a mobile application, which should also allow access for the elderly. Every second person between 65 and 74 uses a smartphone in Austria, according to the newspaper Wiener Zeitung

End in sight for border controls in Tyrol? 

Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz showed confidence in a visit to Berlin on Thursday that the German border controls to Tyrol will soon be ended.

Kurz: ‘The danger is the virus, not the vaccine’

After his meeting with the German Interior Minister Seehofer, Kurz said he was assuming “that if the infection process continues to develop so well in Tyrol”, the controls could be ended within two weeks, according to the APA agency.

FPÖ deputy in intensive care with coronavirus

The deputy chairman of the FPÖ party, Manfred Haimbuchner, is intensive care on a ventilator after contracting Covid 19. He tested positive for the corona virus on 11th March, two days after allegedly attending a baby shower with up to 30 people in his home town of Steinhaus near Wels, broadcaster ORF reports. 

AstraZeneca vaccine ‘central’ to Austria’s rollout

Health Minister Rudolf Anschober has said the AstraZeneca vaccine is central to Austria and the EU’s vaccination programmes because the drug does not need to be heavily refrigerated, is easier to transport and can also be used by GPs.

AstraZeneca vaccine ‘safe and effective’ against Covid-19: European Medicines Agency 

By the end of the second quarter of 2021, 4.6 million people in Austria, or 63 per cent of adults, should have received vaccination protection, including 5.9 million doses from AstraZeneca, ORF reports. 

New Hedy Lamarr museum in Vienna

Vienna is planning a museum for Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr was born in Vienna before becoming a celebrated actress who also invented torpedo defence technology which is considered a forerunner of Bluetooth.

Vienna’s Jewish Museum bought the Lamarr’s estate of the US actress, which includes an archive of photos, personal letters and documents as well as items of clothing and her legendary drawings on torpedo defense.

It is now looking for a suitable exhibition location, ORF reports. 

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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.

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