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PROPERTY

Renting in Austria: The vocab you need to understand apartment ads

Carrying out the Austrian apartment search without knowing German can be tough, but understanding these words and phrases will help you navigate the ads and find your future home.

Published: 2 November 2021 09:53 CET
Updated: 24 November 2023 15:10 CET
Apartment kitchen
Even if you don't speak German, understanding just a few key phrases will simplify the apartment search significantly. Photo: Dmitry Zvolskiy/Pexels

The key details:

First, look out for apartments labelled as a Gemeindewohnnung or Genossenschaftswohnung. The former are social housing and the latter are co-operative apartments, and you can only rent these places if you have gone through the specific processes and fit the eligibility criteria. The monthly rents are often significantly cheaper than average, but there’s a reason.

When you find a place that catches your eye, take a look at the Mietdauer (duration of the rental period), which will either be befristet (time-limited, usually to either three or five years) or unbefristet (unlimited). If it’s time-limited, it may say Verlängerung möglich (extension possible). Make sure you check when it’s verfügbar (available). 

The Bautyp (type of building) will be listed as either an Altbau (built before 1955) or a Neubau (built after 1955). This detail isn’t just relevant to how the apartment looks, but also the rental law and costs that apply.

Occasionally, and particularly for short-term rentals, the apartment might note Anmeldung der Hauptwohnsitz nicht möglich (meaning it is not possible for the tenant to register the property as their main place of residence). This could cause you problems, because registration of residence is compulsory in Austria.

Apartment features

Apartments will often be classified based on how many rooms they contain, excluding the bathroom, so a 2-Zwimmer Wohnung (two-room apartment) has a bathroom, bedroom, and a living-dining room.

You should see which Stockwerk (floor) the apartment is on. Austria counts floors starting with 0 for the Erdgeschoss (ground floor), so Stockwerk 1 means you have one flight of stairs to climb.

Here are some other terms to look out for:

Balkon – balcony
Dachterrasse – roof terrace
mit Aufzug – with a lift/elevator
Einbauküche – built-in kitchen
Parkplatz – car parking space
Keller – cellar 
Waschmaschine – washing machine
Waschmachineanschluss – connection for a washing machine (this means you don’t get the appliance itself, but you should be able to have one installed easily)
Geschirrspüler – dishwasher
Elektrische Rollläden – electric blinds
Klimatisiert – with air conditioning

Some apartments may even be teilweise möbliert (partially furnished) or vollmöbliert (fully furnished), in which case it should either say precisely which items are included, or you need to ask the landlord. 

Rent:

The rental cost should be broken down into the Nettomiete (net rent), MWSt (Mehrwertsteuer or VAT) and Betriebskosten (service charges, which covers things like upkeep of the building and common areas, garbage disposal and so on), with these three costs giving you the Gesamtmiete (total rent), sometimes called Bruttomiete (gross rent).

The ad should tell you if Strom (electricity), Heizung (heating) and Gas (gas) are included.

Many landlords will also ask you to take out your own Haushaltsversicherung (household insurance).

Extra costs:

On top of your rent, expect extra costs including a Kaution (deposit), Ablöse (compulsory one-off fee to buy any furniture that you’re required to take over), and a Provision (estate agent fee) if the rental is being arranged through an agency. If you rent privately, you may be able to find an apartment that’s provisionsfrei (free of the agent’s commission).

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LIVING IN AUSTRIA

‘Haushaltsversicherung’: How does Austria’s home insurance work?

'Haushaltsversicherung' is one of Austria's most popular types of insurance. It is not mandatory, but it is certainly worth evaluating, especially as it comes with many possible add-ons.

Published: 2 May 2024 15:22 CEST
'Haushaltsversicherung': How does Austria's home insurance work?

Austrians are certainly obsessed with insurance coverage, and one of the most popular and common ones is known as the “Haushaltsversicherung”—if you don’t have it already, you have certainly heard of it. Here’s what you need to know about household insurance.

Firstly, this insurance covers damages to “all movable objects within your own four walls,” as Austria’s Chamber of Labour (AK) explains. This includes furniture, carpets, and electrical appliances. It would also cover damages caused by fire, storms, water, burglary, and glass breakage. 

Certain types of insurance, such as private liability insurance or mandatory dog liability insurance, are almost always combined with household insurance—another reason why the Haushaltsversicherung is so popular in Austria.

READ ALSO: What kind of insurance do I need to have in Austria?

However, there are enormous differences in premiums and benefits, so experts suggest you check precisely what you need before taking out insurance. The AK also says you should talk to an insurance advisor to learn more about your specific case and needs, particularly if you have any valuables in your home. 

Additionally, they said: “It makes sense to check your policy every few years to ensure that you are properly insured. This guarantees that the sums insured and the risks included are up-to-date and sufficient”.

What should I keep an eye on when reviewing policies?

Of course, different companies have their own offers, and they are often highly customisable to fit your apartment and lifestyle—some things you need to be aware of, though.

Certain policies are tied to the size of your apartment, while others will have a lump sum regardless of the size of your place. Policies also usually differ depending on whether you live in an apartment or a house. 

While most insurance will cover glass breakage (such as when a hail storm breaks your window, for example), some might have it as an add-on (wahlweise mit Glasbruch). 

You may also add other types of insurance to your household insurance, the most common being mandatory dog liability insurance (Hunde-Haftpflicht), legal insurance (Straf-Rechtsschutz), and sports insurance.

READ ALSO: Should I take out insurance before skiing in Austria?

It’s worth it to read each policy, but you should know some common clauses beforehand. For example, insurance often won’t cover burglary costs if your house has not been properly secured and locked. This might seem obvious, but since door knobs don’t open from the outside without the key, people often leave their homes, especially for short errands, and don’t lock the doors all the way. Insurance and safety experts recommend you get in the habit of locking your home doors.

It’s also important to check if your insurance will pay you “Neuwert” or “Zeitwert” in case of damage. 

A Neuwert means the insurance will pay for a replacement object, regardless of how old the stolen or broken one was. However, many insurance policies still contain the so-called “Zeitwert”, something like “current value”, so you wouldn’t receive an amount that could pay for a new product. Instead, a loss of value of around 10 percent per year could be expected for most objects.

What should I do if there is damage to my home?

If you see any damage to your home from burglary, accident or other types, you need to notify your insurer immediately and report the damage you have suffered. 

The insurance conditions usually stipulate a maximum period of three days for reporting a claim in property insurance. The Chamber of Labour also recommends that you send a written notification of the claim (preferably by registered mail, they add).

“Make a list of all items that have been destroyed or lost and enclose it with your report to both the insurer and the security authorities”, they said. And, of course, in the event of fire burglary or robbery, always inform the fire department or police authorities.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The Austrian insurance for if you get sued – or want to sue someone

How long does the insurance last, and how much does it cost?

The insurance term is usually specified in the counteract. In general, though, you can terminate it after the third year with one month’s notice if the contract has not already expired.

If you move house or move abroad, you can terminate your household insurance contract. You can cancel the insurance the day before the move begins (preferably by registered letter).

If you do not exercise your right of termination, the insurance will remain valid during the move and in the new home.

Regarding prices, they can be as low as a few euros a month (such as insurance specifically tailored to students living in shared flats) to several hundred a month if you have a large place with plenty of valuables or include several add-ons. 

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