Rented flat types

There are various rented flat types in Vienna ranging from privately owned to subsidised and city-owned flats. However, for the latter two you have to meet certain criteria to be able to rent them.

Privately owned flats

If you do not qualify for a city-owned flat (Gemeindewohnung), or a co-operative flat (Genossenschaftswohnung), you will find available flats or houses on the private housing market on the Internet or in newspapers.

Searching for a flat

Subsidised and city-owned flats

City-owned flats (Gemeindewohnungen) are entirely owned by the City of Vienna. They are run, managed and renovated by the business enterprise City of Vienna - Housing in Vienna (Stadt Wien - Wiener Wohnen) (German). Co-operative flats (Genossenschaftswohnungen) are built with subsidies from the Federal Province of Vienna but are not owned by the City of Vienna or a private actor. They are run by the respective co-operative housing association (Wohnbaugenossenschaft).

As both categories of subsidised flats are limited in their number, interested tenants have to meet certain criteria in order to be able to apply for them. All in all, there are about 220,000 city-owned flats and 200,000 co-operative flats in Vienna, which make the City of Vienna the biggest public owner of social housing estates in Europe.

Eligibility criteria for subsidised housing

To become eligible for a city-owned or a co-operative flat, you have to be a holder of the Wiener Wohn-Ticket (German) which is a confirmation of registration for a city-owned flat. To qualify for the Wiener Wohn-Ticket you have to meet the following requirements:

  • You must be more than 17 years old
  • Vienna and your current flat must have been your primary place of residence throughout the past two years
  • You must either be an Austrian citizen, a citizen of another EU member state, a recognised refugee (holder of a grey card), or a third country national (i.e. neither Austrian nor EU-citizen) who has had a valid residence permit for more than five years
  • You must either be an Austrian citizen, or a citizen of another EU member state, of an EEA country or Switzerland, or a recognised refugee, or a third country national holding a permanent residence permit “Daueraufenthalt-EU” pursuant to the Law on Residence and Settlement in Austria (Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz – NAG)
  • Your income must be below the income limit set by the Vienna Housing Promotion and Rehabilitation Act (Wiener Wohnbauförderungs- und Wohnhaussanierungsgesetz – WWFSG)
  • Spouses and civil partners can only apply for a (Wiener Wohn)-Ticket together

People who have already been living in Vienna over a longer period of time will receive preferential treatment as far as allocation of flats is concerned.

Refer to the eligibility criteria (German) for the Wiener Wohn-Ticket for further details.

Co-operative flats (Genossenschaftswohnungen)

Co-operative flats are built by non-profit co-operative housing associations and aimed at serving their members with affordable high-standard homes. In order to rent a co-operative flat it is necessary to be a member or become a member of the respective co-operative housing association.

When living in a co-operative flat, tenants are often supposed to make a financial contribution (Finanzierungsbeitrag). The amount depends on the age and location of the building, as well as the size of the flat. However, the financial contribution paid by the tenant will be refunded upon termination of the tenancy including a depreciation of one percent per year.

Refer to the Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations (Österreichischer Verband Gemeinnütziger Bauvereinigungen - Revisionsverband- GBV) for details.

City-owned flats (Gemeindewohnungen)

If you would like to move into a city-owned flat, at least one of the following points must apply to your current living situation in addition to the Wiener Wohn-Ticket:

  • Overcrowding (Überbelag) applies, when there are more people living in your flat than it is made for
  • Setting up house (Hausstandsgründung) applies, when you are younger than 30 and have been living at your parents’ place for more than ten years
  • People with special needs applies, when you are older than 65 and receive attendance allowance (Pflegegeld) on the third care level, or when you are older than 65 and live in a building without an elevator or below basic standards without a bathroom and a toilet

In addition to the regular city-owned flats there is also a SMART flat category, which is specifically aimed at serving the needs of young families, couples, singles, and single parents. The amount of the rent is comparable to that for city-owned flats. The eligibility criteria for moving into a SMART flat are the same as for regular city-owned flats.

Contact

For general information and personal advice on city-owned and co-operative flats contact the following institutions:

Wohnpartner (Housing Partner)

Wohnpartner is an initiative to promote active participation among tenants in city-owned flats to ensure good neighbourly relations. There are several Wohnpartner offices (German) in the city where you can drop in to address any of your concerns. Different Wohnpartner teams (German) are responsible for the individual districts.

  • Phone: +43 1 24 503 25960
  • E-mail: office@wohnpartner-wien.at
  • Calls and e-mails are answered from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm.
  • Personal consultation by appointment only.

Information leaflets available about Wohnpartner (German)

Contact for this page:
wien.gv.at-English Edition
Contact form