While short-term rentals of a couple of days, weeks, or a few months are fairly easy, as described in our post here, long term rentals in Vienna are slightly more complicated, but not actually too difficult. This is not characteristic of Vienna or Austria alone; in every other country, long-term rental of property is a bit more complex than an instant holiday rental. As you probably assumed, this post is meant for people moving to Vienna.

Table of Contents

Where you can rent a property long term in Vienna?

Let’s first establish what is a long-term property rental. Since most landlords and agencies will not rent long-term for a period under one year (and even if they do, the price will probably skyrocket), let’s agree that long-term rental is for a period of one year or more. Additionally, lease agreements are usually made for 2 years or more and a one-year rental is the minimum rental period you will find in Vienna (and Austria).

Most of the rentals are managed by agencies in Vienna. Some rentals, especially subletting, are done directly by the tenant or lessor. This is usually best done online (as with the majority of stuff these days) on websites such as Sublet or Willhaben, among several others.

For long-term rentals in Vienna through agencies, there are several websites to look for properties, send queries and make appointments for viewing. Here are some top Vienna long-term rental agencies:

The above websites are all in German, but you can easily translate them into Google Chrome instantly.

Some international websites/agencies to also look for long-term rentals are the following:

You can rent a property without agency and directly through the landlord, but you will need a lease agreement to cover legally your rental and to protect you from trouble. This would be the case if you are renting a property from a friend or a relative and you agree about conditions and put it in the contract, so, on rare occasions.

What is the best location to rent long term in Vienna?

As we wrote in our post about lodging tips when you come and visit Vienna, it all depends on what are your personal preferences and budget.

The location of your rental will definitely depend on your situation, such as your job location, children’s school location, your budget, and ability to pay higher rent and be close to your job/school or you prefer to pay less and commute, etc.

We wrote a general Vienna district guide where we mention a few characteristics of each of the 23 Vienna districts. This might be also helpful to you in deciding on where to rent. Whichever district you decide, keep in mind that Vienna has very good and punctual public transport and you will be able to reach any point in the city within a 20-45 minute ride.

In some districts, you can rent an apartment for as low as 500 Euro/per month and the average price of rentals in Vienna is around 1,400 Euro, which is quite low for the European capital’s average.

Vienna has all types of accommodations available for long term rentals: studio or small apartments, large apartments and penthouses, houses of different sizes and with a variety of facilities (pool, garden, garage, etc), and luxurious villas for the more privileged among us.

What documents are required to sign the lease?

In order to sign long-term rental lease, you will require several documents. Apart from a standard ID document or passport, you will need Meldezettel (residence registration form, which will be updated when you sign the lease) of your current residence (short or long term) and proof of the ability to pay the rent (salary statements, pension statement, income statement).

Although proof of ability to pay rent is not a requirement, most agencies will require it to make sure you have the means to pay for the rent regularly.

How much does it cost?

Long term rental has several expenses that are charged initially. This includes the first month’s rent payment, agency fees, and security deposit. Agency fees are usually one-month rent, but it can go up to two months. The security deposit is up to three months and it will be returned in full if the property is in the same condition as it was when leased. Any necessary repairs will be deducted from the deposit. Some agencies also require tenants to sign up for property insurance, which is an additional cost.

Important things to consider for long term rentals

We spoke about location and rent, but there are several other important things you need to consider before you rent long term rental in Vienna. These are listed here:

What are the rules about painting, decorating, and installations on the property? Example: installation of bookshelves, TV screens on walls that require drilling?
Are pets allowed? This is important to clarify as this might be a deal-breaker. Usually, any property in Vienna will allow a cat, small dog, hamster, or fish. For large dogs or any other larger pets, this probably needs to be clarified before signing a lease.
Are you allowed to sublet the apartment when away? As subletting is legally possible, this needs to be clarified as well if subletting will be your intention.
Are any utilities included? Utilities are usually not included in the rent, but if they are, this will be important information when deciding on a budget.
Who is doing property maintenance and cleaning and how much does it cost? This should be stated in the contract. When living in an apartment building, there are recurring monthly costs for building cleaning and maintenance that can considerably increase your expenses.
What is the cancelation notice when either party decides to cancel the lease agreement? This is important in both cases, when you decide to move out and you need enough time to organize logistics, or if the landlord decides to cancel the lease agreement in case of the sale of property, renovation, etc. It is usually three months’ notice.
What are the procedures in case of dispute? All lease contracts are subject to local regulation and this is stated in the lease contract. It would be worth reading it before signing (as with any other contract).

Conclusion

Long term rentals in Vienna will be definitely on your list should you decide to move here. The good news is, there is plenty of property to rent at affordable prices and the procedure is fairly simple. The bad news? Actually, there is no bad news here, except that you will probably get into a dispute with your landlord/agency at some point, but you would do that anywhere in the world, anyway Safe travels, and see you soon!