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Mietvertrag

Renting a flat: contract, deposit, agent

What to know before signing a lease in Austria: who pays the agent, what deposit is normal and how to get it back.

Agent's fee
Since 1 July 2023 whoever hired the agent pays — usually the landlord
Deposit (Kaution)
Usually 3 months' rent; the courts' upper guideline is 6
Holding the deposit
In an interest-bearing savings account, separate from the landlord's money
Return
With interest, promptly after moving out — minus only real damage

Step by step

  1. Search the big listing sites and the city's housing (Wiener Wohnen, Wohnberatung Wien). Never pay a deposit before viewing the flat and signing a contract.
  2. Check the contract: term (open-ended or fixed — fixed terms are usually at least 3 years), rent and Betriebskosten (service charges), who pays heating and electricity.
  3. If the landlord hired the agent, you do not pay the agent (Bestellerprinzip). If you hired one yourself — at most 2 months' rent (+VAT) for leases of 3+ years.
  4. On moving in, photograph every room and sign a handover report (Übergabeprotokoll). Within 3 days, register your address (Meldezettel).
  5. Unsure about the contract or the rent? Free advice — Arbeiterkammer, Mietervereinigung, in Vienna — Wohnberatung Wien and the Schlichtungsstelle (arbitration board).

What to bring

  • Passport or ID
  • Proof of income (payslips) or employment contract
  • Sometimes — a credit report (KSV) on request
  • Money for the deposit and first month — by bank transfer only, with a receipt

Common mistakes

Sending a «reservation fee» before a viewing. It is the most common scam: the flat in the photos doesn't exist.

Paying an agent the landlord hired.

Skipping the handover report — later it is hard to prove the scratches were already there.

Words you will meet

die Mieterent
die Betriebskostenservice charges
die Kautiondeposit
der Makler / die Provisionagent / commission
befristetfixed-term

Official sources

Checked: 2026-10-05. This is a plain-language summary of official information, not legal advice. Deadlines and amounts change — check the linked official sources before you go.