New rules in Vienna

Short-term landlords profit from restrictions

Letting to managers and students could become even more profitable than the previous business with tourists.

(Bild: APA/Barbara Gindl)

Short-term landlords in Vienna can apparently live well with the stricter rules now in force for Airbnb and the like: they are now renting to other clientele and are hoping to make even more profit than from the tourist business.

The stricter rules for short-term landlords have been in force in Vienna for a month now, whether via the Airbnb platform or in other ways. However, it remains to be seen whether the plan to bring more apartments onto the regular rental market will work - as landlords are apparently already switching to a new tactic.

"Restriction at first glance only"
"Tourists, no thanks" was the new slogan recently announced by the landlord platform Wunderflats. Instead, the aim is now to attract skilled workers from abroad and students. Vienna's new rules are only "a drastic restriction at first glance", say the landlords. In reality, they would bring "advantages: stable rental income, less administrative work, less wear and tear, higher occupancy rates, responsible tenants".

Paris, Barcelona and Berlin had already enacted stricter rules for short-term landlords before Vienna, which led to a "spontaneous switch from short-term to medium-term rentals", according to the Wunderflats platform.

(Bild: SimpLine - stock.adobe.com)

Short-term landlords are now increasingly looking for guests who stay for a month or longer. Ideally, "only one to three tenant changes per year". According to analyses by Wunderflats, the typical customer group in Vienna is between 25 and 40 years old and comes to the city primarily for professional reasons, followed by the motives "temporary housing needs" and studies. Most short-term tenants come from Germany.

The city is not yet able to provide figures on the effectiveness of the new rules, which have only been in force since July 1. However, developments are being monitored "very closely", according to the department of Deputy Mayor Katrhin Gaál. Above all, there is now a new control group within the building police to monitor the rules and prevent illegal rentals. Furthermore, the aim of the new rules is to ensure that "as many apartments as possible are available for residential purposes!"