New points system

More Innsbruck residents to get city apartments

The Tyrolean capital is beautiful. But living here is expensive.

(Bild: Hubert Rauth (Symbolbild))

Who gets a city apartment in Innsbruck? This is regulated by strict criteria. But these have now been relaxed. The waiting lists are likely to get longer. However, the new allocation system does not solve the housing problem in Innsbruck. 

Dream city apartment. For some, given the exorbitant rents in the provincial capital, this is the only way to live in Innsbruck. There are 17,500 city apartments, with 5,000 to 7,000 people on the waiting list. In order to be allowed to rent such an affordable apartment, you have to fulfill certain criteria and then often wait several years on the housing allocation list.

Senior citizens, young people, single parents, people with a high housing cost burden or even volunteers receive more points.

Bürgermeister Johannes Anzengruber

Bild: Birbaumer Christof

New guidelines after the "knee-jerk reaction"
Following the "knee-jerk reaction" to the second allocation list in the last legislative period, the new coalition has now drawn up new allocation guidelines, which will be adopted by the municipal council on Thursday and come into force in June 2025.

Facts and figures

• There are currently around 17,500 city apartments in Innsbruck
• On average, around 450 apartments have been allocated per year since 2018 for resettlement and around 200 for initial settlement
• Most city apartments are located in the Pradl and O-Dorf districts
• There are currently 2567 applications for a rental apartment, 514 for a condominium
• This concerns approx. 5000 - 7000 people (depending on family size and application)

The new conditions should bring more people onto the list, including the middle class (net family income will be reduced from 40 to 33 percent) and people who have had their main residence in Innsbruck for four years instead of five.

Yes, there will be more people on the list, but we will have an honest picture of the housing market.

Ausschussvorsitzender KO Benjamin Plach (SPÖ)

Bild: Birbaumer Christof

And in future it will be possible to apply at the age of 16. All people who have access to the labor market should also be able to apply. "Yes, there will be more people on the list, but we will have an honest picture of the housing market," says committee chairman Benjamin Plach (SPÖ).

The allocation process will also become more modern and digital. In future, it will be possible to view the basic outlines of apartments digitally in advance. The allocation process is to be made quicker using a "housing ticket" and the apartments are to be distributed in a more targeted manner.

A digital platform should simplify the exchange of apartments. Of course, this does not mean that the housing problem in Innsbruck is off the table; other solutions are being worked on, such as student residences.