"Was taken by surprise"

Change of landlord: unauthorized doorstep selling?

Fejdulah Delic has lived in this block of flats near Salzburg's main train station for years. Now there are problems with the new owner from Lungau.

(Bild: zVg)

New owner, lots of problems! His landlord pressured the Salzburg resident into a new tenancy agreement - with significantly worse conditions included. The late turnaround only came after lengthy interventions ...

"I'm curious, I don't really trust the whole thing yet." Fejdulah Delic should actually be satisfied, but for the time being, skepticism still prevails. Too much has happened in the past weeks and months. "I was taken completely by surprise," says Delic.

New owner
One thing at a time: The Salzburg native lives in a house near Salzburg's main train station. The block of flats in Ferdinand-Porsche-Straße has had a new owner since this summer. The house now belongs to a real estate company based in Lungau. Many of the residents - like Fejdulah Delic - have open-ended tenancy agreements. This is likely to be a thorn in the side of the new owner.

He moved into the station district, rang the residents' doorbells and urged them to sign new tenancy agreements between door and door. These were now suddenly limited in time. Fejdulah Delic also signed one of these contracts. "It all happened so quickly, I even co-signed for my parents' apartment. No one even asked me if I had a power of attorney for it," he recalls.

Landlords are not authorized to proceed in this way. They actually know this, which makes this approach all the more surprising.

Anna Riegel-Kilzer, Arbeiterkammer

Contact with the Chamber of Labor
However, it quickly dawned on him that something was not quite right. Delic contacted the Chamber of Labor (AK). "Those affected were not informed of their right to withdraw, which is why we were able to intervene," says AK tenancy law expert Anna Riegel-Kilzer.

After lengthy discussions, it is now clear: Delic can continue to rely on his old tenancy agreement. But: "There are countless people affected. A new agreement with the landlord is needed every time," says Riegel-Kitzer. A solution is currently still being sought for two tenants. The expert's appeal: "It's better to come to us before you sign."