Vienna Property Market and Real Estate Guide

(Vienna / Wien, Austria)

Venerable Vienna is one of the most expensive cities in Europe. It is also one of the most insular, and expats that move here generally prefer to congregate in the most expat-friendly parts of the city, such as the 18th and 19th districts.

The 18th and 19th districts in Vienna's northwest are where most expats tend to settle, and these parts of the city are where most English-speaking real estate agencies and expat infrastructure is located. Both districts are full of beautiful old houses and apartment blocks, yet rental and purchase prices here are no cheaper than elsewhere in Vienna.


Vienna is a relatively compact city and the public transport system is superb. Students, particularly, find excellent and good value accommodations in all areas of the city, but downtown Vienna with its crowded tourist and shopping streets is probably the last place to source affordable and comfortable lodgings.

Many houses and apartments in Vienna are owned privately and though most owners will speak little English (German is the language of Vienna), private transactions welcome bargaining over prices and terms. Non-German speakers may want to work with an agent or liaison to bridge the linguistic gap and avoid miscommunications and rip-offs.

Renting Serviced Apartments

Vienna is a thriving centre of culture, education and business, and serviced apartments proliferate in all areas of the city. Length of stay can be a year or more, but expats or visitors seeking to rent a serviced apartment in Vienna for less than a week may find renting on these terms difficult.

Beautiful older-style serviced apartments come with period furniture, original artworks and ornate fittings. These type of serviced apartments are around twice the price of more modern apartments and can come with a live-in maid and building manager/concierge. Standard serviced apartments cost around the same, per night, as a three-star hotel in Vienna.

Buying Apartments and Houses in Vienna

Non-Austrian nationals are welcome to buy apartments and houses in Vienna. Expats planning on an extended stay (one year or more) may want to consider buying a property, but investing in real estate in Vienna with a view to making money is not necessarily a wise idea, since property prices tend to be very stable.

Expect to add on up to nine percent of the property price in solicitor fees, property transfer tax, and ownership and land registration. Studio apartments represent the cheapest investment, with larger apartments being twice the price and detached homes roughly four times the price. Those with low budgets may be priced out of making purchases in the central districts.

Expatriate property and contents insurance is mandatory and generally costs around one percent of the market value of the property annually. Private transactions usually come with an expectation that the original owner may conduct regular inspections and insist on contracts that limit or forbid modification to the property.

Vienna Real Estate Agents

Vienna's real estate agencies generally do business in German, although some of the larger national chains have English-speaking staff. Expats may want to utilise the formal real estate agents and pay the attached fees and charges, rather than navigate the private market.

Check out the following Vienna realtors and estate agents:

Immototal
Address: Schwedenplatz 2/51, Vienna, AT-1010, Austria
Tel: +43 1 886 88 88
Email: info@immototal.at
Website: www.immototal.at/real-estate-vienna-austria/index-en.php
Immototal has two branches in Vienna, and the agency specialises in high-end and luxury rentals and sales.

Gasser Real Estate
Address: Uhofstraße 114 Vienna, AT-1130, Austria
Tel: +43 1 961 03 13
Email: gasser.real@chello.at
Website: www.vienna-realestate.com
Gasser is the main realtor in Austria and its wide portfolio welcomes renters and buyers seeking all kinds of properties.

Wohneninwien
Address: Mohsgasse 30/1/46, Vienna, AT-1030, Austria
Tel: +43 699 11881121
Email: office@wohneninwien.com
Website: www.wohneninwien.com
Wohneninwien is a smaller realtor offering private sales and rentals in all central suburbs of Vienna.