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READER QUESTIONS

Reader question: What are the rules for mowing your lawn in Austria?

As the weather gets warmer and the outdoors seems inviting once again, those who are lucky enough to have a garden should be mindful of the surprisingly large amount of rules for noise and lawn mowing in your own backyard.

Published: 21 March 2022 15:55 CET
Updated: 16 April 2024 13:59 CEST
lawn mower and grass
The lawn (Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash)

Mowing the garden might seem like an easy routine activity for many people who own a garden or land. Still, Austria wouldn’t be Austria if there weren’t many rules and regulations regarding lawn mowing.

As with any other activities associated with noises, lawn mowing is regulated by the municipalities and is a matter for the local police. Unfortunately, that means you could be getting a visit from the police if you don’t follow the rules. Or worse: a passive-aggressive note from an anonymous neighbour.

Laws vary depending on the municipality, and you can find a list of them divided by state here. Don’t forget to check your own Gemeinde rules.

It is not uncommon for specific areas, for example, condominiums and kleingärten, to have their own (often stricter) rules. So you need to be mindful of your landlord rules, building rules, municipal and state rules.

Specific rules

In Vienna, for example, it is forbidden to use any internal combustion equipment (petrol lawnmowers) at all. It is also not permitted to mow your lawn on Saturdays from 12pm to 12am and all day during Sundays and holidays.

Electric lawnmowers could technically still be used during these times, but the general quiet times (Ruhezeiten) apply.

In Innsbruck, there is a regulation forbidding any “noise-inspiring” house of garden work during weekdays (Monday to Saturday) from 12pm to 3pm and 8pm to 6am, and all day for Sunday and public holidays.

Graz has even stricter rules, including an all-year ban on leaf blowers and leaf vacuum cleaners. For lawn mowing and any other work that makes noises, the ban is from Monday to Friday from 7pm to 7am, on Saturdays from 12pm to 3pm, and 7pm to 7am and all day on Sunday and public holidays.

READ MORE: Can I have a barbecue on my balcony in Austria?

In Salzburg, garden tools powered by combustion are also forbidden, like leaf blowers. In addition, in general, lawn mowing is only allowed from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 12pm and from 2pm to 7pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 12pm.

Austria’s third-largest city Linz is one of the few where there are no specific regulations on lawn mowing – though the Ruhezeiten rules still apply just like any building and Verein regulations that might rule the particular area where you live.

There are no specific regulations in many smaller cities that might get you in trouble with law enforcement.

However, especially where the communities are tighter, it is important to keep in mind how much Austrians value their “quiet times”, the contact with peace and quiet in nature, especially as spring makes it possible to enjoy some sun in their balconies and backyards again.

In doubt, it doesn’t hurt to ask for any unwritten rules that might exist.

What are The Local’s reader questions? 

As part of our service to our readers and members, we often answer questions on life in Austria via email when people get in touch with us. 

When these have value to the greater Local Austria community, we put them together as an article, with ‘reader question’ in the headline. 

All readers of The Local Austria can ask a reader question, i.e. you do not need to be a member. If you do find our reporting valuable however, then please consider signing up. 

Useful vocabulary

Rasenmähen – lawn mowing
Ruhezeiten – quiet periods
Gemeinden – municipalities
Verordnungen – ordinances
Verbrennungsmotoren – internal combustion engines

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For members

LIVING IN AUSTRIA

Familienbeihilfe: How can I get Austria’s family allowance payments?

Austrian residents raising children are eligible for family allowance, a monthly payment to help with child costs. But how much can you receive and how do you get the payments?

Published: 13 September 2024 16:06 CEST
Familienbeihilfe: How can I get Austria's family allowance payments?

If you have children and live in Austria, you may be entitled to receive Familienbeihilfe, or family allowance, a subsidy that helps parents with the costs of raising children. 

This allowance is available to Austrian residents whose centre of life is in Austria, provided they live in a shared household with their child. The family allowance applies to children up to the age of 18 but may be extended to 24 or 25 in some instances.

How do I apply for it?

In most cases, family allowance is granted automatically upon the birth of a child in Austria without the need for an application. 

The tax office will inform you of your entitlement after your child is born and registered in Austria. Still, you may be asked to provide additional details such as bank information – or further proof that your centre of life is in Austria. For example, the Financial Office in Austria (Finanzamt) may ask you to show proof that you live and work in the country. 

READ ALSO: What you need to know about parental leave in Austria

If an application is required – usually when the child was not born in Austria- if you are moving here with your family, it must be submitted to the local tax office either online via FinanzOnline or in person.

You will need to provide the birth certificate and residence registration (Meldezettel) for both the child and the applicant.

You can apply online at FinanzOnline, search for Familienbeihilfe on the website, and then click on the application page. You can also use the form Beih100 and hand it in in person after an appointment, sending it to the Finanzamt by mail or dropping it in the post box outside each local Finanz office. You can check addresses HERE.

How much is the family allowance?

The monthly family allowance depends on the age of the child:

  • €132.30 from birth
  • €141.50 when the child turns 3
  • €164.20 from age 10
  • €191.60 from age 19

If you have multiple children, you are entitled to a supplementary allowance that increases with each additional child. The Austrian government also provides a school start allowance of €116.10 in August for children aged between 6 and 15.

For children with significant disabilities, the allowance is increased by €180.90 per month, provided you submit a medical certificate certifying the child’s disability.

How is Family Allowance paid?

Payments are made monthly, and the parent in charge of the household, usually the mother, receives the allowance. However, the mother can waive this right in favour of the other parent if desired. Since January 2024, the amount has been adjusted automatically for inflation, ensuring continued support for families as living costs rise.

READ NEXT: What you need to know about Austria’s child support benefits

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