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PROPERTY

REVEALED: The best districts to live in Vienna

Vienna has 23 districts (Bezirke) each with its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. So whether you are looking for an elegant, central flat on a cobbled street, or a family home near vineyards and forests, there is something for you. 

Published: 1 April 2021 16:50 CEST
Updated: 6 March 2022 07:36 CET
A woman in Cafe Sperl in Vienna
Guests sit in a coffee in front of St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria on March 15, 2020. - Austria on March 15, 2020 banned gatherings of more than five people and told residents to go out only if necessary, in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus. Police would enforce new restrictions on public life, the government said, threatening fines for non-compliance. The tougher measures were decided at an extraordinary session of parliament, during which Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called on the population to self-isolate and limit contacts to "the people they live with". (Photo by ALEX HALADA / AFP)

The first district or Innere Stadt – for rich, elegant people wishing to soak up Vienna’s history and culture 

The first district of Vienna is the historic centre and the city’s beating heart. Living here means being surrounded by classical architecture, art galleries and museums, having an opera house in your neighbourhood and walking home along cobbled streets past the city’s most exclusive designer boutiques. 

Naturally this area comes with a price to match its elegant surroundings.

The first district is the most expensive neighbourhood not only in Vienna but all of Austria, with a price tag of €19.30 per square metres according to the latest survey by rental website Willhaben (The runners up are Innsbruck at €18.50 and Kitzbühel at €17.30).

Parks, bars and the Danube Canal in Vienna’s second and third districts

People enjoy late afternoon near the Danube canal in Vienna (JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

However, just a short walk from the first district, is the former Jewish quarter of the second district, also known as Leopoldstadt. This vibrant area includes the huge Prater Park, the baroque Augarten and the Danube Canal which comes to life in summer with its outdoor bars.

Cheaper than the first district, it is still central and close to all the main attractions, with rentals averaging €14.10 per square metre.

The third district, Landstrasse, has the city’s Stadt Park on the doorstep. It is also home to the beautiful Belvedere Palace and the colourful housing complex designed by Austrian architect Hundertwasser. An added advantage are fast trains to the airport from the Landstrasse Mitte station. Rentals average out at €15.30 per square metre in this district. 

Karlskirche, good restaurants and top train connections in the Fourth and Fifth districts

The Fourth District, also known as Wieden, is not so full of green spaces, but makes up for it with great bars and good restaurants, especially in the streets around the 18th Century cathedral Karlskirche. Karlskirche is also home to one of Vienna’s nicest Christmas markets in the winter months. Wieden’s housing costs around €15.10 per square metre.

Nearby Margareten in the fifth district is a little less glamorous but is convenient for Vienna’s main train station. It’s also cheaper at €13.80 per square metre.

Hipsters, shopping, architecture and cobbled streets in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth districts

A waitress steps out of the Cafe Sperl in Vienna’s sixth district.(Photo by ALEXANDER KLEIN / AFP)

Mariahilf

The cluster of small, central districts are all great options, while each is subtly different from the other. Mariahilf’s sixth district features Vienna’s main shopping street alongside a giant aquarium housed in an old Second World War Flak Tower. It’s also home to  the historic Naschmarkt food market surrounded by some of Vienna’s most stunning Art Nouveau buildings,

Neubau

Hipster hotspot Neubau in the seventh has the largest selection of indy fashion and record shops and is a great place for brunch at the weekend. 

Josephstadt and Alsergrund

The tiny eighth district, Josephstadt, is Vienna’s theatre district, and has a more old fashioned and elegant feel, while the nearby ninth district is home to the city’s French Lycee, US Embassy and Vienna University, which boasts links to Beethoven and Freud.

The ninth district also features one of Vienna’s most charming areas, the Servitenviertel with its cobbled streets. It’s close to the city’s Freud Museum too. 

Rentals in these areas are €14.80 per square metre in Mariahilf, €15 per square metre in Neubau, €14.50 per square metre in Josephstad and €14.70 per square metre in Alsergrund.

Once you leave district nine, you find yourself outside Vienna’s ring road, the Gurtel. While these districts are less central, they give better access to Vienna’s vineyards, woods and surrounding hills, including some of Vienna’s most exclusive areas. 

A palace, vineyards and acres of woodland in Hietzing, Grinzing, Währing and Döbling

You can drink wine in a vineyard when you live in the 19th District (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

Hietzing or the 13th district is best known as the location of Vienna’s Schönnbrunn Palace, a gorgeous summer palace set in acres of gardens topped by a gloriette looking over the city. People living here tend to be more traditional and well off. However, apartments can be rented for around €14.30 per square metre.

Währing and Döbling are both greener, quieter locations on the outskirts of Vienna. The 18th District, as Währing is also known, is home to the city’s international schools and larger villas, centred around the beautiful Türkenschanzpark.

Währing apartments cost around €14.30 per square metre. The 19th District, Döbling, features truly jaw-dropping homes, vineyards and wine taverns lining cobbled streets, with hiking trails into the Vienna Woods starting from the back door. Döbling prices are more expensive, around €15.30 per square metre. 

River views and an international feel in Donaustadt. 

A restaurant on Danube Island in Vienna (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

Donaustadt, or the 22nd district, is a huge area of Vienna, best known for its river beach areas along the Old Danube and near the Uno City, which is home to Vienna’s UN and international organisations.

There are some great parks and a very international feel in this area of Vienna, close to Danube Island, a man-made island devoted entirely to recreation and wildlife. However, rents are not cheap in Donaustadt, averaging out at €15,1 per square metre. 

Hipsters meets hiking trails

One up and coming area is the 16th District, also known as Ottakring. Traditionally a very multi-cultural district with a large Turkish and Balkan population, it is now becoming more fashionable, though it’s still possible to pick up Turkish food at the huge open air Brunnen market near Yppenplatz.

Other landmarks of the area include the Ottakring brewery which hosts events throughout the year. This district borders the greenery of Wilhelminenburg, with its beautiful hikes, vineyards and views to enjoy at weekends. Rentals come in at a reasonable €13.60 per square metre in this neighbourhood.

The cheapest areas to live in Vienna. 

According to rental website Willhaben, the cheapest district in Vienna is Simmering (€12.60), although Penzing (€13.60), Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus (€13.20) and Hernals (€13) also represent good value for money. 

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RENTING

What tenants in Austria need to know about getting their rent reduced

From construction noise to broken utilities, various issues can allow tenants in Austria to request a rent reduction. Learn the steps to follow and when legal action might be necessary.

Published: 19 September 2024 15:02 CEST
What tenants in Austria need to know about getting their rent reduced

In Austria, tenants can legally request rent reductions if their rental property’s usability is significantly impaired. 

According to MieterHilfe, the association that helps renters in Vienna, Section 1096 of the Austrian Civil Code (ABGB) regulates this. The ABGB covers rental agreements for all properties. 

The law offers protection when tenants experience issues like heavy construction noise or utility outages (such as gas, electricity, or water). However, knowing when and how to apply for a rent reduction and understanding the process can be tricky. Disputes often end up in court and are decided on a case-by-case basis.

READ ALSO: Can my landlord in Austria increase the rent whenever they want?

When you can ask for a rent reduction

If your rental property’s usability is restricted, you can apply for a rent reduction. Common examples of restricted usability often include disruptions in gas, electricity, or water supplies, major construction noise from remodelling, damage to property that prevents proper use, such as a broken heating system, and more. 

Importantly, tenants can claim a rent reduction even if the landlord is not directly responsible for the impairment. However, the extent of the usability issue must be clear, and the tenant must notify the landlord to allow them to fix the problem. Additionally, if a tenant repairs the issue, the rent reduction period ends as soon as the repair is made.

Not all impairments qualify for a rent reduction, though. For example, minor inconveniences or defects, issues that the tenant was aware of when signing the lease, impairments caused by the tenant’s actions and situations where the tenant has already waived the right to a reduction do not count.

An attic room can get extremely hot without air conditioning (Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash)

If there is a dispute, the court will decide the extent of the rent reduction, considering objective and subjective factors. For example, households with small children or pregnant women might receive higher reductions.

READ ALSO: Tenant or landlord: Who pays which costs in Austria?

MieterHilfe has a table with many recent cases that can give you an idea of the causes of rent reduction and the amount tenants received. For example, in one case in Vienna, the flat had significant mould infestation, and the tenants received a 75 percent rental reduction. In another case, rent was reduced by 30 percent because of “unhealthy odours” from the rubbish room that affected half of the flat.

In one case, dangerous electrical cables were accessible inside the flat, and the tenant did not have to pay any rent until the issue was fixed.

Things get more complicated when it comes to noise. In one case in 2005, the tenant got a 15 percent rent reduction due to the consequences (noise and smell nuisance) of a garage construction in the neighbouring property, but not a reduction when the next-door property was doing “normal construction work.”

Another common complaint tenants have is regarding heat, especially in Dachgeschoss apartments (attic apartments), which can get extremely hot due to the lack of ventilation and their location in buildings. In one case, the air conditioning system was positioned so unfavourably that the rooms were not cooled —the tenant got a 6 percent reduction in rent.

In another, though, the complaint regarding excessive heating was dismissed, and the tenant received no reduction because they had rented the room without any reservation or questioning, even though the place had no sun protection or air conditioning.

READ ALSO: What happens when my rental contract expires in Austria?

Legal action and rent payment strategies

Tenants must be cautious when pursuing rent reductions, the renter’s association say. Two approaches are commonly used.

You can continue paying the total rent while negotiating. The tenant informs the landlord about the issue and continues paying the total rent but reserves the right to claim a reduction later. This can be useful in avoiding eviction risks.

Or, they can reduce rent directly. This means the tenant pays a reduced amount but informs the landlord in writing. If the landlord disagrees, they may take legal action, and the court will decide the appropriate – if any – reduction.

In both cases, it is essential to notify the landlord in a verifiable form, such as a registered letter, to ensure the process is documented.

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