The housing costs in Austria have recently increased significantly. The high inflation also contributed to this. To relieve tenants: to relieve the inside, under the turquoise-green government has already been intervened in the regulated housing market, and now the National Council has decided on a further relief measure on the initiative of the new triple coalition. At the end of today’s meeting the deputies unanimously voted to temporarily freeze rents in old building, community and cooperative apartments and only to valorize again in the coming year. Without this step, State Secretary Michaela Schmidt would increase by three to four percent from April from April. In the next step, according to the coalition parties, a new value security clause for all apartments – and thus also for new buildings – should follow.
No majority received a motion for a decision by the Greens. MPs Nina Tomaselli and her group of parliamentary group: Inside, among other things, a rental price stop for all rents until the end of 2026, a ban on limited apartment rental contracts for commercial landlords and an interest -proof cover for all existing “house loans”.
SPÖ expects 250 ꞓ save for average family
The basis for the National Council decision formed a common Application by ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, which had only been filled with concrete content in the budget committee. According to this, the suspension of inflation adjustment 2025 in the Rentrecht Act, in the Directorate Act and the Law of the Housing Community is anchored. An average Austrian family will save itself 250 ꞓ a year, SPÖ MP Wolfgang Moitzi stated in the debate. In contrast, there would have been no such relief in a ÖVP-FPÖ coalition, he claimed.
Moitzi’s parliamentary group colleague Julia Herr and Elke Hanel-Torsch also claimed the available rent brake and other legislative proposals in the area of living as a success of the SPÖ. The rents in the free housing sector have increased by 80 % since 2010, Herr said that one had to counteract this. In this sense, she welcomed that rent increases in the future should generally be capped with 3 % plus half inflation rate. Tenants would also benefit from this: Inside business premises, she emphasized.
This planned joint value security clause for all apartments was also emphasized by the ÖVP MP Andreas Otenschläger and Norbert Sieber. This creates both tenants: inside and for landlords: inside and investor: Legal certainty inside, said Ottenschläger. Everything that goes beyond 3 % is between landlords: inside and tenants: divided on the inside. According to him, other inflation -damping measures are also planned in the regulated housing sector for the years 2026 and 2027. The present rental price brake also has a positive effect on the inflation rate, emphasized Otenschläger.
No rental cover in new buildings
However, according to Neos MP Sophie Marie Wotschke, there will be no rental cover in the new building. “We won’t lose sight of in residential policy,” she said. It still needs incentives for investor: inside to create enough living space. The laws of supply and demand would also apply to living space, according to Wotschke. What you have to do is clarify the value security clause. ÖVP MP Sieber also confirmed that one would not intervene in rent formation on the free housing market.
Greens and FPÖ consider rental brake to be insufficient
The rental brake was also decided by FPÖ and Greens, although both opposition parties rated the measure as inadequate. For example, FPÖ MP Maximilian Weinzierl spoke of “Reiner Kosmetik”. Living space is also so expensive because it had become scarce through “the mass immigration”. In addition, “absurd requirements” would drive up the costs. It also needs to reduce construction costs.
Nina Tomaselli (Greens) took up a speech by SPÖ MP Josef Muchitsch from 2023. The latter had reacted to a rental brake in the regulated housing sector with the remark that the turquoise-green coalition reacted with the remark that only rents would be cut that is already low. Those tenants: On the other hand, Muchitsch had criticized at the time. Private landlords and investors would not have to fear any loss of profit. Unlike today, the turquoise-green government compensated for the loss of residential builders at the time, Tomaselli said.
In order to underline their demand for further measures to reduce housing costs, Tomaselli brought in a motion for a resolution, which, however, was not approved beyond the Greens. Among other things, a rental price stop for all rents until the end of 2026, a limitation of subsequent inflation adjustments with a maximum of two percent per year, a ban on temporary apartment rental contracts for commercial landlords: inside and the introduction of penal provisions for “rental users”. In addition, the Greens urge the introduction of an interest rate cover of a maximum of 3 % for all existing “house builders’ loans” up to a loan volume of 300,000 ꞓ.
Schmidt: Rent brake brings the population 140 million ꞓ savings
State Secretary Michaela Schmidt was pleased with the government bank that the rental price brake is one of the National Council’s first decisions according to the formation of the new government. In recent years there has been a “rental price spiral”, she outlined. Initially, high energy prices had driven inflation up, which means that rents had subsequently increased, which in turn had fueled inflation. And this then affected the rents again. Now the rents in the regulated sector “completely decoupled from the consumer price index”. Without suspending the inflation adjustment, Schmidt would increase between three and four percent in April. Valorization will not be made up for in 2026, she emphasized. This would save 1.5 million Austrians: 140 million ꞓ in the inside. (Conclusion National Council) GS
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