Halls of residence (Studierendenheime)

There are a number of halls of residences available to students in Vienna. In some you can stay in all year round, others require you to move out over the summer holidays. These specifics should be clarified before signing the tenancy agreement (Mietvertrag).

Where do I start to look for a hall of residence?

A good way to start your search for a hall of residence is browsing the following websites, which are also used by Austrian students who are looking for housing:

• Austrian Young Workers Movement (Österreichische JungArbeiterBewegung - ÖJAB)
• viennabase - homes for students – halls of residence
• Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (Österreichischer Austauschdienst - OeAD - the central Austrian agency for European and international mobility and cooperation programmes in education, science and research
• home4students
• STUWO - student housing
• DOHO - Donauhomes
• EFFI Studios
• VinziRast (German) – a charity that places students together with formerly homeless people

When and how do I enrol for a hall of residence?

Most halls of residence allocate their rooms as long as they are available. In most cases there is no specific period of registration. This means that if you are interested in an accommodation at a hall of residence, you should sort out the enrolment as soon as possible, since many halls of residence are already fully occupied a few weeks before the term starts. Online registration is possible and welcome. Registrations will be ranked according to the following criteria:

• Time of application
• No permanent residence in the municipality where the hall of residence is located
• Record of study (Studienerfolgsnachweis) pursuant to the Austrian Scholarship Act (Studienförderungsgesetz)
• Preferential treatment of handicapped students and first-year students
• Social criteria such as income of parents. However, social criteria may differ depending on the halls of residence. We therefore recommend to ask for the criteria individually at each hall of residence

Apart from halls of residence, students can also apply for a flat at the following institution:

Mein Wien-Apartment - Fonds für temporäres Wohnen in Wien (Fund for temporary living in Vienna)

Mein Wien-Apartment is a trust for temporary housing in Vienna. It offers newly arrived residents in employment (employment assurance is sufficient), as well as students, a place to live in one of its approximately 3,700 furnished flats. In order to assist people as quickly as possible, the application process is very unbureaucratic. The minimum time span for occupancy is seven months, the maximum length of stay is three years. In some buildings it is also possible to conclude an open-ended tenancy agreement (unbefristeter Mietvertrag).

• Head office: 1030 Vienna, Würtzlerstraße 15
• Advisory centre: 1030 Vienna, Schlachthausgasse 29 / 1st floor
  Public transport information
• Phone: + 43 1 795 04 122
• Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, 8 am to 3 pm. Tuesday, Thursday, 8 am to 4.30 pm. Friday, 8 am to 12 noon.

If you want to view the flats of Mein Wien-Apartment, you will have to bring a number of documents with you.