Mitschrift

Rights and obligations related to housing

How do I get a residence registration certificate of my residential address in Austria? What are the rules of the house? What rights and obligations do I have when renting in Austria? In this StartWien video, we will take a look at these topics in more detail.

Mandatory Residence Registration

Let's start with the **Meldepflicht**, the mandatory residence registration. The mandatory residence registration of your residential address applies to all people who live in Austria. If you have a new residential address, you must report this within three days. The residence registration certificate is issued by the respective municipal district office, the **Bezirksamt**.

You will need:

A valid passport

Your birth certificate

The birth certificates of all minor children in the household

The completed residence registration form signed by the landlord

A list of all Residence Registration Service Centres, the residence registration form, and other useful information can be found online at [www.wien.gv.at/verwaltung/meldeservice](http://www.wien.gv.at/verwaltung/meldeservice) or directly at your municipal district office.

My Tip: The mandatory residence registration is extremely important. It facilitates official channels and is one of the prerequisites for applying for citizenship. Your main residence is the place where you spend most of your time. In addition, you can register one or more secondary residences.

House Rules and Waste Separation

Living also means living together. To ensure that living with neighbors in a house is harmonious, there are certain house rules, or **die Hausordnung**. These include:

Cleanliness

Safety & Security

Quietness & Consideration

The use of common areas

Barbecuing in the courtyard and on the balcony

Cleanliness also includes waste separation. In the house or courtyard, you will find containers for residual waste and waste paper. In larger residential complexes and public locations, there are also yellow garbage cans for plastic bottles, beverage cartons, and cans, as well as collection bins for white and colored glass, and garbage cans for biodegradable waste.

Hazardous waste such as empty batteries, medicines, or electronic waste can be disposed of free of charge at hazardous waste collection points or at the waste disposal sites of MA 48.

In addition to waste separation, you must also observe the Hausordnung. For example, you should keep the front gate closed and not obstruct staircases with bicycles or furniture. You may barbecue if the lease agreement or the house rules do not prohibit it, and if no one feels disturbed.

Another important point of the house rules is the quiet sleeping time, which applies between 10 in the evening and 6 in the morning. During these times, you should avoid loud noise to allow your neighbors to rest. You should also show consideration to your neighbors outside of these specific times.

Example:

Martin works from home. New neighbors have moved into the apartment next door. There is often drilling, hammering, loud music, and partying. Another neighbor recently bought a dog, and Martin also feels disturbed by the barking. He contacts the property management and learns that renovation work outside quiet hours and pets are part of living together. Regarding the music, however, he can contact the new neighbors directly. Martin politely explains that he needs quiet to work. The neighbors now take care not to play music too loudly and invite Martin (and the other neighbors) to their next party.

Rights and Obligations

When you rent in Austria, you have rights and obligations. These are outlined specifically in the lease agreement, in the house rules, and by law.

Your rights include:

The handover of the apartment in the agreed condition

The sole right to use the apartment

Protection from noise, odor, or other nuisances

The right to maintenance of the apartment by the owners

The right to make minor changes in the apartment (you need a permit to install a satellite dish or to build plasterboard walls)

Your obligations include:

The timely payment of the monthly rent (not paying is a reason for termination)

The annual maintenance of the heating boiler (by an installer)

Letting chimney sweepers and other professionals enter your apartment

My Tip: Take your rights and obligations regarding the apartment rent seriously and use the service of Mieterhilfe Wien.