Revealed – now the rents will be increased again – Austria-News
Hundreds of thousands are wondering how they can still afford it: ZFor the third time in seven months, rents in the country will rise on December 1st.
For the third time in seven months rents in Austria are increasing. The Chamber of Commerce is trying to explain this: The reason for the increase in prices is “not an arbitrary rent increase, as is sometimes rumored, but the legal value,” says Gerald Gollenz, chairman of the Styrian real estate and asset trustee group. “A price increase that hits or a price explosion, as was read in a broadcast by the AK, is the typical propaganda. We reject such statements because they only serve to unsettle people.”
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“As a result, many families with low and middle incomes are threatened with losing their homes because they are simply no longer affordable.”
The Chamber of Labor (AK) mentioned looks different. “As a result, many families with low and medium incomes are threatened with losing their homes because they are simply no longer affordable,” said President Andreas Stangl. The “price explosion” particularly affects tenants of apartments in one- and two-party houses and apartments in apartment buildings that were built after 1953 without subsidies. Since living space is scarce, especially in the cities, and demand is high, rents in private housing are expensive.
In addition, there are now the rent increases due to the value retention clauses in the rental contracts. The AK gives an example: A family of three with a rented apartment in Linz paid 940 euros in rent including taxes, operating and heating costs in January 2020. Just because of the rent increases it is now 100 euros more per month – higher energy, operating and heating costs have not yet been taken into account. “Many employees with low and middle incomes are afraid of financial collapse and losing their homes,” says Stangl.
Viennese despair of €6,000 bill for electricity and gas
“SPÖ Mayor Michael Ludwig must stop and withdraw the increases”
Internationally, there are already measures to limit rent increases in several countries, Scotland, for example, has temporarily banned them by law. In Austria, however, the inflation carousel continues to turn. Incidentally, around half of the tenants affected by the price increases live in Vienna. There, Vienna’s FPÖ boss Dominik Nepp rages against the “rent tsunami”: “SPÖ mayor Michael Ludwig must stop and withdraw the increases.” He complained that the SPÖ cash register for the Viennese “in a red host mentality”.