Vienna tightens short-term rentals with register and fines

Vienna tightens short-term rental rules with a mandatory register and higher fines

Vienna's housing committee has backed stricter short-term rental rules, including a mandatory provider register from 1 January 2027, fines of up to 50,000 euros per violation and a requirement that converted buildings keep at least 80% of floor space as housing.

20 October 2026 by Robert Eduard Antal, checked by Robert Eduard Antal · updated 21 October 2026

Key facts

Vienna is introducing a registration obligation for short-term rental providers, restricting conversions of homes into accommodation and raising penalties.

Buildings must keep at least 80% of their usable floor space as housing when units are converted into accommodation.

The state parliament is to adopt the law so that it can take effect at the turn of the year.

Vienna’s housing committee on Tuesday backed a package that tightens the rules on short-term rentals, with votes from SPÖ, NEOS, FPÖ and the Greens. It introduces a mandatory register for providers, stricter limits on converting flats into tourist accommodation and higher fines. The city says the aim is to stop homes being permanently withdrawn from the regular housing market for profit.

Why the city is acting

Mayor Michael Ludwig said Vienna’s 90-day limit on short-term rentals had been successful, but that new business models had emerged to get around it. NEOS group leader Selma Arapović said the register makes it traceable which flats are offered for short-term rental and makes targeted checks easier.

Stricter rules on conversions

The special protection that applied to flats in designated residential zones is extended to the whole city. Under the new Paragraph 7g of the Vienna Building Code, at least 80% of all usable floor space in a building must remain housing. An accommodation unit must have at least three room units, located close to each other in the building. It must also have a separate entrance from the street, to protect residents from disturbance by constantly changing tourists. Only classic hotels offering hotel-type services are exempt. The rules apply retroactively to applications submitted from 11 October.

Register, private rentals and fines

Residents who rent out their own flat during a temporary absence can still do so for up to 90 days a year, but only for one flat and only if they keep their residence there. Hosts must register each unit separately, giving the address, landlord details and the maximum number of sleeping places. The registration number must appear in listings on platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com, even below the 90-day threshold. Platforms must spot-check registrations, remove inadmissible listings and pass relevant information to the city administration.

Breaches of the register law can cost up to 50,000 euros per violation. Repeated breaches of building rules will carry minimum penalties. Enforcement stays with the short-term rental control unit of the building authority (MA 37). Its nine-person team works to uncover illegal short-term rentals across the city. Since the unit was set up in July 2024, 2,484 reports of suspected illegal short-term rentals have been filed.

What happens next

The committee vote is the first step; the state parliament is to adopt the law so that it can take effect at the turn of the year.

The register law is to enter into force on 1 January 2027.
Flats already listed have a transition period until the end of March 2027.

Drafted with AI assistance from the cited source, checked by Robert Eduard Antal.