Richtwert Vienna 2026: How High Can the Rent Be?
Many old-building flats in Vienna are legally not allowed to cost what the listing asks. The Richtwert system caps the permissible rent – and once you know the Richtwert, an inflated demand is easy to spot. Here is the 2026 overview.
The Richtwert for Vienna in 2026
Since 1 April 2026, the Richtwert in Vienna is 6.74 €/m². That is the second-lowest value after Burgenland – for comparison, Vorarlberg sits at 10.35 €/m². New since 2026: the Richtwert is now adjusted for inflation every year, not every two years.
| Province | Richtwert 2026 (€/m²) | |---|---| | Burgenland | 6.15 | | Vienna | 6.74 | | Lower Austria | 6.92 | | Upper Austria | 7.30 | | Carinthia | 7.89 | | Tyrol | 8.22 | | Styria | 9.30 | | Salzburg | 9.31 | | Vorarlberg | 10.35 |
Important: the Richtwert is not the rent you end up paying – it is the base value that surcharges and deductions are applied to.
When does the Richtwert apply at all?
The Richtwert system only applies to flats in the full scope of the MRG (Mietrechtsgesetz) – above all old buildings (construction permit before 8 May 1945) with more than two flats in the house. For these, there is a statutory rent ceiling.
Not covered by the Richtwert are, among others: new builds from 1945 onwards, subsidised cooperative flats (where a cost-recovery principle applies), one- and two-family houses, and fixed-term rentals of condominium flats in certain constellations. For a classic renovated old building in the 6th or 16th district, though, the odds are good that the Richtwert applies.
How the permissible rent is built up
Starting from the Richtwert, the landlord may add surcharges – and must account for deductions:
- Location surcharge (Lagezuschlag): the most important and most contested point. It is only permissible for locations that are better than the average Vienna location, and it must be justified to the tenant in writing when the contract is concluded. Without that justification, the location surcharge is invalid.
- Surcharges for fittings: high-quality floors, a second bathroom, balcony/terrace, a lift in an old building, good state of repair.
- Deductions for shortcomings: ground floor, poor daylight, a noisy location, a fixed term (the fixed term alone brings a 25% deduction).
The result is the permissible net main rent per m². Running costs and VAT are added on top – which is why the gross rent in a listing always looks higher.
Is my rent too high?
A rough self-check: take the net main rent (without running costs, without VAT), divide it by the square metres and compare it with the Richtwert plus realistic surcharges. If you land well above 8–9 €/m² net for an ordinary old-building flat, it is worth a closer look – especially at the location surcharge.
A real case from our contract check: a 59 m² flat in Tyrol at 16.66 €/m² against a permissible 8.91 €/m² – a surcharge of 87%. Cases like this are not rare.
Overpaid rent can be reclaimed – for open-ended contracts up to three years retroactively, for fixed-term contracts up to ten years. The first point of contact in Vienna is the arbitration board (Schlichtungsstelle, MA 25), cheap and without a lawyer; the Mietervereinigung and Arbeiterkammer also help.
Have your contract checked
Whether your Richtwert is set correctly, the location surcharge was justified and the rest of the clauses hold up is what our AI contract check reviews in minutes. It launches in September 2026, the waitlist is open. Not legal advice, but a fast, fact-based first assessment before you sign.
And if you are still searching: our live map for Vienna shows the current market, and Mietscan reports new listings instantly via Telegram or email.
Sources: Statistics Austria – Richtwerte and category values (as of August 2026)