Housing Costs Continue to Climb as Rents Rise Across Austria in Q3

The cost of renting residential property in Austria continued its upward trend in the third quarter of 2025, as recent data from Statistik Austria indicates. Average rental prices for principal residences, including operating costs, increased by 2.4 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. The average monthly rent, inclusive of additional expenses, reached 674.4 euros, an increase from the previous year's figure of 658.5 euros. On a per-square-meter basis, tenants paid an average of 10.2 euros, with 2.6 euros attributed to operating costs.

Operating costs had a notable effect on the overall price development. Though the general rise in prices remained modest at 0.2 percent, this was largely influenced by operating costs, which grew by 1.1 percent per square meter compared to the previous quarter. These figures are based on extrapolations covering approximately 1.8 million principal rental apartments nationwide.

The actual monthly rent, inclusive of operating costs, varies significantly depending on several factors. These include the rental segment, regional location, apartment size, and the length of the rental agreement. Recent policy measures, such as the rent cap approved in March 2025 by the National Council, are designed to provide relief to households falling under reference value and category rent regulations. This policy specifically targets around 267,000 households that meet these criteria, aiming to slow the rate of rent increases for the most vulnerable renters.

Austria currently has around 4.2 million main residences. When it comes to heating methods, more than half (53.3 percent) of these homes are heated via central heating systems installed in the building. District heating is also prevalent, accounting for 28.9 percent of main residences. Other common heating methods include individual apartment central heating (12.2 percent) and single room heating systems (5.6 percent).

Modern buildings, particularly those constructed after 2010, have seen a shift in heating preferences. In these newer residences, district heating has a higher share, with 43.1 percent of apartments utilizing this method. However, central heating systems within buildings remain the most common in these newer units, representing 53.5 percent of the total.

The rental data is sourced from the Microcensus Housing Survey, an ongoing sample survey conducted throughout the year among private households. Each quarter, approximately 20,000 households are surveyed to provide a representative snapshot of housing trends across the country.

The persistent increase in rental costs presents challenges for tenants, particularly in urban areas where demand for housing remains strong. The combination of steady rent growth and rising operating costs continues to contribute to the overall burden on household budgets across Austria.