In cities like Zurich, Barcelona, or Bari, entire apartment buildings are turning into Airbnb hotspots. Vienna has managed to contain this trend. The city made it clear early on: apartments are not investment objects – they are places to live. In residential zones, short-term rentals are only allowed with official permission – and that permission is rarely granted. This protects not only tenants but also social cohesion. Now, a national rental register is planned at the federal level.
What began as a platform for the occasional couchsurfing stay has become a profitable business model. In many cities, investors buy up entire buildings to rent them out through platforms like Airbnb. Often, this happens without registration and without paying taxes – at the expense of those who actually need these apartments as homes. Vienna’s Deputy Mayor responsible for housing, Kathrin Gaál, says she wants “homes to be places to live – not tools for making money.”
Vienna Limits Short-Term Rentals with Clear Rules and a 90-Day Cap
The Vienna Chamber of Labour, Austria’s official workers’ representation body, estimates that around 14,000 apartments in the city are listed on Airbnb. Compared to other European cities, that number is quite low. One reason is the city’s clear rules: since 2018, anyone wanting to rent out a flat on platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com must either use their main residence or hold a commercial rental license.
In addition, since summer 2024, short-term rentals have been capped at 90 days per year. Anyone who wants to rent out for more days needs a permit under Vienna’s housing law – and that permit is rarely granted in residential areas. The city has also created a special unit within the building authority. Nine employees work exclusively on investigating suspicious listings and uncovering illegal rentals. Violations can lead to fines of up to €50,000.
How Vienna Fights Illegal Rentals
In 2023 alone, more than 400 suspected illegal listings were reported in Vienna’s 3rd district – triggered by the campaign “Homes not Hotels,” which allows residents to anonymously report suspicious apartments. At a recent press conference, the organizers announced that over 1,400 suspected cases have been reported across the city – roughly ten percent of all Airbnbs in Vienna.
Even municipal housing is affected. Illegal short-term rentals occur there as well. Since 2022, more than 70 tenants have been permanently banned. In many cases, the city is demanding the illegally earned profits be paid back.
Austria Follows: National Rental Register in the Works
While Vienna already has legal tools to act, many municipalities outside the capital lack a legal basis to regulate short-term rentals. The federal government now plans to introduce a national online register for tourist accommodations (“registration requirement for private rentals”). This would allow cities to see for the first time which apartments are being listed on platforms like Airbnb – and whether it is legal. The Austrian Association of Cities supports the plan.
The Airbnb Effect: Zurich Shows What Happens Without Rules
Zurich shows how quickly housing markets can shift when clear regulations are missing. Official data indicates that over 2% of all apartments in the city are listed on Airbnb – in some popular districts, the figure exceeds 6%. The result: housing becomes scarce, rents rise, and neighborhoods lose their character. Left-wing parties are pushing back and have launched a new initiative to better regulate Airbnb.
Other cities are also taking action against the “Airbnb effect.” In Barcelona, apartments can only be rented out with a special license – and new licenses are rarely issued. Paris has introduced a 120-day limit and uses a mandatory registration system. In Amsterdam, individuals may rent out their homes to tourists for only 30 nights per year. Anything beyond that is considered illegal.
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The post “What Vienna Is Doing Right” by Sophie Wenkel was published on 05/15/2025 by thebetter.news