As Vienna prepares for its municipal elections on April 27th, the alliance between the Left Party and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) is turning up the heat on short-term rentals. Their campaign, titled Homes not Hotels, claims that around ten percent of Airbnb listings in Vienna - -1,400 out of an estimated 14,000—are operating illegally.
According to a report from Der Standard, the figures were compiled through a months-long public campaign, during which residents were encouraged to report suspected illegal listings.
The complaints have now been submitted to Vienna’s building inspection authority, MA 37.
Residents speak out on noise, trash, and lack of action
Daniel Harrasser, a Left Party district councillor in Vienna’s 3rd district and the campaign's initiator, said the city is not doing enough to address the problem. He told the outlet that many residents hesitate to file complaints themselves out of fear of personal consequences. “These apartments are missing from the Viennese population, and they're driving up costs,” Harrasser said.
One resident, who lives with her husband across from a building with several Airbnb units, described how her quality of life had suffered.
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“For two years, half the house has been rented out to tourists. Since then, we've lived with noise until late into the night and the trash that's left behind,” she said. Despite contacting officials, she said she felt abandoned by the building inspector and district authorities.
Loopholes despite tighter rules
Stricter rules for short-term rentals have been in place since July 2024, limiting Airbnb-style lets to 90 days per year.
The goal is to prevent apartments from being permanently removed from the residential housing market. But according to Harrasser, many landlords are now exploiting legal grey areas to continue renting out their properties year-round. “Many landlords are now looking for loopholes,” he warned, adding that the process for obtaining exemptions remains too lenient.
Demands for stricter enforcement and neighbourhood input
The party alliance demands stronger oversight from MA 37 and a more active role for neighbours and property owners in approving or rejecting exemption requests.
They are also calling for additional neighbourhoods to be designated as residential zones, allowing for stricter law enforcement.
Angelika Adensamer, lead candidate for the joint KPÖ-Left list in the upcoming city elections, said the coalition plans to push for tighter restrictions on short-term rentals, a vacancy tax, and greater action against housing speculation. She said: “Because apartments are for living”.
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