Austria is building fewer houses. What does that mean for tenants?
Housing construction in Austria has plunged to its lowest level in over 10 years. Statistik Austria reports that 48,597 housing units were completed in 2025, a 12.3 percent decrease on the previous year.
Of that total, 34,217 homes were completed in new buildings, a 20 percent drop and the lowest figure since the series began in 2011. Vienna came top with 11,081 units, Upper Austria with 9,102 and Lower Austria with 7,753.
The data also shows a fall in the number of planning permissions for new builds in 2025, which would suggest that the sector is still going to be struggling, which could put pressure on the housing market.
READ ALSO: What Austria’s shifting property market could mean for buyers and renters
What does Austria's new AI strategy mean for schools?
The Austrian government has released a new strategy on the use of AI in schools. The Ministry of Education document sets out a framework for teachers, pupils, and staff, covering issues such as protecting personal data and checking content generated by AI tools.
The proposal is that each school will collectively decide which tools are to be used (rather than individual teachers having to assess the legal and technical risks of each tool). There will be an advisory service for schools and a pilot of the approved tools.
The strategy doesn't ban particular chatbots. Teachers will still decide how AI can be used in their lessons, and pupils will be expected to follow the school's rules.
READ ALSO: What Austria's latest PISA results say about schools, screen time and migrant pupils
How would the proposed reform of military service in Austria impact the young people?
Proposals for reform of military service and alternative civilian service (Zivildienst) in Austria are still open for public consultation with the closing date for submissions November 12th. The bills before the Austrian Parliament cover reforms to military training and the way reserve force exercises are run, with possible effects on Zivildienst.
The proposed changes would affect military and civilian service in two main ways.
Six months of basic military service would remain, followed by either one additional month plus 60 days of mandatory militia exercises, or three additional months, depending on individual circumstances.
The compulsory service period would initially remain nine months. A separate proposal would allow for a conditional extension to eleven months, including a possible arrangement known as the "9+2 model.”
READ ALSO: Can students in Austria be forced to do military or civil service?
Hacker attack on Casinos Austria may have exposed data of 150,000 customers
Around 150,000 customers may have been affected by a cyberattack on Casinos Austria's online shop. According to ORF Wien, the attackers had access to the service provider's system between November 2nd and 5th, and customer data was compromised.
The data that may have been compromised includes names, email addresses, order details and voucher codes.
Casinos Austria has confirmed with ORF that bank and credit card details were not affected, as that information wasn't stored on the system in question.
Casinos Austria has warned that the stolen data could be used for targeted phishing scams and identity fraud. The breach has apparently been patched, but the investigations are ongoing to establish precisely what data was accessed.
READ ALSO: Austrian police warn against scam emails
Worth a read: find out about the rules and customs of Austrian saunas
Cold weather brings with it the very popular Austrian pastime of a visit to the sauna. For the uninitiated, this can be a bit of a shock. Most of the saunas are 'textilfrei' (clothing is not allowed) and some of the rituals, such as the 'Aufguss' (where water is poured over the hot stones to create the steam), can seem quite odd at first.
Our guide to the rules and customs of the Austrian sauna explains everything you need to know from the rules around nudity and mixed gender saunas, through to hygiene, etiquette and how long you're meant to be in the sauna. The full guide is available to The Local Austria subscribers who also get access to all the other practical guides and in-depth features on life in Austria.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Do I have to be naked in Austrian saunas?
What’s happening in Austria today
The PRO-GE and GPA are putting on a demonstration at 8am outside the Ardo food processing plant in Groß-Enzersdorf (Lower Austria). Some 240 jobs are at risk as a result of the proposed closure of the plant. Talks over a support package for the workers are still at an impasse.
Vienna will be hosting a number of events in commemoration of the pogroms of November 1938 when the Nazis attacked the Jewish communities. There will be an official ceremony at 9am at the Shoah Memorial of Names in Ostarrichi Park. The 'Light of Hope' march in memory of the victims, put on by the Jewish Community of Vienna, will commence at 6pm at Karmeliterplatz.
Anyone travelling by train should be aware of the disruption on some of the ÖBB lines (Austrian Railways). Engineering works are impacting the S50 and REX50 services in the area around Wien Westbahnhof. There are also replacement buses on certain routes in Burgenland, Carinthia and between Villach and Slovenia. Further information is available on the ÖBB traffic information page.
It'll be cold in the morning, temperatures from -6 to 4C with fog or low cloud in various valleys and in the lower-lying areas. Afternoon temperatures will range from 5 to 12C, with a chance of sun in the east of the country. The west will be cloudier with rain in Vorarlberg and Tyrol.
READ ALSO: Everything drivers in Austria need to know about the 2026 Vignette
Vocabulary
der Zivildienst – civilian service as an alternative to military service
textilfrei – clothing-free, a term used to describe areas of a sauna where swimwear is not permitted
der Aufguss – a sauna ritual in which water is poured over hot stones to produce steam
Die Vignette (proof of payment of the motorway toll for use on the Austrian motorways) is available in sticker or digital format.
If you have any questions regarding life in Austria, any suggestions for stories or bits of info that might make news on The Local, just get in touch by email (news@thelocal.at) or drop us a comment below.
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