Government Presents Rental Package
With the rental package, a new law on rent adjustment is to be introduced and apply to almost all rental contracts, except for single and two-family houses. If inflation exceeds three percent in two years, only half of the surplus may be passed on to tenants. The rent cap will be extended in the regulated sector. Increases in statutory rent reference values are limited to one percent for 2026 and two percent for 2027. The minimum term for rental contracts concluded or renewed from January 1, 2026, will be increased from three to five years.
Rental Package: SPÖ Wants Criminal Offense for Rent Usury
The ÖVP considers it important to "break and reduce" inflation, said State Secretary Alexander Pröll. He emphasized that small landlords can continue to rent with a three-year limitation. NEOS club chairman Yannick Shetty stressed that landlords are not "evil and all rent sharks" for the government.
The issue of rental costs has been a focus for the SPÖ for some time, and a "theme council" of the party was held on the topic over the weekend. In a resolution, among other things, a new criminal offense for rent usury was demanded. Economics Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP) then spoke out against a "general suspicion" of landlords.
The proposal will be brought into internal government negotiations, said Babler, but the SPÖ naturally also has its own positions. Suggestions can be gladly taken up, but he does not see the possibility of implementation, said Pröll. The basis of the joint work is the government program.
Rental Package Insufficient for Opposition
For the Greens, the announced rent cap is a "tenant deception," for the FPÖ just a "small rent cap." Especially in the unregulated sector, the measures are inadequate, criticized FPÖ construction spokesman Michael Oberlechner: "The first three percent of inflation are fully borne by the tenants according to Stocker, Babler, Meinl-Reisinger, and Co." He demanded, among other things, an "extension of the full application area of the Tenancy Law, whereby maximum limits for rents according to statutory reference values are set for all apartments with outdated standards."
The Green housing spokeswoman Nina Tomaselli criticized that tenants' rights, which they have fought for in court, are being taken away. This concerns value protection clauses in rental contracts. In the summer, the Supreme Court (OGH) declared these generally permissible. However, if a value protection agreement is invalid, tenants can only reclaim overpaid rents retroactively for five years according to the government proposal, instead of up to 30 years as before.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.