Find student housing in Vienna: shared flat, residence or studio

WG, student residence or studio: the housing options in Vienna (Austria), rents, neighbourhoods and lease rules in 2026.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

1 August 2023

Updated on

6 October 2026

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As a student in Vienna (Austria), you have three ways to find housing: a room in a shared flat (the WG, for Wohngemeinschaft), a place in a student residence (Studentenheim), or a studio of your own on the private market. A shared flat is the most common arrangement among students, because it splits a rent that has become high in the sought-after neighbourhoods; a studio offers independence, from about €630 per month.

Vienna is a city of tenants: according to Statistik Austria, more than three quarters of Viennese households rent their home as their main residence, and more than half of these tenants live in municipal or cooperative housing. This regulated stock remains hard for a newcomer to access; so the search for a shared flat plays out on the more expensive private market. Here are the prices, neighbourhoods, lease rules and precautions to take.

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Shared flat, residence or studio: how to choose

The shared flat (WG)

You rent a room in a shared apartment and split the rent and charges with the other occupants. It is the most flexible solution and often the cheapest per person in the central districts. Two situations exist: either each flatmate signs the main lease (Hauptmiete), or a main tenant sublets a room to you (Untermiete). Always ask which one applies, because your rights and who you deal with in case of a problem depend on it.

The student residence

Residences offer furnished rooms, often with a shared kitchen, run by associations, foundations or private operators. Places are limited and need to be requested early, generally several months before the start of term. Rates vary greatly from one establishment to another: compare what the price includes (charges, internet, cleaning) before committing.

The studio on the private market

To live alone, allow between €630 and €890 per month for a studio, and between €975 and €1,045 on average for a one-bedroom apartment. It is the most expensive choice, but it avoids cohabitation and frequent changes of flatmates.

Rents in Vienna in figures

Two measures circulate and they don't say the same thing:

Rents paid by all tenants: according to Statistik Austria's Mikrozensus Wohnen 2025, a Viennese household renting as its main residence pays an average of €694 per month, or €10.6 per square metre including building charges (Betriebskosten), of which €2.7 is charges. This figure includes municipal and cooperative housing, much cheaper, and older leases.
Rents asked of new tenants: these are the ones you will see in listings. According to the analysis of more than 250,000 listings by the willhaben portal, a new rental cost an average of €25.58 per square metre in 2025 in the Innere Stadt (1st district), and €22.08 in Neubau (7th) as in Mariahilf (6th).

For your budget, keep the second measure: on the private market, advertised rents hover around €20 per square metre, from €14 in the outer districts to €28 in the 1st, 7th and 8th. On top of this come the Betriebskosten, often €2 to €3 per square metre per month, and 10% VAT on the rent.

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Where to look for a shared flat: the neighbourhoods

The districts (Bezirke) most in demand among students are also those where rents are rising fastest. According to willhaben, the biggest rises in advertised rents in 2025 were recorded in Brigittenau (20th, +20.6%), Mariahilf (6th, +19.9%), Neubau (7th, +17.9%), Margareten (5th, +15.0%) and Josefstadt (8th, +14.2%).

Wieden (4th) and Alsergrund (9th): a student atmosphere, close to the Technical University and the University of Vienna.
Mariahilf (6th), Neubau (7th) and Josefstadt (8th): central, lively and in high demand, but among the most expensive and those rising the most.
Leopoldstadt (2nd): between the Prater and the Danube Canal, good value a few minutes from the centre.
Favoriten (10th) and Ottakring (16th): working-class neighbourhoods in transformation, among the most affordable options.
Donaustadt (22nd): with Seestadt Aspern, new housing at gentler rents, at the cost of a longer commute.

Vienna's transport network makes the outer districts perfectly liveable: the annual pass costs €365, or €1 a day. Moving two or three metro stops away from the centre often makes the difference between a shared flat found and a search that drags on.

The lease rules to know

Austrian tenancy law changed on 1 January 2026. What you need to know before signing, even for a room:

Term: a fixed-term lease concluded with a professional landlord must now last at least five years, no longer three. In Austria, half of private-sector main leases are fixed-term according to Statistik Austria.
Regulated rent in older buildings: in older buildings fully subject to the tenancy act (MRG), the base rent is calculated from a reference amount, the Richtwert, raised to €6.74 per square metre in Vienna on 1 April 2026, to which supplements are added. A manifestly excessive rent can be challenged.
Limited increases: a brake on rent increases applies in 2026. For older, municipal and cooperative housing, indexation is limited to 1% this year and 2% next year, and this cap also affects the free market for the first time.
Security deposit: the Kaution is generally three months' gross rent.
Agency fees: since July 2023, the commission is paid by whoever instructs the agent (Bestellerprinzip), so rarely by the tenant.

The documents to prepare

For a room as for a studio, a landlord or main tenant will generally ask for ID, proof of enrolment at university and proof that you can pay the rent (scholarship, income, family support). Prepare these documents in digital form before you start viewing: good homes go within days.

Once you have moved in, registering your address (Meldezettel) is mandatory within three working days at a municipal office. European Union citizens staying more than three months also apply for a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung).

Avoiding the pitfalls of searching for a shared flat remotely

Searching from abroad exposes you to the same risks as anywhere else. A few reflexes:

don't pay a deposit or rent before viewing, at least by video call with the person who is letting;
check who is letting: main tenant, owner or manager, and ask to see the main lease in the case of a sublet;
have what the rent for a room includes specified in writing: Betriebskosten, heating, electricity, internet;
compare the asking rent with the neighbourhood's price per square metre: an offer far below the market should alert you.

The right timeline

As soon as you are admitted: submit your applications for student residences and set your budget.
Two to three months before the start of term: start replying to shared-flat listings and arrange video interviews; in a WG, it is often the flatmates who choose.
On arrival: if nothing is signed, take temporary housing and view on the spot, it is often faster.

If you can't be in Vienna to view places, a Remoters home finder based there can search for a shared flat or a studio for you, view places, put your application together and go over the lease. The first conversation and the quote are free.