You will need to do a combined internet/newspaper search to find your dream apartment. If you know many people – let them know what you are looking for. Mostly, the best places are not even advertised but passed along among friends.
Classifieds and Internet search
Everybody knows that browsing through classifieds can be pretty boring. A good way to ease the pain is to do the work in one of Austria’s famous, traditional cafés. This also means you don’t even have to buy all the newspapers as they are available for free. Pick the following: Die Presse, Der Standard and Kurier. The Friday editions are normally best for classifieds as they contain the largest selection of ads.
For a web search, check out:
The internet search of Die Presse and Kleine Zeitung will lead you to the general portal www.dermarkt.at, where you also find job postings.
A similar service is offered by immodirekt (immodirekt.at ). Here you can browse through the different advertisements as well as putting up an ad yourself for free.
If you are looking for a short-term or more flexible solution, furnished apartments are a great alternative to traditional renting. Here an example for serviced apartments in Vienna adapted to the needs of expats.
Personal contacts
Whatever you need or search in Austria, always ask all your friends first. Tell everybody you know that you are looking for an apartment and what your preferred areas are. This way you might be able to get to know when someone moves out, even before the apartment is advertised in the newspapers. Even if you already have an apartment but are looking for a better/bigger/cheaper one, inform your friends. It can take time, but the best results are always achieved through personal relationships in Austria.
Housing agencies
While scanning the classifieds, you will frequently spot ads by agencies. Although they are mainly active in selling property, not renting it out, chances are high you have to deal with them. The minimum fee is one month’s rent, sometimes even up to three months – needless to say that the comfort of speeding up the process with the help of an agency is quite expensive! If you are not in a rush, you will find private offerings and not pay any agency fees.
University notice boards
As previously mentioned, the best option for students is very often a shared apartment. Sometimes, up to 8 people share big apartments in Vienna. This is due to the fact that at the turn of the century, an upper class apartment in Vienna covered a whole floor of a big building with up to ten rooms.