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A high percentage of Austrian people rent their accommodation - in 2001 52% of all housing was rented. There is wide variety of rental accommodation available, but this generally consists of apartments in the cities and large towns, and family houses in rural areas.

The rental market for leasehold apartments is highly regulated Austria under the Landlord and Tenant Act (Mietrechtsgesetz). This Act covers conditions such minimum notice periods, and sets rents for rental apartments according to the facilities and furnishings provided. However, rents for single family houses are not generally covered by the Act.

There are wide variations in rental prices in different parts of the country, with Burgenland having the lowest in 2003 at EUR3.45 per square metre, while Vorarlberg had the highest rents at this time at EUR5.88 per square metre. Monthly rents for unfurnished apartments in major cities range between EUR550 and EUR2,500 upwards for a two-bedroom apartment, excluding utilities costs.

Details of properties available to rent can be found in daily newspapers such as Der Standard and Die Presse, from real estate agents and advertised online.

Leases are generally flexible, with the terms agreed between the landlord and tenant. In general, tenants have security of tenure and are subject to a three-month notice period. A deposit (Kaution) of three months rent is generally payable on signing the tenancy agreement, and you may also be asked to cover the cost of drawing up the lease.

There are various tenants' associations and citizens' advice bureaus that can provide advice on the legality of a lease, e.g.Tenants' Association (Mietervereinigung); Association for the Protection of Tenants (Mieterschutzverband); Consumer Information Association (Verein für Konsumenteninformation).

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