"Short-term rental in Vienna" points in two directions that have nothing legally in common. Renting out a private flat by the day is tightly regulated in Vienna: 90 days a year, only with a permit outside residential zones, and not at all inside them. But if you are a guest looking for a furnished place for a few nights or weeks, you are in a different category entirely, namely commercial accommodation: a serviced apartment or aparthotel. The 90-day cap does not apply there. The real question then stops being "is this allowed?" and becomes "from how many nights does it actually pay off?". We separate both cleanly here, including the nights when a hotel is the smarter call.
Is short-term rental allowed in Vienna?
For private flats, only within limits. Since the 2023 building-code amendment (Bauordnungsnovelle 2023) the rule is: a flat in which you are registered yourself (primary or secondary residence) may be short-term rented up to 90 days per calendar year without giving up that residence. Beyond that, if the flat lies outside a residential zone, since 1 July 2024 you need an exception permit from the MA 37, capped at five years. Inside a residential zone (§ 7a of the Vienna Building Code) regular paid short-term accommodation is not permitted at all, not even with a secondary residence. And an Airbnb or Booking.com listing to an open group of people already counts as commercial, even within the 90 days. The City of Vienna publishes the rules, and the Chamber of Commerce summarises them in its short-term-rental leaflet.
For you as a booking guest, the good news: all of that concerns private letting. If a property is zoned as a lodging establishment (Beherbergungsstätte), that is, run commercially, the 90-day limit does not apply. Serviced apartments and aparthotels fall into this category. You book them as easily as a hotel room, only with a kitchen.
| Type of rental | Allowed in Vienna? | For how long? | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private flat, your own registered residence | Yes, limited | up to 90 days per year | tenants subletting occasionally |
| Private flat outside a residential zone | Only with an MA 37 exception permit | limited, max. 5 years | landlords with a permit |
| Private flat inside a residential zone (§ 7a BO) | No | not applicable | not legally permitted |
| Airbnb or Booking listing | already counts as commercial | 90 days plus trade law | private hosts in the grey zone |
| Commercial accommodation (serviced apartment, aparthotel) | Yes | no 90-day limit | guests staying nights to weeks |
This is orientation, not legal advice, and the rates change (as of 2026).
How long may a short-term rental be?
For the private version it is the 90 days per calendar year mentioned above; anything beyond needs a permit. For commercial accommodation there is no such ceiling. For you as a guest that means how long you stay in a serviced apartment is your business. Three nights work just as well as three months. Where the sensible limit lies is decided not by the law but by price, and we get to that next.
Short-term rent, interim sublet, or serviced apartment: what do you actually need?
Three terms that often land in the same search, though they mean different things.
Serviced apartment means furnished, fully equipped, by the night to the week, with the option to register, but without a long-term lease. That is the case for city trips, business stays, or the first weeks after a move.
Interim sublet (Zwischenmiete) means a private flat that someone sublets for a few months, usually via platforms like willhaben. Cheaper per month, but with a deposit, a handover, and the 90-day grey zone from above. If you stay several months and want to deal with furniture and contracts, it is often the better fit. We have worked through it for moving and flat-hunting in the long-stay and relocation guide and in the monthly rates for furnished apartments.
Classic short-term rent of a private flat is exactly the category most tightly regulated in Vienna. If you are still after that, the route runs through willhaben and private hosts, not through us. How flat, hotel, and serviced apartment otherwise differ is set out in the comparison of Airbnb, hotel, and serviced apartment.
The short-stay threshold: when a serviced apartment pays off
A serviced apartment costs more per night than a hostel bed and often about the same as a mid-range hotel. The difference is not the nightly price but what you save over time: your own kitchen instead of every meal out, a washing machine instead of a laundry service, more square metres instead of a room. Those advantages compound with every night. The honest reverse is also true: for two nights it barely matters.
| Stay | What usually pays off | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 nights | rather a hotel | kitchen and space do not amortise yet, a daily reception is more convenient |
| 4 to 13 nights | serviced apartment | cook and wash yourself, more room, the nightly price relativises |
| 2 weeks to 3 months | serviced apartment or long-stay rate | fully equipped plus a registration address, more flexible than a lease |
| over 3 months | interim sublet or your own flat | the Ortstaxe drops away beyond 3 months, a conventional lease gets cheaper |
The last row is where many serviced-apartment providers stay quiet: beyond a continuous stay of more than three months, the Vienna Ortstaxe, which has stood at 5 percent since 1 July 2026, no longer applies. Anyone staying that long should price a real interim sublet or flat. For everything below that, meaning classic short-term stays of a few nights to a few weeks, a commercial serviced apartment is usually the cleanest solution, legally and financially. Concrete prices per apartment and the terms for longer stays are in the prices for serviced apartments at the Naschmarkt.
Can a foreigner rent an apartment in Vienna?
Yes, without restriction. For a stay in a serviced apartment you need no Austrian residence and no credit check; you book as at a hotel. Two things are worth knowing: anyone living in Vienna registers within 3 working days (Meldezettel), and the host co-signs. In a host-run serviced apartment that is a single step. And the Ortstaxe of currently 5 percent applies up to a continuous stay of three months, not beyond.
Short-term stays at the Naschmarkt: the MINT option
MINT @Naschmarkt is run as a premium serviced apartment, right at the Naschmarkt in the 6th district, so in the commercial category without a 90-day limit. Five units, each with a fully equipped kitchen, self-check-in, and the option to register:
- Mini MINT, 35 m² for 2 guests, from 185 euro per night: the compact entry for a city trip or a solo business stay. Check availability
- Double MINT, 55 m² for 3 guests, from 205 euro: more room for longer stays. Check availability
- Double MINT with balcony, 55 m² for 3 guests, from 215 euro: the same with open air. Check availability
- MINT Artisan, 65 m² for 4 guests, from 185 euro: design-led, a strong space-to-price ratio. Check availability
- Penthouse, 85 m² for 4 guests, from 375 euro: the maisonette for a family or a higher bar. Check availability
The Naschmarkt is at the door, the Karlsplatz underground is 3 minutes on foot, the State Opera 8. From the airport the CAT brings you to Wien Mitte in 16 minutes, from there one U4 to Kettenbrückengasse, no change. There is no private parking and no 24-hour reception, but there is self-check-in and a direct contact.
FAQ
Is short-term rental allowed in Vienna? For private flats only within limits: up to 90 days a year with your own registered residence; beyond that, outside residential zones only with a time-limited MA 37 exception permit; inside residential zones not at all. For commercial accommodation like serviced apartments and aparthotels this 90-day cap does not apply (as of 2026).
Is short-term rental allowed in Austria? The rules are set per federal province. With its 2023 building-code amendment, Vienna is among the stricter ones, above all in residential zones. As a guest of a commercially run property you need not concern yourself with these rules; they apply to the landlord side.
How long may a short-term rental be? For private letting with your own residence, up to 90 days per calendar year without a permit. For commercial accommodation there is no statutory upper limit, so how long you stay as a guest is up to you.
Can a foreigner rent an apartment in Vienna? Yes. For a serviced apartment you need no Austrian residence and no credit check; you book as at a hotel. On arrival you register within 3 working days, and the host co-signs. A conventional lease follows the usual deposit-and-contract terms.
What is the difference between short-term rent and a serviced apartment? Short-term rent usually means private, by-the-day letting of a flat, heavily regulated in Vienna. A serviced apartment is commercial accommodation: furnished, serviced, with registration, and no 90-day cap. As a guest you book the latter as simply as a hotel.
What does a serviced apartment in Vienna cost per night? At the Naschmarkt the MINT apartments start at 185 euro per night (Mini MINT, 35 m²) and reach 375 euro (Penthouse, 85 m²). Longer stays have their own terms shown during booking.
Is Ortstaxe charged on a serviced apartment? Yes. In Vienna the Ortstaxe has stood at 5 percent since 1 July 2026 and applies up to a continuous stay of three months. Beyond three months it no longer applies.
How last-minute can I book an apartment at the Naschmarkt? Self-check-in makes a short-notice arrival possible, and current availability is shown directly during booking.
