A furnished short-term apartment costs more per month than an empty rental, that is true. The honest question is what you save for it: no deposit, no furniture to buy, no one-year minimum lease, and since 2023 usually no agency fee either way. For a stay of a few weeks to a few months it often pays off; from about a year it tips toward your own flat. Here is the maths, laid out honestly.
What does "furnished short-term" mean?
Furnished short-term, also called a serviced apartment or living-on-time, is a fully furnished flat you rent from 1 night to several months without a long-term lease. Furniture, kitchen, crockery, bed linen, and usually wifi are included, often the utilities too. You move in with a suitcase and out again. That is the difference from a conventional rental, which you take empty and furnish yourself.
Furnished short-term or a regular rental: the honest maths
| Feature | Furnished short-term / serviced | Regular rental (empty) |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | none | usually up to 3 gross monthly rents |
| Agency fee | none | since 2023 usually none (Bestellerprinzip) |
| Furniture | included | buy yourself |
| Minimum term | flexible, by the day to the month | usually a year or more |
| Monthly price | higher | lower (base rent) |
| Suits | weeks to a few months | from about a year |
How much more expensive is furnished?
Per month, furnished short-term sits well above the base rent of an empty flat, often by 50 percent or more, because furniture, service, and flexibility are priced in. That premium relativises once you count the one-off costs of your own flat: a deposit of usually up to three gross monthly rents, tied up for the duration, plus the full furnishing. Anyone staying only a few months pays those sums without drawing the benefit over years. That is exactly why furnished pays off for short and medium stays.
Agency fee and deposit: what applies since 2023
On agency fees, a lot has changed, and honesty is part of it. Since 1 July 2023 Austria applies the Bestellerprinzip: an agent may charge the fee only to whoever commissioned them first. In practice the landlord commissions, so the tenant stays fee-free. "Fee-free" is therefore the normal case for many rentals today, not a unique selling point. The real difference is the deposit: a serviced apartment charges none, a conventional rental usually up to three gross monthly rents, tied up for the whole term.
When your own flat pays off
As a rule of thumb: up to a stay of a few months, furnished short-term is usually the smarter choice, because there is no deposit, no furnishing, and no minimum lease. From about a year, the lower running costs of your own flat win. Anyone looking for a bridge during a flat search finds the logistics in the long-stay and relocation guide, and the concrete monthly terms are in the monthly rates for furnished apartments. One point belongs in the maths: a serviced apartment carries the Ortstaxe of 5 percent up to a continuous stay of three months, not beyond.
Furnished short-term at the Naschmarkt: MINT
MINT @Naschmarkt offers furnished short-term apartments right at the Naschmarkt in the 6th district: a full kitchen, bed linen, wifi, self-check-in, and registration possible, with no deposit and no furniture to buy. Five units:
- Mini MINT, 35 m² for 2 guests, from 185 euro per night. Check availability
- Double MINT, 55 m² for 3 guests, from 205 euro. Check availability
- Double MINT with balcony, 55 m² for 3 guests, from 215 euro. Check availability
- MINT Artisan, 65 m² for 4 guests, from 185 euro. Check availability
- Penthouse, 85 m² for 4 guests, from 375 euro. Check availability
For longer stays there are separate terms during booking. From the airport the CAT brings you to Wien Mitte in 16 minutes, then one U4 to Kettenbrückengasse.
FAQ
How much more expensive is a furnished short-term flat? Per month often 50 percent or more above the base rent of an empty flat, because furniture, service, and flexibility are priced in. In return you avoid a deposit, furniture, and a minimum lease, which more than offsets the premium for short stays.
Do you pay a deposit for a serviced apartment? No. A serviced apartment charges no deposit. A conventional rental usually asks for up to three gross monthly rents, tied up for the term.
Do tenants in Vienna pay an agency fee? Since 1 July 2023 the Bestellerprinzip applies: the fee is paid by whoever commissioned the agent. As the landlord usually commissions, the tenant is in many cases fee-free.
What is included in furnished short-term? Usually furniture, a full kitchen, crockery, bed linen and towels, wifi, and often the utilities. You move in with a suitcase, buying nothing.
Furnished short-term or a regular rental, which is cheaper? For short to medium stays, furnished short-term, because deposit, furnishing, and a minimum lease fall away. From about a year, your own flat wins on running costs.
Is Ortstaxe charged on furnished short-term? Yes. In Vienna the Ortstaxe has been 5 percent since 1 July 2026 and applies up to a continuous stay of three months. Beyond three months it no longer applies.
What does a furnished apartment in Vienna cost per night? At the Naschmarkt the MINT apartments start at 185 euro per night and reach 375 euro for the Penthouse, with separate terms for longer stays.
Can I register at a furnished short-term apartment? Yes. Registration happens within 3 working days, and the host co-signs. In a host-run apartment that is a single step.
