Student Residences, Youth Housing and Pets: Accommodation for Young People in Austria

If you are moving to another Austrian city for studies, vocational training or work, you do not necessarily need to look for a private rental immediately. Organised accommodation—including student residences, apprentice homes and youth housing—can often provide a more affordable starting point. This guide explains the main options, renting while under 18 and bringing a pet.

At a glance

• Contracts for student residences (Studentenheime) are not covered by the Tenancy Act (Mietrechtsgesetz), but by the Student Residence Act (Studentenheimgesetz).
• You should apply for a place in a student residence no later than one semester before your studies begin.
• You can conclude a rental contract while under 18, but only under strict conditions.
• Family allowance (Familienbeihilfe) does not count as the young person’s own income.
• Some institutions allow pets if you are personally responsible for their care.

What is organised accommodation?

Youth homes (Jugendwohnheime) provide “organised accommodation” (organisiertes Wohnen). This includes workers’ accommodation, apprentice homes (Lehrlingsheime), student residences and boarding-school-style residential schools (Internate).

The basic idea is that young people receive accommodation for a certain period at an affordable price when they study, learn a profession or attend university in another municipality.

Who provides youth and student accommodation?

Several providers operate across Austria, each with a different focus:

• ÖJAB: students, pupils, apprentices and young employees; available in 23 ÖJAB homes.
• Kolping Österreich: apprentices, pupils, employees and university students; available throughout Austria.
• home4students: university and college students; in Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt, Salzburg and Innsbruck.
• OeAD: 12,000 students per year; in Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Leoben, Linz, Salzburg and Vienna.
• STUWO: students and pupils; in Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Carinthia and Styria.
• Startplatz Wien: young people in training; in Vienna.

These details may help you compare the providers:

• ÖJAB: a non-partisan and non-denominational, public-benefit association.
• Kolping: a Christian-social membership organisation. It offers supervised facilities for apprentices and pupils, self-catering residential communities for employees and students, as well as a hotel and youth guesthouse.
• home4students: rooms in student residences (ROOMS), residential communities (COMMUNITIES) and flats (FLATS), located close to higher education institutions.
• Startplatz Wien: FSW-LGM GmbH offers “starter flats” (Starter Wohnungen) to young people for the duration of their training.
• STUWO: a public-benefit developer that operates student and pupil residences.

If you are looking for a boarding school residence, the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) accommodation database (Heimdatenbank) lists federal student residences (Bundeskonvikte, Bundesschülerheime) as well as many residences connected with public and private secondary and higher education institutions.

Student residences: which rules apply?

Every university city has several student residences. They are built and managed by different operators, including associations, foundations and other organisations.

The important difference compared with a private rental is that contracts between residents and operators are completely outside the scope of the Tenancy Act. They are governed by the Student Residence Act.

When should you apply?

You should apply for a place no later than one semester before your studies begin. It is therefore advisable to start looking soon after you receive your admission.

Further information is available from the student representation at the relevant university, the Austrian Students’ Union (Hochschülerschaft, ÖH).

Housing listings and youth hostels

If you would prefer a flat, the ÖH housing exchange (ÖH-Wohnbörse) mainly lists flats offered by private individuals, and no brokerage fee is payable for these listings.

For short stays or travel, youth hostels (Jugendherbergen) may also be an option. They are offered throughout Austria by the Austrian Youth Hostel Association (ÖJHV) and the Austrian Youth Hostel Organisation (ÖJHW). Both require an international youth hostel card (Jugendherbergsausweis).

Rental contracts under 18: when are they valid?

You can conclude a rental contract (Mietvertrag) before reaching the age of majority if one of the following two routes applies:

1. Your legal representatives (Erziehungsberechtigte) expressly consent, and the competent guardianship court (Pflegschaftsgericht) approves the contract.
2. Your own regular income—for example, apprentice pay and freely available pocket money—is sufficient to pay the rent continuously, while leaving enough money for basic needs such as food, clothing and transport.

Family allowance cannot be included in this calculation because it belongs to the parents.

If the income is insufficient, the contract is provisionally ineffective (schwebend unwirksam). It only takes effect if, in addition to the parents, the guardianship court expressly approves it. If either approval is missing, the contract is treated as if it had never been concluded.

What should the contract contain?

The rental contract should clearly state:

• the rented property, whether a flat or room;
• the amount of the monthly rent (Mietzins);
• the type of tenancy: main tenancy (Hauptmiete) or subtenancy (Untermiete);
• the duration: fixed-term (befristet) or indefinite (unbefristet).

Moving in with a pet

Some institutions allow residents to bring a pet, provided they personally take care of it. Ask about the exact rules before moving in.

If you cannot take the animal with you and cannot find a place with a relative or friend, you can contact the Austrian Animal Welfare Association (Österreichischer Tierschutzverein). You can also request an animal care plan (Tiervorsorgeplan) to help ensure that the animal is cared for properly and receives suitable veterinary treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Tenancy Act apply to student residences?

No. Contracts for student residences are completely outside the scope of the Tenancy Act. They are governed by the Student Residence Act.

When must you apply for a student residence?

No later than one semester before your studies begin.

Does family allowance count as the young person’s income?

No. Family allowance belongs to the parents and therefore cannot be considered when assessing whether the rent can be covered.

Is anything required for a youth hostel?

Yes, an international youth hostel card is required.

Practical steps

1. Decide whether you need a student residence, youth home, boarding-school residence, private flat or short-term youth hostel.
2. Check the providers and locations that match your studies, training or work.
3. Apply for a student residence no later than one semester before your studies begin.
4. Ask the provider which rules apply to the contract, the duration of the stay and pets.
5. If you are under 18, check whether parental and guardianship-court approval is required, or whether your own regular income is sufficient.
6. Before signing, verify the property, monthly rent, tenancy type and contract duration.
7. For further information, contact the relevant Austrian Students’ Union (Hochschülerschaft, ÖH), the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) or the accommodation provider.

Note: This article is based on information available online and does not constitute advice. Use it at your own responsibility. If you need professional advice, contact a lawyer, legal professional, healthcare professional, employment-law or employment specialist, or another relevant expert.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at