Rents rose again in Austria and a heatwave is expected to bring temperatures of up to 36C, plus more stories from Austria on Friday.
Rents in Austria rise to €10.5 per square metre
Average rents including operating costs in Austria rose moderately in the first quarter of 2026, according to Statistik Austria, reaching €695.1 per apartment. That worked out at €10.5 per square metre, up 1.1 percent from the previous quarter.
Compared with the first quarter of 2025, rents including operating costs were 4.8 percent higher. Net rent, excluding operating costs, averaged €523.9 per apartment or €7.9 per square metre, and was up 1.3 percent from the previous quarter.
Private main rentals remained the most expensive segment, at €816.7 per apartment or €12.5 per square metre including operating costs. That compared with €623.0 in cooperative housing and €516.3 in municipal housing.
READ ALSO: ‘Betriebskosten’: What are the extra costs renters must pay in Austria?
ID Austria app gets new functions and AI assistant
The ID Austria app is getting new functions, including the mobile use of Vollmachten, or powers of attorney. Users can now log into digital services on behalf of another person from a smartphone.
The digital ID platform eAusweise is also now accessible directly from the app’s start screen. From summer 2026, the AI chatbot ida will answer questions about digital administrative services in natural language, including questions on ID Austria and residence matters.
The chatbot is due to be available from the end of July and will use only verified content from oesterreich.gv.at and id-austria.gv.at. The technical infrastructure will be operated in Austria by the Bundesrechenzentrum, with no data transfer abroad, no storage of personal data, and no tracking or profiling.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What you need to know about Austria’s new digital ID
Vienna expands ban on Mozart ticket sellers in the city centre
Vienna is making its ban on costumed commercial ticket sellers in key parts of the city centre final from July 1st, according to the City of Vienna. The last permits for the so-called Mozart sellers expire at the end of June.
The ban applies to Stephansplatz, Kärntner Straße, Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz in front of the State Opera, and Graben. The city says it is responding to years of complaints from passers-by, opera visitors and tourists, as well as repeated breaches of rules found during controls.
In 2025, 303 ticket sellers were checked in the first district on 26 action days, and 136 violations were found. By mid-May 2026, 75 sellers had been checked on 9 action days, with 34 violations recorded.
READ ALSO: Vienna’s Mozart ticket sellers to face the music with new ‘anti-nuisance’ rules
Heatwave forecast to bring temperatures up to 36C
Subtropical warm air is bringing a heatwave to Austria, according to Der Standard, with temperatures of up to 36C forecast at the weekend. The hot spell is expected to continue into the start of next week.
Friday is forecast to begin sunny, before showers and thunderstorms spread mainly in the west. The east is expected to stay mostly sunny and hot, with daily highs of 29C to 35C, and the highest values in the eastern lowlands.
Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny and very hot, with highs of 30C to 36C. On Sunday, storms are forecast particularly along the eastern edge of the Alps and in southern and southeastern Styria, with local hail, heavy rain and temporarily strong winds possible.
READ ALSO: Heatwave: Austria braces for temperatures up to 35C
Members’ guide
Austria’s new double budget could affect residents in several areas, from childcare and labour-market measures to universities, non-wage labour costs and public savings. Our guide to what Austria’s new budget means for residents explains the main confirmed priorities and what still depends on legal detail.
Members get access to this and other in-depth guides, explainers and practical stories on The Local Austria, including coverage of money, work, family support and bureaucracy.
What’s happening in Austria today
Austria’s provincial governors continue their Landeshauptleutekonferenz in Innsbruck, with Friday’s session starting at 9am and a results press conference planned for 12:30 pm. Health reform is a major focus, alongside education, energy, administration and constitutional questions.
Integration and Europe Minister Claudia Bauer is due to present the integration budget at the Bundeskanzleramt in Vienna at 9:30 am. The practical details are unclear before the press conference, but integration spending can affect language courses, support services and migration-related programmes.
READ ALSO: Healthcare in Austria: Why are there fewer ‘public’ doctors?
Rail travellers should check their routes before setting off. ÖBB works are affecting the Ostbahn between Vienna and Bruck an der Leitha, the Feldkirch-Buchs SG route towards Switzerland, and international services via Germany.
In Vienna, the Summer Night Concert at Schönbrunn starts at 8:45 pm. Admission is free and no tickets are required for the standing area, but the whole palace park can be closed if it becomes too full.
Friday is also expected to be hot across Austria, with city forecasts including 34C in Vienna, 31C in Graz, 34C in Innsbruck, 33C in Salzburg and 35C in Linz. Yellow heat warnings were listed for all five cities checked.
READ ALSO: How major rail works across Austria will impact passengers in 2026
Vocabulary
die Miete – rent
die Betriebskosten – operating costs
die Vollmacht – power of attorney
der Mozartverkäufer – Mozart seller, usually a costumed commercial ticket seller
die Hitzewelle – heatwave
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles, or news tips for The Local, you can contact us at news@thelocal.at or leave a comment below.