Questions & Answers

Our service is aimed at ÖBB employees, ÖBB apprentices (of legal age and over) and ÖBB retirees.

• ÖBB employee flats: with the ÖBB Housing Programme, we renovate houses owned by ÖBB. Step by step, 4000 flats will be ready for occupancy. These ÖBB employee flats have undergone full renovation and offer high-quality, fully equipped kitchenettes, beautiful wooden floors in the living areas and modern bathrooms and toilets. The rent is staggered according to social standing with an up to 40 % discount on the usual regional market price. Only your ÖBB income counts for the classification according to our rent level model. There is no upper income limit.
• Cooperative flats: these are mostly subsidised rental flats in cooperatives throughout Austria, for which we have tenant nomination rights. Your household income* must not exceed the limits set by the federal states in order to be eligible for the subsidy.
  *Household income (= your income plus the income of all persons moving in with you)

See Information & More

You can find our current range of flats at Find a Flat.
As an active ÖBB employee and ÖBB apprentice, you can apply directly for 3 flats per month. In the course of the application, you only have to briefly prove to us that you are an ÖBB employee or ÖBB apprentice. You will need your Z number and your ÖBB authorisation card number.
We are happy to send our ÖBB retirees a form should they prefer to make a hand-written application. Please contact us.

This varies from person to person and depends on how many flats we can currently offer, how many applicants there are and how many flats you have applied for (3 flats are possible per month), i.e. how flexible you are with regard to the flat.

After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation for a viewing of the desired flat and you then arrange a viewing appointment. Within the specified viewing period, you let us know whether you would like to rent the flat or not (specifying reasons if you do not wish to). There are often several applicants for the same flat! In accordance with our allocation guidelines, a dual control principle is used to decide which applicant(s) will be allocated the flat. 

The ranking for the assignment is as follows:

• ÖBB employees
• ÖBB apprentices from the age of majority
• Retired ÖBB employees
• Only for cooperative flats: children of an ÖBB employee

In addition, there are award criteria decided by the ÖBB Advisory Board. If there are several applicants for the same flat, the allocation is made using the dual control principle.

Our service is aimed at ÖBB employees, ÖBB apprentices and ÖBB retirees. Click here for our current job offers. Are you currently in the process of applying? Please contact your recruiter for support.

If there is no commitment for a cooperative flat from the three target groups, ÖBB employees, ÖBB apprentices and ÖBB retirees, we have the option of allocating it to a child of an ÖBB employee. The tenancy agreement is limited to 10 years. 
Please only apply for an ÖBB Child using the "Cooperative Flats" form from the ÖBB intranet.

You can find out which requirements must be met, and which documents you need for your application as well as detailed step-by-step instructions at Information & More.

• ÖBB employee flat: only your ÖBB income is taken into account. You will be categorised according to our rent level model (staggered rent according to income group A-D). We require confirmation of your income group for this categorisation.
• Subsidised cooperative flat: here the household income is decisive. This is your income and that of all persons moving in with you. How high this may be is determined by the respective federal state. To prove that you are eligible for the subsidy, all persons moving in must disclose their annual income and their last three months' wages to the cooperative.

You can find the respective income limits on the federal state websites at the following links:

Vienna
Lower Austria
Burgenland
Styria
Upper Austria
Salzburg can be found under "Brochures" /"Rental housing subsidy brochure"
Carinthia can be found under "Downloads", Guideline 3/ Section 4.2./point 7.
Tyrol
Vorarlberg can be found under point 4

Your ÖBB tenancy is tied to your employment contract. For ÖBB apprentices, the tenancy agreement is also limited to 3-5 years. If you leave ÖBB, you must move out of the ÖBB flat. However, if you retire directly after your employment with ÖBB, you can stay in your rented flat.

The rent for ÖBB employee flats is based on the standard market prices in the respective district and is graduated according to income (rent level model). There are no upper income limits.

With the ÖBB Housing Programme, we renovate houses that we own. Step by step, around 4,000 fabulously renovated flats will be ready for occupancy. We call these flats ÖBB employee flats. The rent for ÖBB employee flats is based on the standard market price in the district and is graduated according to income (only the employee's income is taken into account). This rent level model offers a discount of up to 40% on the standard market price.
The rent level model does not apply to cooperative flats where we have tenant nomination rights. The rent for these mostly subsidised flats is set by the cooperatives in accordance with the subsidy guidelines of the federal states.

The model with graduated rents according to income classes is as follows: employees with a gross monthly income of up to 2,900 euros receive a discount of 40%, up to 3,500 euros 30% and up to 4,000 euros 20%. There is no upper income limit, as of 4,001 euros the market price is charged as the rent.  
The monthly income includes the basic salary including any overpayment, but excludes fringe benefits and one-off rewards. Two thirds of ÖBB colleagues benefit from the graduated rents. The discount mentioned above applies as long as the discounted rent does not fall below six euros per square metre. In case the market rent in the region is less than six euros, this lower rent applies. This rent would then be applied as rent for all colleagues, regardless of their income.

The basis for determining the rent level is the property price index of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. This is used to set the rents for all new flats to be allocated on the basis of regional market rents. In the case of rental agreements that have already been concluded, the rent is adjusted in line with inflation (indexation clause).

• ÖBB employee flat: the total rent includes the main rent per income group, the fixed operating costs of the complex (lift, cleaning of communal areas, winter service, etc.) and VAT. NOT included are your consumption-based operating costs such as heating, hot water, electricity, internet, etc., for which you must conclude separate supply contracts.
• Cooperative flat: the total rent includes the main rent, the fixed operating costs of the complex (lift, cleaning of communal areas, winter service, etc.) and VAT. If consumption-based operating costs such as your heating, hot water, electricity, etc. are also included, this is indicated separately for the flat.

At the start of your tenancy, you must pay a financing contribution to the cooperative. In legal terms, this is a contribution to the property and construction costs of the respective flat.
At the end of the tenancy, you will get this back, but reduced by 1% per year.  
In addition, there is usually a deposit which you will get back at the end of your tenancy if the flat only shows normal wear and tear but no damage.

In some federal states, "equity substitution loans" are granted to finance the equity share.

Most of the cooperative flats are still occupied at the time the offering is published. We cannot publish photos on the Internet that also show the private environment of the previous tenants.

For security reasons, the wohnen.oebb.at website is not linked to the ÖBB-SAP system. For this reason, you must enter your data. However, the system saves them for further applications.

You can find this in the HR portal/personnel office/employer confirmation or it is described in detail as part of your application.

You can find your "extract of personnel data" in the HR portal, or this is described in detail as part of your application. We only need the section that proves your permanent employment.

As a retired ÖBB employee, please contact:

• for tenured retired employees pensionsservice@oebb.at
• for non-tenured retired employees the pension insurance institution responsible for you.

• ÖBB employee flat: only for the kitchen deposit. A deposit of 1,500 euros is required when the tenancy agreement is drawn up. If you move out, you will get this deposit back if the kitchen shows no damage apart from normal wear and tear.
• Cooperative housing: in the case of subsidised cooperative housing, a financing contribution must be paid. This is a contribution to the property and construction costs of the respective flat and therefore varies depending on the building and the cooperative. At the end of the tenancy, you will get this back, but reduced by 1% per year. In addition, there is usually a deposit, which you will get back when you move out if the flat only shows normal wear and tear but no damage.

The term "kitchen" in the exposé refers to a room. 
In ÖBB employee flats, the "kitchen" room is equipped with modern kitchen furniture including high-quality appliances as standard. 
In cooperative flats, there is no kitchen equipment as standard. At the time of publication of the offering, we cannot say whether the previous tenant has equipped the "kitchen" room with kitchen facilities. 
If the previous tenant wishes to hand over the kitchen, this must be clarified between the previous and subsequent tenants under private law. However, this has no influence on our award decision.
In any case, new tenants are not obliged to take over the furnishings or to pay a transfer fee.

The tenancy agreement/usage agreement stipulates that the flat must be vacated when it is returned.

This is to be observed in practice:
Employee flats: previous and subsequent tenants can make an agreement on the transfer of furniture etc. under private law. However, these items must be stored outside the flat/apartment building. The flat must be vacated when handed over, as stipulated in the tenancy agreement. 

Cooperative flats: previous and subsequent tenants can agree on the transfer of furniture etc. under private law. The cooperative usually tolerates items being left in the flat for subsequent tenants. The agreement of the handover/transfer must be documented however. Important: Subsequent tenants are UNDER NO obligation to take over furniture or furnishings from the previous tenants. 
ÖBB Housing will allocate the flat regardless of whether subsequent tenants wish to take over objects or flat furnishings. Previous tenants generally have no influence over the allocation of flats.

Yes, you have to establish your main place of residence in both ÖBB employee flats and subsidised cooperative flats. For this reason, only one ÖBB flat can be rented per employee.
Renting as a secondary residence is only possible if it is necessary for your job, and you must have this confirmed by your ÖBB employer.

ÖBB employee flat: Your responsible flat manager at ÖBB-Immobilienmanagement GesmbH signs on behalf of the owner ÖBB. You will find out who your personal contact person is when the flat is handed over.
Cooperative flat: please contact the property management of the cooperative.

Your ÖBB tenancy is tied to your employment contract. If you leave ÖBB, you must move out of the ÖBB flat. This applies equally to termination by the employee and termination by the employer. However, if you retire directly after your employment with ÖBB, you can stay in your rented flat.

In the event of dismissal, the flat must be vacated by the next possible termination date. If you or ÖBB terminate your employment contract, you have 6 months to hand over the flat.  
This is also precisely regulated in your tenancy agreement. 

At the end of the tenancy, you will receive all the necessary information on how to proceed from your property management company. You can also find out about most issues regarding the return in advance from your tenancy agreement
In the case of ÖBB employee flats, your property management is handled by ÖBB-Immobilienmanagement GmbH. 
In the case of cooperative flats, the management of your building is the responsibility of the respective cooperative.

Your tenancy agreement as an apprentice is concluded for a fixed term of 3 to 5 years. This also covers any period of military or civilian service that may be required. This means that you can stay in the flat until the end of the tenancy agreement. Once you have completed your apprenticeship and have been taken on by one of ÖBB's Group companies, you will receive a tenancy agreement tied to your employment contract. You only need to return the flat if you are not working for ÖBB after the end of the fixed-term contract.

You can register for a maximum of 3 flats per month.

Yes! All viewing forms must be returned to the Housing Sales Management (Vertrieb Wohnen) within the specified period, regardless of whether you have ticked YES or NO. If you do not take the flat, please give us a reason. For example: too big, too expensive, too small, floor plan doesn't meet my expectations, too much renovation work would be required in the bathroom etc. too extensive, or a similar reason.

If you can't find a suitable flat at the moment, simply create a search agent.
We cordially invite our ÖBB employees to join our ÖBB Housing Community . Here you can find news about ÖBB employee flats which are either under construction or at the planning stage and ask questions. You can find an overview of our ÖBB employee flats from the ÖBB housing programme on the "ÖBB Housing Programme" website.

You are welcome to move in with friends or colleagues, regardless of your relationship status. However, the tenancy agreement is only concluded with you, as an employee of ÖBB.

Pets are allowed in ÖBB employee flats. In justified cases, however, keeping animals may be prohibited. Cooperatives: this depends on the respective house rules.

• ÖBB employee flats: ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, represented by ÖBB-Immobilien Management GmbH.
• Cooperative flats: ÖBB Housing will find you a flat for which we, as ÖBB, have the right to nominate tenants. You conclude your usage agreement with the cooperative. Your landlord is therefore the respective cooperative.

• ÖBB employee flats: yes, if you establish your main residence at the address of your ÖBB flat.
• For subsidised cooperative flats: the subsidy regulations do not permit this.