Rental Listing Scams in Austria
Fraudulent rental ads on willhaben.at and Immobilienscout24 targeting Austrian house-hunters with below-market listings that collect deposits for inaccessible properties.
Part of: Rental Listing Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Austria's tight rental market — especially in Vienna, Graz, and Salzburg — attracts rental scammers who post fake listings on willhaben.at and Immobilienscout24.at. Victims pay Kautionen (deposits) and first-month Miete to landlords they never meet for properties they cannot access.
Mietervereinigung Österreich (Austrian Tenants Association) and Arbeiterkammer both document rental fraud and provide free legal guidance. The Vienna housing market's high demand-to-supply ratio makes below-market listings immediately attractive, reducing victim scrutiny.
How this scam works on Austria
A compelling Viennese apartment listing appears on willhaben.at at below-market Miete. The 'Vermieter' (landlord) responds only by email or WhatsApp, claiming to be abroad on business or in a different city.
They ask for the full Kaution (typically three months' rent) via EPS or bank transfer to 'reserve' the flat, promising to send the Schlüssel (keys) by courier or arrange an Übergabe (handover) on return. After payment, contact ceases.
Some operators use professional-looking Mietvertrag (lease) templates with fabricated ZVR or UID numbers, adding apparent legitimacy.
Common red flags
- Miete significantly below Richtwertmiete (reference rent value) for the district
- Vermieter communicates only digitally, declines in-person Besichtigung (viewing)
- Full Kaution requested before viewing or Schlüsselübergabe
- Landlord claims to be abroad and offers courier delivery of keys
- Mietvertrag includes a UID or ZVR number that cannot be verified at firmenbuch.justiz.gv.at
- willhaben listing photos found on other property sites via reverse-image search
How to protect yourself
- Always conduct an in-person Besichtigung before paying any Kaution
- Verify property ownership via Grundbuch (land register) at justiz.gv.at
- Pay Kaution only to a Kautionskonto held in your own name as per Austrian rental law
- Use Mietervereinigung Österreich resources at mietervereinigung.at
- Use Arbeiterkammer's (AK) free legal consumer advice at arbeiterkammer.at
- Report fake listings to willhaben.at via their fraud-reporting tool
How to report it
- Report to willhaben.at using the listing flag feature
- File a Strafanzeige (criminal complaint) at bmi.gv.at or local Polizeiinspektion
- Seek advice from Arbeiterkammer at arbeiterkammer.at
Frequently asked questions
Under Austrian law, how should a rental Kaution be held?
Under MRG (Mietrechtsgesetz), a Kaution (up to three months' rent) should be placed in a blocked savings account in the tenant's name. Landlords who insist on direct transfer are either non-compliant or fraudulent.