Flat hunting in Vienna: when is a search mandate with an agent worth it?

The essentials in brief

• With a search mandate you, the flat-seeker, engage the agent — and only then may you bear the commission under the Bestellerprinzip (§ 17a MaklerG).
• Our fee: one gross monthly rent plus 20% VAT, only on success.
• The law would permit up to one gross monthly rent from the tenant for terms of up to three years and up to two for longer or open-ended contracts — we charge one in every case.
• Flats that we already offer on a landlord's instructions stay commission-free for you, even with a search mandate.
• We check the tenancy agreement before you sign, including the question of whether the rent demanded is legally permissible.
• The search runs in German, Russian, Ukrainian and English.

Who is a search mandate worth it for?

A search mandate is worth it when your time is short or you do not know the Viennese market. The typical cases are people moving from abroad, families with clear requirements as to district and school, professionals who cannot attend twenty viewings, and companies looking for flats for their staff.

Anyone who is flexible and searches the portals themselves does not need a search mandate: flats offered on a landlord's instructions are commission-free for tenants anyway.

How the search mandate works

Five steps from the enquiry to the tenancy agreement:

1. A conversation about your criteria. District, size, budget including operating costs, move-in date, fixed term, pets, schools.
2. The search mandate. We record the criteria, the fee and the term in writing.
3. Market search and pre-selection. We sift the offers, clear up open points with landlords and view flats in advance where useful.
4. Viewings with you. Only flats that match your criteria — on site or by video.
5. Contract check and handover. We check the tenancy agreement, the fixed term, the deposit and the level of the rent, and accompany the handover.

What does the search mandate cost?

One gross monthly rent plus 20% VAT — and only if you find a flat through us and sign the tenancy agreement. If we find no suitable flat, you pay nothing.

What do we check in the tenancy agreement?

Before you sign we check whether the level of the rent, the fixed term and the deposit hold up legally. In many Viennese period buildings the Mietrechtsgesetz limits the rent; a rent set too high can be reclaimed by tenants later. We also watch the size of the deposit and the clauses on maintenance and operating costs. For residential tenancies fully or partly covered by the MRG, the minimum fixed term has in principle been five years since 1 January 2026. If the landlord is not an entrepreneur within the meaning of the KSchG at the time the fixed term is agreed, a minimum of three years remains permissible. Transitional provisions apply to existing contracts. Current rent levels: Property prices in Vienna.