Those who enjoy apartment living have most of Vienna to choose from, but expatriates wanting a house, especially a furnished one, will find that their options are more limited. Furnished houses are not easy to find on the rental market. Both furnished and unfurnished apartments are available. Unfurnished usually means empty with no closets, light fixtures, curtain rods, and in some instances no kitchen appliances. You can often buy these things from other Expats, who are moving out, or from a number of stores in Vienna at a reasonable price.
Rents depend on the location, the standard of the building and the facilities available.
There are a myriad of Rent laws and regulations that are applicable in many cases, particularly to older buildings. Allow between 2 to 4 weeks to find suitable accommodation - there are a number of real estate agencies that manage property and most leases are for 1 or 2 years. The purchase of property by non-Austrian nationals has become more and more restricted in recent years. Each of the state governments retain jurisdiction in matters of real estate transactions and in most states real estate purchases by foreigners are either prohibited or have to be approved by a governmental commission. Purchase of real estate is subject to various taxes, levied annually on the assessed value of the real estate.