As the deputy head of the SPÖ club Jörg Leichtfried announced on Monday, the Social Democrats want to end the increase in benchmark rents announced in April. A corresponding application will be submitted to the National Council by Wednesday at the latest.
According to Leichtfried, two million Austrians are already afraid that they will no longer be able to afford housing. Now there would be an increase of 8.6 percent in the benchmark in April. That is why the SPÖ applies to a rent freeze until 2025.
In mid-January, the Labor Chamber already warned about the increase on April 1 that tenants would have to bear an average of 490 euros per year in additional costs from that date. The increase affects approximately 776,000 tenants. Anyone who has signed a lease after March 1, 1994 in a private old building – built before 1945 – falls under the benchmark system. The increase therefore affects all contracts concluded in the past 27 years, as they (often) contain corresponding adjustment clauses in the contract, as well as new contracts.
Guideline values vary depending on the state
The benchmarks vary from state to state. There is no rental ceiling in Austria as other countries have introduced. In France, for example, the National Assembly had already voted for a rent ceiling in July 2022.
“Pension theft” must be stopped
People are also becoming active again in the field of pensions. Leichtfried came across the proportional payment, which means that in the first year of retirement you get less and less pay rise the later in the year you retire: “Whoever leaves later is stupid.” Abolish “pension robbery” and aliquoting.
Source: Krone
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