Zoff in Municipal Housing – Wherever These Tenants Move, There Are Problems

They are related, have the same first name, have lived together for a long time and tell of an almost unbelievable ordeal caused by forced “eviction” and relocation. A story of shelters without electricity, gas and drinking water, garnished with violent attacks from a neighbour.

“We have been harassed by Wiener Wohnen for seven years,” the two say. How so? Because they oppose the demolition of the Wienerfeldsiedlung West, their former home. The property management “strongly rejects” the intentional torment of the two women – one of them with a 70 percent disability. On the contrary, the ladies were always accommodated.

At the same time, Wiener Wohnen confirms problems with departures that have been offered to Hermine W. and Hermine D. But one after the other. Let’s start in 2015. The retired technician and her medically trained relative live at Berhold-Viertel-Gasse in the 10th arrondissement. Although most of the other tenants have already left, they don’t want to leave. You put money into the apartment, you feel comfortable.

From that moment on, Wiener Wohnen began to exert pressure, they say. Construction work in the living area, the electricity goes out without a doubt, walls are being demolished, the drinking water pipe is damaged. Methods otherwise known only from private rental sharks. The property management says: “In the event of a defect that requires work in other apartments, it cannot be ruled out that electricity and water will be switched off in the short term.” The tenants are informed in advance. Wiener Wohnen excludes “intentional damage”.

In the end, the women agree to move. One of the three replacement apartments offered is already occupied, the second has no heating. You take the third. What They Don’t Know: A documented “problem tenant” lives next door. After a short while, the situation escalated. Hermine D.’s car has been destroyed. According to her, the neighbor injured her with a “club and sword stick”. Police operation. Wiener Wohnen throws the rabid man out.

But the two women also leave. Voluntary, as the property management emphasizes. And with the comment: “The two have been tenants of different apartments for years. So far there have been conflicts with neighbors at all addresses. Even mediation with the Wohnpartner neighborhood service was unsuccessful.”

Next stop: Peer-Albin-Hansson-Strasse. Problems here too. The apartment should not have been occupied at all because the gas report is missing. The Wiener Netze turn off the supply. Hermine W. and Hermine D. wait weeks for the problem to be resolved. Wiener Wohnen said: “The tenants were compensated with an 80 percent rent reduction for the repair period.” To bridge the gap, they were given a hob and a stove.

The gas eventually flows again. But the thermal bath “crazy”. Several repair attempts have failed. Foremen and installers exchange various parts, but according to Wiener Wohnen cannot find “defective equipment”.

It’s enough for the ladies now. you want to leave for Lower Austria. But Wiener Wohnen has to replace the moving costs of recent years (several thousand euros). The municipal building administration does not think about it: “The removals were done at our own request. It is therefore not the intention to bear the costs.” The tenants have engaged a lawyer. The FPÖ discusses the matter in the city council.

FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp: “Such events are shameful, you cannot just go back to normalcy. I call on Councilor Gaal to fully clarify this procedure and take immediate measures to prevent such willful intimidation in the future !”