Tenants in Vienna-Liesing defend themselves: We want our home back!

Tenants in Vienna-Liesing defend themselves: We want our home back!

in Vienna-Liesing, specifically at Steinergasse 36, it becomes increasingly uncomfortable for the residents. The tenants report everything possible: beating, noise pollution and even physical attacks are the order of the day. Dog droppings on children's play equipment and in living rooms cause additional unrest. In order to draw attention to these grievances, affected residents have launched a petition that has already been signed by numerous neighbors. Your urgent appeal is: "It is enough! We want our home back." So it describes the Krone .

But there are not only problems in Liesing. In Leopoldstadt, more precisely in Engerthstrasse, a tenant makes headlines with her three dogs. Neighbors complain about unbearable stench, which penetrates the ventilation shafts from the tenant's balcony and thus into the apartments. Anthony A. reports of unsightly brown spots on the wall of his bathroom and the desperate use of fragrance sprays in the corridor while Irene complains about the noise of the dogs. Despite multiple complaints about Wiener Wohnen, an effective reaction on the part of the authority is missing. Maria F. and her husband Franz F. have been struggling to finally use their balcony for 12 years, but have so far only experienced inactivity from the authority.

Intervention of the authorities

On May 2, 2025, the police had to intervene because of the ongoing odor nuisance. Michael Niegl, the FPÖ residential construction combination man, described the situation as a hygienent emergency and sharply criticized the inactivity of Wiener Wohnen. The affected neighbors have collected a list of signatures to delogate the tenant - 16 out of 25 households already support the measure. The topic of tenancy law is also not to be neglected. The Austrian government indicates that tenants and landlords have different rights and obligations that are dependent on the applicability of the tenancy law law (MRG). Tenants who live in an apartment building enjoy particularly extensive property rights and rent limits.

While the regulations of the MRG apply to certain buildings and rental relationships, the situation for the tenant in both incidents seems to be recorded that many of their rights are not preserved. Sarah Oberhauser from the Vienna Chamber of Labor has pointed out the right to reduce rent and advised to contact residential partners. Checks carried out by Viennese in April and the health department level the property as dirty, but an evacuation is not up for debate. A written request for order was sent to the tenant, who is now being checked again.

In both cases, the situation not only raises questions about hygiene and security, but also makes it clear that many tenants feel powerless if the authorities do not react. It remains to be seen whether the persistent symptoms and the organization of the tenant will soon be improved in sight or whether the problems continue to worsen.