Landlord arrested

Illegal apartments discovered in Viennese building

Illegal apartments have now been discovered in Vienna's Brigittenau district. The City of Vienna's emergency measures group found the apartments, which were not declared as such, in an office building during checks with the police, financial police, Wiener Net, municipal departments 15, 36 and 37. One landlord was arrested. 

The authorities found serious violations of building law and the Electrical Engineering Act. According to the Immediate Action Group, the office building had been converted into apartments without a permit since March 2024 and housed numerous people in 18 residential units.

Electricity theft also detected
Some work had not yet been completed, particularly on the upper floors. In addition to the illegal use, Wiener Netze also detected electricity theft in 25 cases and initiated proceedings under the Electrical Engineering Act.

Excessive rents paid in cash
During the inspection of the apartments, it emerged that excessive rents had been paid in cash by the residents. During the official action, a person appeared who, after intensive questioning, stated that he had rented the entire building and had used a bogus company to issue the rental contracts.

The police arrested the landlord. "Living space is precious, illegal accommodation is unacceptable," emphasized Walter Hiller, head of the Emergency Measures Group.