Rent brake: Brunner sees a chance of agreement

“I certainly see chances that an agreement will still be reached,” said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) in the press foyer after the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. “Time is of the essence here,” warned Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) about Tempo.

If the government does nothing, an 8.6 percent increase in old building benchmark rents is due on April 1. A sticking point in the negotiations so far has been that the People’s Party wanted to combine the rental price brake with a real estate transfer tax exemption of 500,000 euros, which the Greens didn’t like.

It is important to the ÖVP that measures in connection with a restructuring offensive are also negotiated, and Brunner affirmed that ownership is a concern of the People’s Party. It is clear to them that a good solution is needed, because rents have risen rapidly, which is a problem for many families, Gewessler emphasized. Time is of the essence.