Housing Cost Burden of Austrian Households: Results of a Recent Survey

This article presents the results of a survey carried out in spring 2012 to determine the level of housing costs incurred by Austrian households. The housing cost survey shows that the share of housing costs borne by homeowners (loan repayment plus operating expenses and energy costs) accounts for 25% (median: 19%) of their net household income and is thus far lower than that borne by tenants (rent plus operating expenses and energy costs), which accounts for 34% (median: 29%) of tenants’ income. The burden of housing costs is significant in the lowest income quartile, in particular (tenants: 51% of their net household income, homeowners: 44%). This study compares the results of this survey with those of a comparable survey that was carried out in 2008. The results show that the share of housing costs as a percentage of income increased by 2 to 6 percentage points during the previous four years. The second part of this article analyzes the vulnerability of households. About 6% of households (8% of tenants, 38% of the unemployed and 12% in the lowest income quartile) state that they were in arrears with rent payments or operating expenses in the previous 12 months on at least one occasion owing to financial constraints. Around one-third of tenants are obliged to restrict their consumption to cover their housing costs.