Guide · Living in the province of Salzburg

Housing subsidies in Salzburg: rent support, ownership and renovation, 2026

The province of Salzburg subsidises housing through several schemes, and less of it is available in 2026 than most guides suggest. For tenants, rent support is the main route, private rentals included, as long as the net rent stays below € 12.57 or € 11.17 per square metre. Here are the current rules, a check whether your flat stays under that cap, and the ownership grants along with the deadlines that expire at the end of 2026.

The schemes at a glance

The province groups everything under housing subsidies. For a flat search, the first two rows are what matters.

Rent support (Wohnbeihilfe)running: A monthly contribution towards the rent. General support for subsidised flats, extended support for private rentals. Runs normally in 2026.
Rent-to-own purchaserunning: A one-off grant when buying your own housing-association flat. Still running, but the rates drop by € 20,000 on 1 January 2027.
Purchase of a new flatexhausted for 2026: A one-off grant when buying a newly built flat from a developer. Budget exhausted for 2026, applications from January 2027.
Building your own homeexhausted for 2026: A one-off grant for new builds, densification and farmhouses. Budget exhausted for 2026, applications from January 2027.
Renovationrestricted: Only age-appropriate and accessible fittings and passenger lifts. Energy-related measures are not eligible in 2026.
Rental and student housing constructionrunning: Aimed at developers and non-profit housing associations, not at private individuals.

Rent support: the route for tenants

Salzburg has two versions. General rent support goes to tenants of subsidised buildings, meaning flats whose construction costs were financed with housing subsidies. Extended rent support is also available for private rentals. It requires a written tenancy agreement.

Extended rent support comes with a hard limit: the agreed net rent, excluding service charges, must not exceed the cap. Since 1 April 2026 that is € 12.57 per square metre in the city of Salzburg, in Bischofshofen, Hallein, Neumarkt am Wallersee, Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Seekirchen am Wallersee, St. Johann im Pongau, Zell am See and in the municipalities directly bordering the city, and € 11.17 per square metre everywhere else in the province.

The amount is the difference between the reasonable and the relevant housing cost, and the relevant housing cost covers only the eligible part of the rent. Important for your own calculation: service charges, taxes, heating and administration costs are not covered. Your rent statement shows which components your rent has.

Cap checker: does extended rent support apply to your flat?

The checker computes the one condition that is precisely defined. It does not tell you how much support you would get, because the province does not publish that formula. The official calculator below does.

Ownership: what is available once the budget reopens

All three ownership schemes require at least 30 per cent bank financing, a minimum loan term of five years and recognition as an eligible person. The grant is a one-off payment and does not have to be repaid as long as the home remains your main residence under the scheme rules.

Household	Buying a new flat	Rent-to-own until 31 Dec 2026	Rent-to-own from 1 Jan 2027
1 to 2 people	€ 44,000	€ 52,000	€ 32,000
3 to 4 people, growing family without children	€ 54,000	€ 62,000	€ 42,000
5 or more people, young families, single parents	€ 64,000	€ 72,000	€ 52,000
Families with three or more children	€ 72,000	€ 80,000	€ 62,000

For the purchase grant the flat must be newly built and no more than three years old, the seller a developer, and the building must hold at least three owner-occupied flats. If the regional price ceiling is exceeded, the grant is lost entirely. For rent-to-own the subsidised flat must be at least five and at most twenty years old, income and housing need are not reassessed, and the scheme runs for 25 years.

Building on an undeveloped plot, a detached or semi-detached house, or a farmhouse carries a one-off grant of € 15,000 regardless of household size, with a minimum investment of € 200,000. Higher grants apply only to densification and land-securing schemes, starting at € 20,000 for one to two people.

Renovation: what is possible in 2026

Under the Salzburg housing subsidy act, energy-related measures are not eligible in 2026. Only age-appropriate and accessible bathroom fittings, needs-based accessible fittings and passenger lifts remain. The order matters: registration must happen before the work is commissioned, otherwise no grant is paid. A temporary exemption applies to work commissioned before 1 August 2026; after that date registration is mandatory.

Applying, in four steps

1
Work out which scheme fits
Tenants apply for rent support; anyone buying their own housing-association flat uses the rent-to-own grant. For buying or building ownership, applying is worth it again from 2027.
2
Gather the documents
For rent support: the rent statement with the breakdown of components, the tenancy agreement and proof of income for everyone in the household.
3
Apply online
The province runs an online application with an assistant; renewals of rent support have their own form.
4
Keep an eye on the renewal
Approval is time-limited. Missing the renewal costs months that cannot be claimed retroactively.

Advice is available from Wohnberatung Salzburg and the housing subsidy department of the province, by phone on +43 662 8042-3000.

Five myths worth clearing up

Rent support only exists in subsidised flats: Wrong. Extended rent support also covers private rentals, provided there is a written tenancy agreement and the net rent stays within the cap.
Rent support covers the whole rent: Wrong. Only the eligible part counts. Service charges, taxes, heating and administration costs are not covered.
Salzburg subsidises thermal renovation: Not any more. Energy-related measures are not eligible under the housing subsidy act in 2026.
You can apply for ownership grants at any time: Wrong. Purchase and construction grants are exhausted for 2026; applications reopen in January 2027.
Nothing changes for rent-to-own: Wrong. From 1 January 2027 the grants drop by € 20,000. What counts is the date of purchase.

Frequently asked questions

How much rent support does Salzburg pay?

There is no flat answer. The amount is the difference between the reasonable and the relevant housing cost and depends on income, household size and the eligible share of the rent. The province provides its own calculator for this.

Can I get rent support for a private rental?

Yes, through extended rent support. It requires a written tenancy agreement, and the agreed net rent must not exceed the cap: € 12.57 per square metre in the city of Salzburg and the listed towns, € 11.17 elsewhere in the province.

Do service charges and heating count?

No. Service charges, taxes, heating and administration costs are not covered. Only the eligible part of the rent is used, and your rent statement shows the breakdown.

Are ownership grants still available in 2026?

Not for buying or building: those budgets are exhausted and applications reopen in January 2027. The rent-to-own grant is still running, although its rates drop on 1 January 2027.

Is thermal renovation subsidised?

Not under the Salzburg housing subsidy act in 2026. Age-appropriate and accessible bathroom fittings, needs-based accessible fittings and passenger lifts remain eligible, and registration must happen before the work is commissioned.

Which municipalities have the higher cap?

The city of Salzburg, Bischofshofen, Hallein, Neumarkt am Wallersee, Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, Seekirchen am Wallersee, St. Johann im Pongau, Zell am See, and the municipalities directly bordering the city. Around the city those include Wals-Siezenheim, Bergheim, Hallwang, Koppl, Anif, Grödig and Elsbethen.

Read on

Last updated August 2026. All figures follow the information published by the province of Salzburg, rent caps as of 1 April 2026. Guidance, not legal advice. The province decides.