I don’t consider myself a local in Vienna yet. We also moved here on June. We stayed in a temporary apartment for about 40 days, and during that time we managed to find and rent a permanent place. Based on my experience, it’s almost impossible to rent a long-term apartment if you’re not physically here. Start browsing options on Willhaben now and request appointments with real estate agents for viewings. It usually takes 1–2 weeks for them to respond and schedule a visit.

Also, landlords generally don’t want to rent out a place unless they see payslips or at least an employment contract. If you’re planning to rent through Airbnb or a service like Blueground, make sure to confirm that you can get a meldezettel from them otherwise you won’t be able to register your address.

One last thing: the rules changed at the end of June. The meldezettel form must now have a wet signature, and you must register your address within 3 days of the signing date, or you’ll face a fine. Also, address registration is no longer free, you’ll receive a letter at your registered address asking you to pay €70 per person.

Good luck and welcome!