Glossary

Holiday home

A holiday home is used for holidays, weekends or recreation rather than for a year-round home connected with the centre of a person’s life. The specific restrictions are governed by the law of the Austrian province concerned.

In brief

Under the approach used in several Austrian planning laws, a holiday home is a dwelling or other part of a building that does not serve a year-round housing need connected with the centre of a person’s life, but is used for holidays, weekends or recreation. Austria has no single nationwide regime; the law of the relevant province is decisive.

A holiday home, a second home and short-term letting are not automatically the same. The term primarily describes the intended or actual use. Whether that use is permitted, whether registration is required and what follows from unlawful use must be assessed under the applicable provincial law. Letting to changing guests for short stays may raise additional planning, trade-law and levy questions.

The province, municipality, zoning designation, existing permits or registrations and actual use are particularly relevant. The holiday homes and letting topic explains the relevant questions. The related entry on short-term letting distinguishes the use from letting to changing guests.