How much is normal
Up to three gross monthly rents is customary in Vienna. With a median gross rent of €22.2 per m², that is roughly €4,000 for a 60 m² flat. Much higher demands are a reason to ask why, and FlatDrop flags deposits above three and a half months' rent.
Pay the deposit only after you have signed the contract, and only to an account in the landlord's or agent's name. Never in cash without a receipt.
What the landlord must do with it
For most flats the landlord must invest the deposit so that it earns interest (for example a savings account) and return it with the interest after the tenancy ends, without delay. They may deduct only justified claims: unpaid rent, or damage beyond normal wear and tear.
Your three steps
- Moving in: photograph every room, wall, floor and appliance, with the date, and note existing damage in a handover protocol (Übergabeprotokoll) signed by both sides.
- Moving out: clean, repair what you damaged, photograph again and sign a handover protocol with the meter readings.
- Ask for the return in writing (e-mail is fine) with your IBAN and a deadline of about two weeks.
If the deposit doesn't come back
Normal wear (faded paint, small holes from pictures, worn floors after years) is not damage. If the landlord keeps money without a justified reason, Mieterhilfe Wien and the Arbeiterkammer help for free, and the Schlichtungsstelle or the district court can decide.