Glossary -- Österreichischer Verband gemeinnütziger Bauvereinigungen (A - K)

This glossary contains important terms regarding the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV).

This is a translation of the German glossary which can be found at https://www.gbv-aktuell.at/abc

The second part of this glossary (M - Z) can be found here.

​German	English	​Description
Abrechnung	Billing	​According to the Limited-Profit Housing Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, abbr. WGG), the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) must provide a bill including utility, heating and preservation and improvement fees (Erhaltungs- und Verbesserungsbeitrag, abbr. EVB) to its tenants annually no later than 30 June. The EVB is part of the monthly rent and is used for necessary or beneficial preservation and improvement work of the building.
​Anerkennung	Recognition as an Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Association	​The Limited-Profit Housing Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, abbr. WGG) specifies that building associations can only be recognized as an Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Association (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) if they serve the common good in the field of housing. An application for recognition must be submitted to the corresponding provincial government in whose area the building association will be registered in the future.
​Annuität	Annuity	​An annuity is a loan repayment that has to be paid annually. It includes a repayment and an interest portion. The amount of the annuity depends on the duration and interest rate of the loan.
Balkon	Balcony	​A balcony often improves the housing quality. Open balconies and terraces attached to the exterior of the building are not counted as usable space. Loggias, which are enclosed on five sides (floor, walls and ceiling) by solid elements like walls or glass elements are counted as usable space.
​Barrierefreies Wohnen	​Accessible housing (GB) (CA) (SA) (ZA) (AU) Fully accessible housing (US)	​Accessible housing is not only used by older people or wheelchair users, but also by a large number of other individuals. These include people with visual or hearing impairment, people with restricted growth, smaller children or people pushing prams. Accessible housing designs enable tenants and property owners to live independently and sustainably in their homes.
Bauherr	​Builder Builder-owner Building owner Homeowner Home builder (ZA)	The builder can be a person or one of the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) who commissions and pays for the construction. They prepare the building project and then take all necessary measures to realise it. The builder is legally and economically responsible for the building project.
Bauordnung	​Building regulations (GB) (ZA) (AU) Building codes (US) (CA) (AU) Construction codes (CA) (US)	​The building regulations are a set of construction and procedural rules to follow when building something. There are nine different building regulations in Austria, one for each province. The Austrian Institute of Construction Engineering (Österreichisches Institut für Bautechnik, abbr. OIB) issued the OIB Guidelines in order to harmonise the different building regulations. These guidelines are binding; however, they can be deviated from if an equal level of protection, as described in the OIB Guidelines, can be ensured.
Baurecht	​Leasehold Property (GB) (US) Leasehold Land (US) (AU)	​Due to limited building space – especially in cities – the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) often develop building projects on leasehold property. This means they build property on land they do not own but rather rent from the leaseholder. These leases last between 10 and 100 years.
​Betreutes Wohnen	​Extra care housing (GB) Assisted living facility (CA) (GB) (US) (ZA) (AU) Assisted living residence (US) Supportive living (CA) (AU)	This type of housing is aimed at older people and people with disabilities who want to live autonomously and independently but need support in certain areas. The residence is suitable for the elderly as well as accessible e.g. for wheelchair users. There are also certain services provided by the landlord or by third parties.
​Betriebskosten	Utility costs	​Utility costs are fees that are collected for the running of the building. This includes costs for water, waste management, pest control, insurance, public fees, property management, electricity in common areas and the upkeep of the building.
​Compliance	Compliance	​Compliance means adhering to or conforming with a law, rule, standard, policy or specification. According to compliance regulations in Austria, the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) must obtain the unanimous approval of the supervisory board before making any legal decisions with their executive bodies. The approved legal decisions must be included in an annual compliance report that can be viewed by the public.
Dekarbonisierung	Decarbonisation	Heating systems powered by fossil fuels like oil, gas or coal are replaced with low-carbon heating systems like heat pumps. Buildings that are not energy-efficient must undergo improvements.
Duldungspflichten	Landlord's right to access	​The landlord or people the landlord commissions have the right to access the rental property to carry out repairs, inspections or maintenance work. The tenant must provide access if the repairs or maintenance are necessary and appropriate. If the landlord’s actions violate the tenant’s rights, the tenant is entitled to compensation.
Eigentümerversammlung	Property owner's meeting	​A property owners’ meeting is issued by the property management and takes place on-site or virtually approximately every two years. All the property owners and the property management come together to discuss important topics concerning the rental property.
Energiearmut	Energy poverty	​Energy poverty means not being able to pay one’s high energy bills because of too little income or not being able to pay due to having to reduce one’s household’s energy consumption. Energy poverty primarily focuses on the cost of heating energy, although energy consumption is not limited to heating.
Energieausweis	Energy performance certificate (= CPE)	An energy performance certificate provides information on the energy efficiency of a building and recommendations for improvements. The certificate must be presented by the landlord or seller when renting or selling houses, apartments or business premises. The certificate has to be renewed after a maximum of ten years or in the event of extensive renovations.
​Erhaltungs- und Verbesserungsbeitrag	Preservation and improvement fee	​The preservation and improvement fee (Erhaltungs- und Verbesserungsbeitrag, abbr. EBV) is included in the monthly rent the tenant has to pay. It is used to finance necessary maintenance and improvement works on and in the building and might vary depending on the age of the building.
Finanzierungsbeitrag	Financial contribution	​The financial contribution is a one-time payment that tenants have to pay the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) at the beginning of a tenancy. It is a contribution to the construction costs of the premise. The tenant is refunded the contribution at the end of the tenancy.
GBV = gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen	​Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations	The Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) are subject to the Limited-Profit Housing Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, abbr. WGG). Their main purpose is the construction, the management and the renovation of housing. The Austrian Federation of Limited Housing Associations (Österreichischer Verband Gemeinnütziger Bauvereinigungen – Revisionsverband), functioning as an interest representation body for its members, is also referred to as GBV.
Gemeinde und Baurecht	Municipality	​In Austria, municipalities are local administrative units with corporate status and a local self-government. The citizens of a municipality elect the municipal council that is responsible for important decisions and the mayor. The mayor represents the municipality externally and is responsible for issuing building permits and for checking if building projects comply with applicable building regulations.
​Genossenschaft	Co-operative (GB) Cooperative (US)	​A co-operative is an association of people that pursue common interests and a common economic goal. Companies or individuals have the goal to co-operate and economically support the members of the co-operative, e.g. by creating housing opportunities. All members of the co-operative are owners of the co-operative and also customers.
Geschäftsraummiete	Office space rent	​Whether the rental object is qualified as an apartment or as a business premise is determined by the intentions of the landlord and tenant, and depends on the contractual purpose. The dedication for business purposes can be agreed on expressly or conclusively, and may be subsequently changed by mutual consent.
Grundmiete	Basic rent without utilities	​The basic rent without utilities (can also be called Kaltmiete or Nettomiete) is the rent of the apartment without the fees that are collected for the running of the building (e.g. utility costs). The basic rent without utilities is adjusted according to inflation.
Hausordnung	House rules	​House rules exist to ensure a peaceful coexistence between residents. They can include certain regulations for the use of common areas (e.g. laundry room), regulations on quiet times and different aspects concerning the security of tenants.
Heim	​Homes (GB) Residential Care Facilities (US) Care Centres (IE) Care Homes (CA)	The Limited-Profit Housing Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, abbr. WGG) defines a home as an institution where people are cared for. In addition to living rooms and bedrooms, a home also has rooms for administration and accommodating staff. Furthermore, there are common kitchen areas, dining rooms, lounge rooms and hospital rooms.
Heizkostenabrechnung (HeizKG)	Heating Bill	​A heating bill is a bill for the costs of heating, cooling and warm water. According to the Heating Bill Act (Heizkostenabrechnungsgesetz, abbr. HeizKG), certain information must be included in a heating bill, e.g. the beginning and the ending of the billing period and a breakdown of the costs.
​Indexierung	Index-linking	​If your rent is index-linked, your landlord can adjust it in line with inflation. In most cases, your basic rent excl. VAT can only be index-linked if this is expressly agreed in the contract. There are, however, a few exceptions to this and your landlord might be allowed to index link your rent without prior agreement.
Jahresabschluss	​Annual financial statement	​All limited-profit housing associations are required to write an annual financial statement. The statement has to be audited by an auditing association. During the audit, it is also examined whether the provisions of the Limited-Profit Housing Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, abbr. WGG) are being adhered to.
Kaufoption	​Buying-option	The Limited-Profit Housing Act (Wohnungsgemeinnützigkeitsgesetz, abbr. WGG) allows tenants to buy the property they rent at a later point.This buying option is not the same as a rent-to-own transaction (Mietkauf). The rental contract and the contract of sale are separate from one another. The buying option grants the tenant the right to buy the rental property under certain conditions.
Kaution	Deposit	​If agreed upon in the rental contract, the tenant needs to pay the landlord a deposit at the start of the tenancy. There are no legal requirements concerning the amount. In most cases, it is no more than six months’ rent including VAT. At the end of the tenancy, the tenant gets the deposit back plus any interest accrued on it. However, if the tenant does not pay rent or damages the rental property beyond normal wear-and-tear, the landlord can take money from the deposit, and the tenant will not get back the full amount.
​Kostendeckendes Entgelt	​Building and upkeeping cost recovery	​The Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen, abbr. GBV) are bound by the principle of cost recovery. Total construction, utility, maintenance, administrative costs as well as additional costs used to build up a reserve need to be recovered.
Lebensgefährte	Life partner	​A life partner is a person who has lived with another person in the same household for at least three years. Austrian law does not discriminate between gender constellations in this regard. However, the partners need to be in a romantic relationship that is economically similar to a marriage.

The second part of this glossary (M - Z) can be found here.

Glossary translated by ITAT students Julia Benko, Alessia Gerstgrasser, Johanna Gmeiner-Froschauer, Nina Gödl, Larissa Grünwald, Verena Hirmann, Carina Karnitschnigg, Sabrina Langmann, Christine Lovrenovic, Milica Rajkovic, Christina Steiner and Bettina Zechner

Supervised by Hendrik Bower