Rent receipts in Austria: what a Mietquittung must show (with a free template)

A rent receipt (Mietquittung) is the landlord's written confirmation that rent was paid. If you pay in cash, it's often the only proof there is. If you pay by bank transfer, it still says which month the money was for. This article covers what Austrian law asks a receipt to show, what's worth adding, and how long to keep it, whether you pay the rent or receive it.

Can a tenant ask for a receipt?

Yes, in every case. Under § 1426 ABGB, whoever pays is entitled to a receipt from whoever was paid. The same paragraph says who bears the cost: unless you've agreed otherwise, the landlord does.

What a receipt must show

§ 1426 ABGB also lists what goes on it:

• Who paid: the tenant's name.
• Who was paid: the landlord's name.
• Where and when it was paid.
• What it settles: the rent for which flat and which month, and the amount.
• The signature of the landlord, or of someone acting for them, such as the property manager (Hausverwaltung).

What's worth adding

• How it was paid: in cash or by bank transfer.
• What the amount is made of, if your rent has parts: the main rent (Hauptmietzins), the operating costs (Betriebskosten) and VAT, if the landlord charges it. That makes the yearly operating-cost statement easier to check.
• A receipt number, so a landlord with several flats can find it again.
• The landlord's address.

A sample receipt

You don't have to type it out: the free rent receipt generator turns a short form into exactly this receipt as a PDF, ready to print and sign, in English, German or Greek. It needs no account, and nothing you type is stored.

Paying by transfer: is the bank statement enough?

A bank statement proves that money went from the tenant's account to the landlord's. What it doesn't always show is which month the payment was for. Put the month and the flat in the payment reference (Verwendungszweck), for example "Miete Oktober 2026, Top 4", and the statement answers most of what a receipt would. You're still entitled to a receipt if you want one.

Paying in cash: always get a receipt

With cash, the receipt is the only proof of payment. Ask for it when you hand over the money, not weeks later, and check that it names the month. Without one, a disputed month is your word against theirs.

How long to keep receipts

• Tenants: at least three years. Claims for rent lapse after three years (§ 1486 ABGB), so that's how long a landlord can still claim a month as unpaid. And in any case until your deposit is back.
• Landlords: seven years. Rent is taxable income, and the records and receipts behind it are kept for seven years (§ 132 BAO), counted from the end of the year they relate to.

Every month on file, without paper

That's what Mietto is for. The tenant uploads proof of each month's payment and the landlord confirms it; a month paid in cash, the landlord simply marks as paid. Both see the same list of every month, and at tax time the landlord exports the year's rental income as a PDF. The rent itself never passes through Mietto, and it's free during the beta. See how it works, step by step.

Frequently asked questions

Can the landlord charge for a receipt?

Not unless you agreed to it. By law, the landlord bears the cost of a receipt (§ 1426 ABGB).

Does the landlord have to give a receipt for a bank transfer too?

The law gives whoever pays the right to a receipt in every case, so you can ask for one. In practice, a bank statement with a clear payment reference usually does the job.

What if the landlord won't give me one?

Ask again in writing and mention § 1426 ABGB. Until it's settled, pay by bank transfer, so every payment leaves a record of its own. If that doesn't help, the Mietervereinigung or the Arbeiterkammer can advise you.

This article provides general information and is not legal or tax advice. For a question about your own lease, contact the Mietervereinigung or the Arbeiterkammer; for tax, a tax adviser.