Waste disposal/refuse collection

table of content

General information

In Austria, households are obliged to participate in public waste disposal, i.e. they must submit an application for waste disposal.

The application must be made either by the owner or the leaseholder (occupier) of a plot of land, or by the estate manager. If you are merely the tenant of a residence, the registration for waste disposal will normally be done by the owner or the estate manager.

Since regional procedures for waste disposal sometimes vary, it is advisable to send an enquiry to the municipality in good time concerning the procedure for registering for and cancelling refuse collection/waste disposal from your place of residence.

Requirements

Occupation of a property

Deadlines

Waste disposal procedures vary depending on the municipality. There are no deadlines for registering for refuse collection per se but registration is mandatory.

Tip

It is advisable to register, cancel or notify change of address in good time as the waiting period between your application and the provision of waste containers can differ depending on the municipality.

Competent authority

Procedure

A written request must be submitted for the initial provision of waste containers and the inclusion of properties in regular refuse collection.

Advice

In some municipalities (e.g. Vienna), only the owner of the property themselves is able to register for, request return or notify change of address for waste containers – persons with a power of attorneyGerman text for the owner can of course undertake this in the place of the owner.

Please enquire whether your municipality provides initial or re-registration forms for refuse collection or whether you can register online.

Advice

How each municipality handles refuse collection/waste disposal registration can vary greatly and it is therefore advisable to contact the municipality directly.

Required documents

  • You may be required to fill out a questionnaire for waste disposal applications
  • Possible proof of how many people live in the household
  • If applicable, proof of ownership of the land

Costs and fees

  • Application for the inclusion of properties in regular public refuse collection: free of charge
  • The charges for supplying the respective refuse containers vary

Further information

Some changes in waste disposal (e.g. larger/smaller containers) are subject to charges and it is therefore important to provide accurate information so that the best estimate of your household waste needs can be made.

Tenants are always responsible for the disposal of bulky waste themselves – even where, as in the case of a rented apartment, the owner of the house is generally responsible for registering for refuse collection.

Further links

Legal basis

Link to form

Translated by the European Commission
Last update: 2 June 2023

Responsible for the content: oesterreich.gv.at Editorial Staff