- Every area figure needs a definition, source and date.
- Open balconies and terraces are not simply added to usable floor area under the WEG.
- Utility value and co-ownership share do not describe a directly saleable number of square metres.
Which area measure is actually required?
Start with the intended use. A construction cost estimate may use a different reference area from an apartment price per square metre. A room plan, meanwhile, may describe only geometrical dimensions. Write down in full which measure the valuation needs and which definition was used to prepare the existing schedule. The term living area in an old listing is not enough.
§ 2 Abs. 7 WEG generally defines usable floor area as floor area excluding wall thicknesses and corresponding wall recesses. Stairs, open balconies, terraces and, as a rule, ancillary property are excluded; for cellar and attic rooms, their suitability based on their fittings also matters. This statutory definition is not a universal calculation rule for every listing or technical area model.
Foundations: RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [1]
An area worksheet prevents double counting
First record the areas actually present without adding them together prematurely. Use one row for each group of rooms that can be identified on a plan or measured survey. Record unresolved measurement questions separately. After alterations in particular, an old schedule may still look orderly even though it describes a different layout.
| Area | Record separately | To clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Internal rooms | Room areas and measurement basis | Wall areas, stairs and plan version |
| Loggia | Area and construction | Does it meet the definition being used? |
| Balcony or terrace | Actual unweighted area | Usability and legal allocation |
| Cellar or attic space | Area, fittings and use | Suitable, allocated and approved? |
| Garage and parking space | Type, size and legal basis | Separate unit, ancillary property or right of use? |
Why loggias and balconies are treated differently
Statistics Austria's 2025 user guidance for average property prices includes loggias in usable floor area. Here, the term refers only to areas open on one side and otherwise enclosed by walls. Open balconies, terraces and gardens, by contrast, form the outdoor-area characteristic for apartments. A loggia alone does not place an apartment in the category with outdoor space in these statistics.
This classification explains a particular set of statistics. It does not justify a blanket market premium or a general weighting of 25 or 50 per cent for every terrace. For an individual valuation, factors to examine include access, shape, privacy and documented rights of use. Two outdoor areas of the same size may offer very different possibilities for use.
Foundations: Statistik Austria [2]
Distinguishing utility value, ownership share and usable floor area
Utility value under the WEG is a relative measure between units held in apartment ownership. Alongside area, it considers characteristics that increase or reduce value; its ratio to the total of all utility values determines the minimum ownership share. It is therefore neither a second living-area measure nor a current selling price.
Record figures such as 85 utility-value points, 85 m² and a land register ownership share in separate fields. Never enter a utility-value figure into a calculator as a number of square metres without checking it. Even an area figure in a utility value assessment should be checked against the plan version and actual construction; the assessment does not automatically answer every subsequent construction or marketing question.
Foundations: RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes [1]
How to resolve conflicting documents
First compare the rooms included: is a loggia included in one figure and shown separately in another? Has a cellar been converted? Has someone included wall areas? Then check the chronological order of the plan, alterations and area schedule. The most recent figure is only more useful if its content and measurement basis are clear.
If the discrepancy remains material to the decision, commission a traceable measured survey using an expressly specified definition. A survey establishes the existing geometry. Whether building regulations permit a room to be used accordingly and whether it is legally allocated to the unit require additional documents. Authorised persons can inspect approved Vienna plans in the plan archive.
Foundations: Stadt Wien – Baupolizei MA 37 [3]
Fictional area reconciliation with a loggia and balcony
The following areas are invented. The case explains only the classification under Statistics Austria's 2025 user guidance.
- A checked area worksheet shows 72 m² of other usable floor area, a 5 m² loggia of the appropriate construction, an 8 m² open balcony and a 4 m² cellar compartment unsuitable for residential use.
- For these statistics, the living area is 72 + 5 = 77 m². The balcony and cellar are not added to this figure.
- Because it also has a balcony, the apartment belongs in the category with outdoor space. The 8 m² balcony continues to be documented separately.
- An old figure of 89 m² equals the sum of all four areas. It is unsuitable for this reference measure; the reconciliation does not yet establish a market value.
The areas become traceable without obscuring their different qualities through arbitrary weighting. For other valuation models, their definitions must be checked separately.
Your next assessment steps
Record what you have already clarified and which documents you still need.
Obtain an area schedule with a definition
Explains which rooms and area components make up the figure.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Your own documents, the author of the schedule or the property manager.
Compare the plan version with the actual layout
Identifies alterations and rooms used differently.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Arrange authorised plan inspection at MA 37 and a site inspection.
Record outdoor areas and ancillary rooms individually
Prevents double counting and unchecked weighting.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Create your own area worksheet with plan numbers and photographs.
Have an unclear definition settled professionally
Establishes a suitable reference area for valuation and comparable data.
Where can I obtain the supporting information?
Specify the measured survey or valuation instruction explicitly.
Reading and checking are possible without signing in. Your saved checklists are private under My area. The selection does not confirm a professional assessment of your property.
Sources and date
The following sources support this main article. For your specific property, current documents and the applicable conditions matter.
- RIS – Rechtsinformationssystem des BundesApartment Ownership Act 2002: § 2, particularly paragraphs 7 to 9
- Statistik AustriaAverage property prices: application guidance, 2025 version
- Stadt Wien – Baupolizei MA 37Inspecting approved building plans in the building authority archive
Editorial date: 11/09/2026. Examples explain relationships and do not contain an individually prepared property valuation. Editorial work and sources.
Report an unclear point