Snow removal in Vienna – a duty that hardly anyone likes to fulfill, except for our children, of course. For them, there is nothing better than working with their snow shovels in the garden or on the sidewalk. Those who don't have such diligent little helpers as we do have to come up with something.
Every year we are confronted with it again – the duty to clear and grit, which is legally regulated throughout Austria. There are no ifs or buts; when it snows outside, you have to shovel. Because if you do not fulfill this duty, in the most harmless case you can expect a fine, and in the worst case, if a person has been injured by a fall, you can even be sued for negligent bodily injury. The property owner is liable for the proper execution of snow removal in Vienna.
meinhaushalt.at has summarized the most important information regarding snow removal in Vienna for you:
Are there specific time and local restrictions for snow removal in Vienna?
Although the duty to clear and grit is legally regulated for all of Austria, the municipalities have the option of restricting this duty by means of ordinances. In general, it can be said that all sidewalks and footpaths adjacent to the property must be cleared and gritted between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. If it continues to snow during the day, the clearing and gritting must be repeated. An exception occurs, however, if it is snowing so heavily that the cleared area would have to be cleaned again after a short time, i.e., within minutes. In this case, you can wait until the intensity of the snowfall subsides.
Regarding the area to be cleaned, it applies to the Snow removal in Vienna that the property owner must clear the sidewalk bordering their property to a width of 1.5m. If the sidewalk is wider, it must be cleared to two-thirds of its width, but at least 1.5m wide. If there is an intersection, a pedestrian crossing, or a bus stop along the property, the sidewalk must be completely cleaned and gritted. If there is no sidewalk along the property, a strip one meter wide must be shoveled free and gritted on the street. Furthermore, it should be noted during snow removal in Vienna that the shoveled snow must not land on the road or on the neighboring property. If it is not transported away, it must be stored on the one-third of the sidewalk that has not been cleared.
If a sidewalk that has already been cleaned is covered with snow again by a snowplow, it must be cleared again. But the topic of snow removal in Vienna is far from over with just cleaning the sidewalks and footpaths. The duties of the land or house owner also include the removal of roof avalanches. If it is not possible to clear the roof immediately, the danger of roof avalanches must be pointed out by immediately setting up snow barriers and ensuring that the danger is eliminated as quickly as possible. Once the thaw has finally set in and no further snowfall is to be expected, the grit and grit material used must be swept up again by the person who spread it (sweeping duty).
Do I have to do the snow removal in Vienna and the gritting service personally?
As you can see, snow removal in Vienna is a comprehensive topic. But no one has to do this work themselves, because numerous companies that specialize in winter service, i.e., the extended clearing and gritting service during the winter months, make life easier. Many property owners, even if they wanted to, could not take the winter service into their own hands personally due to their professional activities. So if you contractually oblige a third party to remove snow in Vienna, you should ensure when concluding the contract that a proper clearing is expressly recorded in writing, because if only cleaning and gritting within the capacity of the company is agreed, the contract is not sufficient for a liability exemption for the property owner or road maintainer.
Our conclusion:
Anyone who commissions a winter service for snow removal in Vienna saves themselves a lot of unpleasant work, which, if not carried out properly, can even lead to legal consequences. But as with any other contract, an exact formulation is also necessary for the clearing and gritting service in order to obtain a liability exemption. Find out exactly and ask questions.
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
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