All You Need To Know About House Prices & Laws When Studying In Switzerland
So, after much hesitation, you have decided to study in Switzerland, the country with the leading education system in the world. Student life must be so thrilling and this study trip will be an unforgettable experience!
With its unique culture and traditions, who wouldn’t love coming to Switzerland?
Besides the necessary expenses such as tuition fees, the cost of rent and related laws should definitely be on your list of things to consider.
In this article, The Swiss Institute of Management in Innovation would like to share with you what you need to know about renting a house when studying in Switzerland.
Nearly 60% of the Swiss population, both local and international, choose to rent a house instead of buying one.
How to find an apartment in Switzerland
Often, international students will choose to rent an apartment instead of renting a house to live in, unless they go with a group of friends of 4 to 5 people.
Currently, there are quite a few websites and real estate that can help with renting. Therefore, finding an apartment in Switzerland shouldn’t be difficult. However, you need to take the time to do more research because in some areas of Switzerland, the housing market will be highly competitive.
You can search for accommodation when coming to Switzerland to study by checking real estate websites, international student groups on Facebook, newspapers, or asking people you know.
Alternatively, you can also find real estate agents. If you choose this option then you should consider having a site check at the area you want to live in or consulting various real estate agents as they will rarely provide housing information in English.
Some sites you can refer to when looking for accommodation in Switzerland are:
Alternatively, you can also use Reddit as a housing search engine by searching for subreddits like r/Zug to search for apartments in the city of Zug.
The cost of renting a house in Switzerland
Overall, there won’t be an average rent in Switzerland if you just search for keywords like “How much to rent an apartment in Switzerland?”, or “How much does it cost to rent a studio in Switzerland” because house prices in Switzerland is not the same across cities and regions. It’s best to find the average rent for a particular area.
A one-bedroom apartment can cost between CHF 900 and CHF 2,000, depending on the area.
In addition, if you want to find affordable apartments near the city center, you can share a room with other international students if your budget is quite tight.
However, the overall cost of living in Switzerland depends on your spending habits. Check out this article to learn more about the cost of living in Zug!
Swiss tenancy law
Lease agreements in Switzerland are usually comprehensive contracts, which means they are very long and include a lot of detail. So don’t forget to prepare the following documents in your rental application: age, marital status, children, occupation, employer, employment contract, letter of recommendation from an employer, visa status, salary/monthly income, pets, etc.
Don’t forget to read the rental agreement carefully!
Normally, landlords will ask you for a deposit, which is an advance payment for up to three months’ rent. And this money will be kept in a special bank account in the name of the tenant.
Both landlords and tenants can terminate a tenancy. Termination must be made in writing. However, if either party disagrees with the termination of the contract, they have the right to appeal within 30 days from the date of receipt of the contract termination letter.
Description of housing in Switzerland
Real estate in Switzerland usually includes total rooms excluding bathrooms and, in some cities, kitchens are also not listed in the description when you read rental newsletters. In cases where the kitchen is part of the living room, it is sometimes referred to as “0.5 room”.
Another thing to keep in mind is that rental apartments in Switzerland often don’t have household items. So check with your landlord or agent that their rental unit has any kind of equipment.
And because the Swiss love the outdoors, it’s easy to find apartments with balconies or shared gardens that you can use.
Properties near water such as lakes and rivers tend to have higher rents.
Renting a home in Switzerland is a process that requires a time investment. Usually, we will advise new international students to stay at Airbnb or short-term housing services for the first 2-3 weeks, while they can searching the area they want to live in, we recommend you to rent in places with public transport, supermarkets or convenience stores.
In short, if you do not want to live in the school’s dormitory, you can easily rent an apartment or house close to your school for convenience.
We hope this article has helped you understand everything there is to know about house renting in Switzerland! Don’t forget to follow us for more interesting related information!
Article source: The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation