Since one month there are homeless people living in our apartment building. They started originally sleeping in the basement, but turned it into a smelly shithole by pissing absolutely everywhere! Now they are sleeping outside our doors and pissing in the stairwell! I have seen them stealing letters from our boxes, and I'm sure that they are on drugs, and in addition frankly they look pretty scary and potentially dangerous.

In the past our old concierge would lock the main building door after 6pm, so we never had these problems. Now we have a new concierge who does not lock it. We've called several times to our regie who claim there is nothing they can do, just for us to call the police.

The police, what are they going to do, kick them out, and they come back 20 minutes later. Plus the guys will know who called the police (last person to see them).. and I'm not sure what the consequences would be...

We've lived here, in what was a respectable building during the last 4 years, happily without issue. How the hell are we supposed to deal with this?

On top of it all, Switzerland has always been a safe, easy going place.. and now outside my door it feels like a crackden! My girlfriend is terrified...

Anyone any ideas? We dont want to move.. that would anyway take months in geneva, if we're lucky. We just want to solve this problem

out of interest .. whereabouts is this?

in the basement, do keep up

its a building on rue de la servette..

I even wonder if a local newspaper might be interested in writing a small article? Certainly more interesting story then more of the rubbish they print..

Might get those regie f**ks to do something.

So wait a while, then call.

Go talk to whatever the French equivalent of the Mieterverband is.

Reminded me of this thread:

Terrorists living in my basement??????

Cant you lock the door yourself or does it need a key that only the concierge has to lock it? Dont rely on the concierge to do it if you can do it yourself.

If I were you, I'll keep calling the police - even if they have to keep coming back to chase away the crackheads. That's their job. The reason why these crackheads have made themselves comfortable is because its an easy building to sleep in. Dont make it that way for them.

I would suggest every resident sign a petition/ registered letter to the housing agency about this explaining the situation and how the concierge doesnt lock the door. Tell the agency that the concierge should lock the door or you'll want him replaced with someone much more responsible. Or better yet, go speak to him directly!

Asloca.

This happened once in a block of flats I was living in, in central London. Howwever, there were only one or two homeless people and they only came in for two nights. Plus they had access to a toilet.

We rang the landlord, who ensured that the front door was properly locked at all times, and we gave notices to all the residents telling them not to open the door to people they don't know. That's how they got in. They'd buzz people at random and someone would just press the remote to open the front door.

I find it hard to believe that this isn't dealt with quickly in Switzerland. Even in the drug-addled favela that is Geneva.

As Summerrain says, see if it's possible to lock the door using your key. The problem will be persuading everyone else in the building to do the same.
Ring the police as often as necessary and also contact Asloca, they''ll almost certainly put pressure on the Regie to install a coded lock on the front door. I'm surprised you've not already got one to be honest.

Thats the thing that annoys me most here - my neighbours NEVER check who is buzzing and simply let them in. I've had people knocking on my door asking for donations before. Most annoying!

I live in a safe area but you'd never know as there are lots of stuff which can be stolen from the cellars - its as easy as picking a cheap lock. If I am not expecting anyone / package in the post, I simply dont answer the buzzer. I know, I know, I am paranoid.

I use the intercom which, although not very clear, at least I know if it's actually someone for me or not. If it's generic (i.e. they need to come in as they're the lift engineer or something) then I will go down to the door to see who it is. I always carry a knife with me, just in case it's the Billag.

I totally agree - and do the same - except I have a look over the balcony to see if I know the people who have buzzed!

I live on the ground floor, and my balcony goes directly into the garden, so if they ring, I go through the garden., around the building and sneak behind them with a bat.

There are several types of entry locks, ones where you're put through by phone to the relevant appartment, ones where you just ring that appartment's door bell (these both require a person to then buzz you in), and the type with a code number; which can be changed regularly.
Rue de la Servette can be a dodgy area, ask the Regie to fit one of the above asap.

You've omitted the part where you bury them in your garden after....

oh sorry...was I not supposed to tell?

Like I'm gonna tell people on EF in whose garden I bury .. .err....

nice try....

Mr Lector and I post their pictures in the thread called "Pictures of what you cook and bake in Switzerland".

Billag pie.