Hi,

I started work in Zurich on June 1st and arranged to stay with a colleague for the month of June. Since I got here I have been desperately searching for an apartment for July 1st but am finding that none of my applications recieve responses and landlords are usually not even willing to talk to me on the phone (I do not speak German). Can anyone give me some advice on what to do to increase my chances of getting an apartment among hundreds of other applicants? I am hoping to stay close to kreis 4 and 5 which is where I work...

Thanks!

If you get really stuck my landlord has 2 x apartments free out here in sunny rural Winterthur.

Thanks :-) I just went to an agency today that for the low, low price of 75% of my first months rent found me a small closet to stay in in the city while I look...that's still if the landlord agrees to take me which isn't for sure. They also gave me the nice piece of information that I can forget about getting a permanent apartment with only my work permit and will have to wait until my B permit comes in the mail...which can take from 3-6 months..d'oh!

i could come up with a big list with all the things you can do with the "fee" you are paying them...but i wont

The letter to pick up my b-permit (goodbye 60 CHF) came about 2-2.5 weeks after i applied. and you just go there and pick it up.


and btw a furnished closet?! it better be like Narnias's.

Hello everybody!

I will start working for Credit Suisse on 1st August. I need an accommodation from 1st September!!! I am flexible, outgoing, very respectful and I have a positive personality! Italian, 31 years old.

Please, if anyone knows something, contact me on my hotmail address:
laura_poggi@hotmail.com

Thanks!!!

Haha I wish it was like the one in Narnia, but nope it's just a regular closet with a bed :-) But at least I have somewhere to dump my stuff while I look for a real apartment...

Did your permit really come that quickly...do you mind if I ask what country you're from...I applied with a Polish passport so I needed a working permit first (which they have now told me is not good enough to get an apartment) and the kreisbeuro told me it would take up to three months to get the B...they haven't even asked me for a photo yet...I’m wondering what I can do to speed them along.

Laura you could also look on http://www.marktplatz.unizh.ch, there are usually short term rentals or people looking for roommates on there...good luck J

kasita now honestly am i missing something here?!
Closet

sorry i didn't see that you were polish. I'm afraid that different rules apply.
if you do a little search for the new members of the eu here you will find
all the info you ever wanted and more

I am from Greece( the country that won the Euro last time, and manage to score 1 (one) goal in this one if that rings a bell)

laura i would go for a montly wg-zimmer (two months would be more realistic).
and prepare to ask few times from CS to let you go during the day because quite conviently a lot of aparment viewings are within working hours.

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Credit Suisse and UBS organize everything for their new employees with paid apartments and all, even for a year or so. Ask the managers and they do everything for you. I have several colleagues who joined and got fantastic flats from both companies. You are very lucky. Well done.

While on the topic of corporate flats. Does anyone know the standard of the flats on Eibenstrasse (UBS)?

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I knew they were hiding something from me!!! there must be an empty apartment in Zurich with my name on its door waiting for me...

As far as I know (and this is first hand experience, not a friend of a friend), both banks may give you a contact of temporary housing, that is usually full. There is no official help to find apartments, that has to be done by every employee (being in a dept with less than 10% swiss, we all had to find places ourselves. and all are above director level -except myself, of course-)

Good luck with the search

Hi, did you ever get an answer to this question/????
I have just been told I have an apartment here for the next few months and was wondering if anyone had feedback on these apartments/any tips for me.

I am a UK/London UBS employee on a short term assignment in Zurich.