Hi everyone,

Since I've known that I'd live in Zurich, I started reading this forum and I found that the information here is so handy and useful. People here are helping each other and I just feel that this is really a good place for sharing and seeking help.

I've arrived Zurich for 3 weeks and still looking for an apartment. I go any open visit I can find and make appointments directly with current tenant/ property agency, submitted more than 10 applications but I didn't get any feedback. Do anyone know the magic to apply an apartment?

Also, someone told me I need to attach a "Debt statement" which is to claim that I dont have any liability here. Do anyone know where to apply and is there any cost to be incurred? Is this document a must?

My little hope is to get a long term apartment before I go bankrupt by spending all savings in the service apartment...

Daphne

Hi Daphne,

Welcome to Zurich and the forum. Yes, house hunting can be very difficult in Zurich, esp if you're a foreigner. A lot of us have been through it! You can get the i-have-no-debts-form from your kreisburo. It costs CHF 20 as does every form from that office.

You might look into a shared place or short-term lease before finding something permanent. Do keep an eye on places listed on the forum, since if they havent put it up on homegate, then you'll have a better chance.

Consider writing a short note with your apt applications saying nice things about yourself and CH. Also, a recommendation from your employer can't hurt.

Good luck!!!!

If you are that desperate, try some brokers

Give these guys a call and ask them if they have one which is suitable for you
www.aw-immo.ch

Thanks both!

I will go to Kreisbuno today! Do you know how long will it take to process the document?

Actually I tried an agency but I was not welcomed because they said I didnt get the "official" residence permit. I did have a "temporary" residence permit but the official one will only arrive in 2-3 month as Kreisbuno said...I will definitely try this broker as you suggest.

you should look consantly at the website. >If you are the first top apply you haver more chance i found from personal experience. And make some calls to the agency themselves. It is Switzerland, the more you push the more you get done.

mine took 4 months to get and that was after a high phone bill going back and forth all the time

I know the feeling Daphne - I found a flatshare whilst I was looking for my own place, which also allowed me to save up a deposit. I found that a letter of recommendation from your employer, and even from another local person if you can find one, together with an introductory note about yourself did the trick nicely.

It does also pay to be the first to see an advertised apartment, and to be ridiculously nice to the current tenant, that way they are more likely to recommend you to the landlord. But be aware - some tenants have "offered" to sell me the furniture in the apartment at inflated prices, saying that it will increase my chances of getting the apartment. Seems a bit dishonest, almost bribery, but I'm told its common here.

You can normally get the "debt letter" (called a Betreibungsauskunft) in minutes from your local geminde, or depending on where you live, at the Betreibungsamt. There's a thread on this on the EF somewhere. Mkae sure you get extra copies as some landlords like to see an orignial - should a couple of franks per additional copy. This little piece of paper makes landlords happy despite the fact it only proves you don't have any debt calims against you since you have been here - which for me was two weeks!!!

Anyway, good luck in your search, and if you're looking for a flatshare I'm currently advertising mine in Kilchberg (search for my posts in the adverts for homes section)

Dan

That's utter bullshit. The temporary one is as good as the permanent one.
What I found really helped is for your employer to write a formal letter (in german) explaining how long you're intending to stay and how much your salary is. I felt weird about just handing over such information to the first yahoo that owned a place I wanted to rent but it does work. I have dogs and that makes things exponentially harder so I needed all the help I could get. Landlords were a lot nicer once they read the letter.

I tried deregistering myself yesterday at the kreisburo but it says that all Zurich kreisburos are shut till Jan 4th. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Also, Betreibungsauskunft costs 20 CHF for the first copy but you are more than welcome to ask for more copies free. I've not been asked to pay when I recently requested for 15 copies - the only price I paid was my dignity when the ladies at the counter started laughing amongst themselves at the number of copies I asked for.

Good luck in your search Daphne. Its hard especially for first timers but it can be done. Since you are only 2 weeks old in Zurich, might help to get a letter of recommendation from your employer and stick it in the application together with your passport, copy of your permanent work contract...

yup La suisse is pretty much closed till the forth. My company clooses after today till the 4th.

Also for the deposit there is something called SWISSCAUTION which pays the deposit for you.
All you pay is 100chf a year(which you lose, but for me that was easier than paying 3k at once.....)


On another note; the whole homepage is filled with ZH offers

Daphne,

me and my boyfriend arrived in Zurich in early December. We actually managed to find an apartment in Kreis 5 and signed a contract in mid December. I am obviously not an expert on this, but it seems that in some apartment complexes, the current tenant actually has some influence on who the owner chooses. That is what happened in our case, we were the first to see the apartment, and we expressed our interest both verbally, and through faxing applications in more or less immediately. I can recommend looking through forums, and keeping a watch out for apartments that are just showing up, and also with a very short move in date where the tenant needs someone before the ordinary notice period. We found our apartment through a site called Ron Orp, see http://ronorp.ch/.

Wish you the best of luck finding a home.
//Lorica

a letter of employment/employers reference might also help. esp. if you have a long term contract.

This morning I went to take 5 Betreibungaskunfts and I payed all 5 of them 5*17 chf . I don't know German and couldn't argue with the clerk there but I thought I'd get copies for free

Regarding flat search, I got offer today after 3 months of search, which is average as I've been told by others in my company.
What made me get the apartment is that I was first to see it, before it went to homegate, it was short deadline for taking it over and my HR did couple of nice calls to the agent to express their support for me and of course complete documentation with almost my teeth scan within

Good luck with the apartment, start being desperate after 3 months, not 3 weeks

Cheers

Kreis 5 is also more immigrant friendly.

CRY!!!!

You've been here for 3 weeks and you visited 10 appartments!!!!!

Oh my god! it's the end of the world, have you considered calling the human rights court?

I'm engineer, looking for 2months and a half, visited approx 50 flats, applied above 35 now.

Not 1 single positive answer...

And I have no problems with low, average income...

I just don't cry after 10 flats, thats all!!!

And good news for you: you've done everything for nothing because you surely need a debt statement (even if some people did not, with flat hunters for example). I know it's silly as you are new and can't have debts in 1 week in Switzerland, but forget the clever ideas, go and get one. In lausanne it costs 17chf, useless but essential.

Everything that will make you "local", is a must.

Write a proper cover letter as well!

If you really want to escape from that debt statement, try a private owner, that is how I did. Because at the time when I was looking for an apartment, I was personally not in Switzerland, so by no means can obtain such a stuff.

Also, when I started to be desperate after apartment-hunting for a while, I gradually lowered down my searching criteria and got one soon, could be a tip for you...

WTF? Yes you do get copies for free, bloody cheek of them to have charged you. Oh well, on the bright side, I am glad you found an apartment

Do I have to ask explicitly for copies next time I need it? These were 5 originals, is copy different somehow. I do not need them anymore, but your answer will probably help some people here.

Ok - two situations:
I asked for copies and I got one original and the rest were copies (ie signature wasnt original but the chop was) for just 17 CHF. I submitted a copy to my current rental agency and they were fine with it.

My husband on the other hand, went on another day to the same Kreisburo (Kreis 10), and asked for the same thing, but he got all originals (signature and chop) for only 17CHF.

Hope that clarifies.

I once asked, and they were willing to give only one more for free. It anyway depends on different buero, and no harm to ask.

Indeed from the looks of it!