Hi,
I've been staying at an apartment in Oerlikon. I would be returning back to my native on April 1st. As per my room rent invoice, I have to pay the rent for 1st April 2006.

On enquiring, I found that here in swiss the rents are paid for nights. As per the apartment guys, the invoice for 1st April is actually for the night 31st Mar till the morning of 1st April 2006.

Is that the way it is in Swiss. Moreover, since I have already paid for the month of March 2006, I was under the impression that 31st would also be covered in that. I somehow find this very shady. Could anyone help me on this?

Regarsd,
Nagesh

so you want to wake up, un-rushed on April 1st and not pay for the day? Bearing in mind that they need to clean it in order to get someone new in, I don't think it's unreasonable.

After all, how much is a night costing you?

I would think that if you were handing it over in a clean state at 10am in the morning of the 1st then you wouldn't pay for the first- same story as a hotel.

ah, this is the line between long and short rents, I am sure.

Like when I left my apartment..... there was no way I could stay over on the last day of the month and get out on the first (unless I was Araminta-Clean and slept on the floor).

What's a night worth?

The room rent for that day is around 60 CHF which is not that expensive. But I was more concerned about the rules and regulation.

I havent seen this before, since this was a furnished apartment and they used to clean it every week (included in the monthly rent). So, cleaning shouldnt have been an issue.
Additionally, I had told them that I would be leaving by 7 am.

Hence I was kind-of pissed of to hear that I still had to pay for the night.

Well it kind of sounds like a hotel kind of place, and if you'll be out at 7am and there isn't much cleaning to do then it sounds like they are taking you for a ride. I don't know if there are any official rules about this - but it sounds odd to me...

I had one of these when I got here, a one-room serviced apartment cunningly costing 1800 pcm. I must've become Swiss at some point as I am not surprised that occupying the place past midnight on the 31st March incurs a charge.

Which agency is handling these short-let furnished places? Not PABS by any chance is it?

I'm not sure what PBAS is? I'm staying at a place called Swiss Star apartment. Thats a serviced apartment at Oerlikon. They have quite a few apartments in zurich.
The place overall is good. It has good service for the price you pay. Its just this issue which had disappointed me.

Hello,

Technically they are perfectly within their rights to charge as accomodation is charged by the day or month which starts at 0000 and ends at 2400. IF you cross the line you pay simple. The argument has already been had and won in court that a tenant has a right at 0001 to access the room/flat/house ie the next tenant could legally come and kick you out of bed or alternatively jump in

Hotels are very different in that they charge you per 22 hour days, with an offset start time, unless you stay more than one night. They "usually" start their day at 1400 and end it at 1200.

Richard

Interesting... If that's the way it is then that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!

I wonder what they would do if you turned up at 00:01 on the first of the month and insisted on moving in?

So nageshshrinath, I guess you just have to pay up, knowing that they are within the law and add the experience to your fond memories of Switzerland as you leave.