ok heres the story.

-My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment at the start of february in Kreis 5.
- Before moving in we confirmed with the agency that we could put our sky satellite dish on the balcony (on it not hanging over the side) - They said this was ok as long as there were no complaints from the neighbours who own their own apartments.
-We did this and all was fine for about a month. Then we receive a letter from the same person at the agency saying there was a complaint and we have to take it down.
-I wasnt pleased with this as lo and behold our neighbour in the building opposite, in the same complex has a satellite dish on his balcony.
-Shortly afterwards we receive a typically rude swiss anonymous letter from some neighbours telling us to take it down that were bringing shame on the building.
-I had already agreed with the agency to take it down and replace it with a self sat ( a little white box) which means I have lost my BBC and Irish TV channels. I have hidden the self sat in some bushes I bought and in order to see it you really need to be looking for it. I thought to myself case closed as I showed it to the agency and she said for her its fine but the residents will have a meeting to decide if its acceptable.
-They met and I got another letter from my impotent agency telling me to remove the self sat ( I found out from the agent that only one neighbour was against it at the meeting but they need a 100% majority to accept it).
-The guy across the way who owns his apartment aparently got permission to have his dish but I cant even have a box in a bush.

Our rental contact only covers parabolantennas and not self sats, however our neighbours seem to be able to vote at their convenience on what I can or cant have on my balcony, despite them having excercise bikes and fridges and satellite dishes on theirs.

I have spent a lot of money on installing, taking down and reinstalling the dish, I am paying a lot in rent and Im feeling quite victimised and annoyed.

Anyone have similar experiences or have any advice? Im not going to take down my self sat Ive decided, I dont think they can do anything if I dont??

God, this is INSANE!!! I'm afraid I have never had a problem even remotely as bizarre as this one with my neighbors, but I sure hope there are people around who would guide you how to make sure all laws leading to such non-sense are abandoned, and you are allowed to do watever you want in your balcony! (and maybe even get an official apology from the neighbor for being a pain in the backside!)

Hi Swisscath,

Someone will come along with more info, but in the meantime, read these threads, they might contain come leads.

[civil] Right to have a satellite dish [in Germany]
Am I allowed to install a satellite dish?
Question: How much will Swiss Owners tolerate Satelite Installation in their houses?

Hang on. Are the other satellite dishes on the other balconies on your block? If so, isn't that a bit unfair?

Can you ask your agency if you can have the identity of the person voting against you? If they are as impotent as you suggest, a strong and persistent request might get you the required info. Then confront the parties personally. I bet they won't be as reluctant to object to your dish if you speak to them face to face - probably why they did it anonymously in the first place.

You have to do things the Swiss way:

1. If it wasn't written down it didn't exist. Was your original permission in writing? Whatever you do from now on, do it in writing!

2. Stand up for your rights and complain straight back!
The Swiss love to complain, so you have to play by their rules and complain back at them

3. Check the laws for what you are and are not allowed to have (I am not sure myself)

Or otherwise, sell the dish and subscribe to digital cable TV.

option 1 - fight fight fight. If there is a no-dish policy, it's for all
option 2 - get a transparent or funky dish that maybe is a http://www.englishforum.ch/tv-intern...t=dish+isn%27t

Why not get one of the new, non-dish dishes? Flat, rectangular style. Not sure if they work.
Your building owner has the final say and chances are you wont get them to point the finger at who complained.
Just because your building is the same as the others around you doesn't mean it is the same owner either.

I think if I understand correctly he already has tried this and they are still complaining. There are other ways you can hide it but if they are causing problems for you with a self sat then it's going to be a tough call. However you could argue under some human right of information that if there are channels you can't get from the local providers (the irish channels for example) that they can't prevent it a dish being installed. Rental agencies just don't want any hassle, last place I lived I was told I could put up a dish but if somebody complained that I would have to remove it so in the end I decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

One thing more the fact that the person in the same complex has a dish may not be any help to you. Typically the houses have there own caretaker who looks after the house for the agency and usually lives in the complex (though not sure if thats the case here). If you get an unreasonable one that will make your life difficult but I can also see the logic on his (or her) side to block it (even if I don't agree with it) as it causes problems for him down the road if he tries to force it through. My father in law wished to install a dish on his roof top apartment and although he is also the houses caretaker they wouldn't let him do it either.

thanks for all the replies. Im checking out the legal route as one of my neighbours told me that as a foreigner Im entitled to have one on my balcony. I need to check to law. For the record I already have a selfsat installed and disguised as best I can but this now means I cant receive the Irish channels any more just the rest of the sky offering. Regarding the other building - our agency looks after the whole development so the rules should apply to all buildings. Its all the one.

Keep the advice coming, in the end we will probably move if it doesnt work out.

also one more point.......our hauswart or caretaker said he doesnt understand why we had to take it down, its the residents commitee thats making all the fuss.

If I understand right these are owner-occupied apartments and you'er a renter. I own my apartment and have a little experience in this area. By Swiss law all apartment owners do not have the right to alter or permenently attach anything to the outside of the building without a majority vote of the owners during the regular yearly meeting of owners (this only takes place once a year!). An item such as the second "self sat" (as you called it) mounted inside of the balcony but not to the facade of the house would be a tricky item to regulate.
Like I first said, they have a meeting only once a year but there is absolutly nothing your neighbors can (legally) do about what you have on your balcony apart from permenantly fixed items.
Example, we have a renter who has a dog house (with a large dog) on his balcony. Nobody here wants to have pets allowed but there is absolutly nothing we can do about it. We can "vote" till we're blue in the face but have no legal means to have the dog and dog house removed (or the 3 cats the same person owns).

Sounds to me like the person who complained, and wrote the letter has got something against you. My neighbour (when they first moved here) got letters of complaints in her mail box without a signature, and also the landlord had complaints about them, but the landlord was not allowed to say who it was. I would go, and knock on all the doors in your block, and ask them (nicely of course) if it was them who had written the letter, and put it in your mailbox. Then if you find out who it is have a sit down with them, and ask why is it such a problem for them that you have a satelite dish.

Goodluck, and i hope you can be back soon watching English t.v.

If I were you, I wouldn't be "too swiss" and demand that the person who has their dish up, has theirs taken down. I'm not sure that is the right way to go about it. Cant you put up some covers, a friend of mine has his dish hiding behind a temporary cover on his balcony. The cover just looks like one of those things people bring to the beach to block the wind. The dish is placed at a greater incline also.

I'd suggest that you put up the cover, wait a few weeks/a month and then put your dish back.

Sounds to me, from what Vwild1 says, that legally the residents comittee can't force you to remove the "dish" as it is not permanently fixed.....However, I'm not an expert in law.

Secondly, following the argument that "my neighbour has a dish so why can't I" is more likely to force his/her dish to come down than yours to go up.

OK so far I am just reiterating what others have said. Now, if the house rules or whatever state that Dishes aren't allowed, do the residents comittee have any authority over anyhting else on your balcony?.....a giant statue of a phallus for example? If not then the self sat isn't even breaking the house rules nor would a digiglobe (by the same people, no idea if it will work). http://www.digicams-uk.com/prod30.htm

Just my twopeneth worth and to drop you the link. I still live in fear of "that" letter through the door.

Chris

I'd strongly suggest getting legal advice. I recall reading an article in a consumer magazine a couple of years ago which said that, despite what may be written in the co-propriété rules or in your tenancy agreement, only if the facade of the building is subject to a protection order as an historic building, can such a requirement be enforced.
On this basis we decided to ignore such a ban ourselves - we did site the dish discretely and paint it the same colour as the facade and no-one has ever objected.
I wish you luck!

Can you mount it on the roof ?

I guess you need a flat roof for that, or it's just going to be visible again. Might need to paint your cable the same colour as the exterior walls too.

Actually, could you paint your dish so it's less visible? A bit of urban camouflage.

cheers,
(Mr)Wibble

What if you paint your dish as the Swiss Flag, I am sure no one will ask you to take that down?

Am I allowed to install a satellite dish?
Question: How much will Swiss Owners tolerate Satelite Installation in their houses?

Ok guys,

I have spoken to my lawyer and the mietverband and its perfectly legal in Switzerland to have a satellite dish as long as its on your balcony and not attached to it. If it says it in your contract that you cant have one dont worry this only applies to Swissys who have already got access to their local channels, as a foreigner you have the informationsrecht to get access to your home tv. My verwaltung also confirmed to me today that the clause is worthless in my contract.

I am getting my lawyer to write a letter to my verwaltung telling them to stop bothering me about it and I will distribute copies of this to my wonderful backward swiss neighbours letterboxes.

At last there is an advantage to being foreign here

This is the final answer for anyone wondering about sat dishes for confirmation they should ring the miterverband who will tell them the exact same thing.