Rent apartment in Zurich: Tips on how to succeed!

If you want to rent an apartment or find a flat share in Zurich, you will be facing some challenges! The housing market in Zurich is very competitive so it is important to address the issue strategically. The following post on flatsforexpats.com’s housing guide provides you with some tips on how to rent an apartment in Zurich successfully.

Be quick! A lot of apartments are only online a few days. There are many people searching for an apartment in Zurich so tenants and housing agencies often publish attractive apartments only for a few days. Check relevant housing platforms (such as flatsforexpats.com 😉 ) daily and contact the tenant or agency immediately.

Address tenants and real estate agencies in a formal and polite way – preferably in german! Do not write “Hi, can I see the apartment. Looking to rent asap.” or something alike. You can’t change your first impression. Especially private landlords or people looking for a replacement tenant often preselect applicants for an apartment viewing according to the message received. Adress people with their names “Dear XY”, write a few words about yourself, ask your questions about the apartment and finish with “Best regards”. Ideally you prepare a file with all the relevant documents and attach it. As some of the landlords might not speak English well, it makes sense to ask someone to help you write a short text in German.

Have the perfect application form! Renting an apartment in Zurich is almost like finding a job: you need to show yourself from your best side an prepare a perfect application form for the apartment. Officially it is enough to fill in the apartment application form you will be provided with and attach a “Betreibungsregisterauszug”. However, a lot of people create a whole folder with much more info on why they would be the perfect tenant to rent the apartment in question. This includes a work contract, showing how much you earn and confirming that you will be able to pay your rent, a cv providing background info on who you are (especially private landlords like to know who they rent out their apartment to) and a list of references from former landlords and from work.

And last but not least: try to rent an apart from another expat in Zurich! Check the latest rental apartments offers on flatsforexpats.com here or get updates on Facebook.