Renting a room in a shared apartment with other expats in Zurich might be easier than renting your own apartment

Finding a room to rent in a shared apartment in Zurich might be easier for an expat than getting your own apartment. Consider that you might not have to deal with real estate agencies and landlords as much as when you rent your own apartment in Zurich. However, when you move out it might get complicated.

For people looking for a flatmate it is important that they will live together with a person they get along with. A real estate agency or a landlord, in contrary, looks for the perfect tenant to rent their apartment. Perfect meaning that he or she fulfils all formal requirements. Expats in Zurich who don’t speak German and might leave Zurich soon again have a natural disadvantage. Therefore for an expat in Zurich it might be easier to find a room in a shared apartment to rent than rent a whole apartment.

From a financial perspective it is much more attractive to share an apartment (possibly with other expats in Zurich). The rent per room is usually much lower than the rent for a whole 1-room apartment in Zurich. Expats who live in a shared apartment can also share other costs they would have to pay alone if they lived alone. These include internet, all the things you need to clean, furniture, TV, a stereo and all you need in the kitchen and also cooking together saves you money. Money-wise it’s much smarter to share than to rent on your own.

However, money is not everything! Do you want to share an apartment with people you barely know? How much privacy do you need? Obviously, personal preferences are decisive when it comes to the question if you should share an apartment in Zurich with other expats or rent your own apartment. Also consider that once you leave the apartment you shared, things might get complicated. Who is responsible for possible damages? Who is in charge of dealing with your landlord? Who is responsible for your 12-month internet contract? Shared responsibility sometime means that no one really feels responsible.

On flatsforexpats.com you can find both apartments and rooms in shared flats. All the best for the flat search! 😉