How expats find cheap apartments to rent in Geneva

It’s not a mission impossible to find a cheap apartment to rent in Geneva. In the following I would like to outline a few strategies about how expats in Geneva can find cheap apartments to rent. There is no magic trick but a few practical approaches.

Look for an apartment to rent around Geneva and not right in the city. Neighbouring France is probably the cheapest option by far. No worries: The whole Geneva area is very well connected by public transportation and thousands of people choose to live in France or outside Geneva in order to save. For expats in Geneva it will be easier to find a nice apartment to rent if you consider living a bit further out.

If you want to live in the center of Geneva but your budget is tight you might want to consider sharing an apartment to rent. Sharing an apartment, possibly with other expats, has two main advantages. First of all you can split the rent and several other costs like Internet, electricity, furniture, etc. Second it is easier to find a room in a shared apartment, especially if you look to share an apartment with other expats, than finding your own flat.

Due to the horrible situation of the housing market there are a lot of organisations that try to promote cheap housing. Have a look at the websites of the canton and the city of Geneva, they might have apartments to rent which are subsidised. Expats who work for a public institution in Geneva, like the university of Geneva, should check with them. Often they have apartments and rooms to rent which are below the usual prices.

The easiest way to get attractive offers is if you know someone who can help you. On flatsforexpats.com expats in Geneva post ads in order to find replacement tenants who would like to rent their apartments. Click here for the latest offers.