Move at your own risk!: Construction defects and legionella in the new housing project in Regensdorf

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Regensdorf ZH resembles a large construction site: New buildings are popping up here like mushrooms. It is one of the Zurich communities experiencing strong growth due to the increasing housing shortage in the city. Urgently needed living space is being created, which is largely lacking in the cantonal capital.

Many large housing projects are currently being built: the Zwhatt district with 630 rental apartments is being built right next to the train station. In addition, the Rägipark project, consisting of 204 rental apartments, is almost completed.

A few hundred meters away, in the center of the community, there is another large new building already occupied: the Stockenhof, with 275 rental apartments, including a care center with more than 130 apartments for the elderly.

Legionella in water

The first tenants are allowed to move into Stockenhof as early as autumn 2023; Is this too early? Because at that time the construction still resembled a construction site. A person living in the Blick mansion reported that today the tenants are facing many problems, many things are going wrong in the new building. The tenant, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been living in Stockenhof since October 2023.

“The first thing I noticed when I moved in was the big white filters installed on every faucet,” he says. The reason for this: Legionella was detected in development. However, the tenants were not informed about this until the day the flat was delivered.

The Legionella problem is causing uncertainty and increasing fears among tenants. No wonder: Bacteria can cause great harm to health. They enter the human organism primarily through the respiratory tract and can trigger flu-like symptoms. Legionella infection in the lungs can lead to severe pneumonia. “Some residents no longer dare to drink tap water for fear of health consequences,” says the tenant. Instead, they buy liters of water in PET bottles from the nearby Migros branch and take them home.

Various construction defects

It’s not just dirty water that causes red heads to appear in the settlement. The tenant learns about other problems during conversations with other residents. Door handles and window handles were missing in some apartments. When a resident moved into the home, he found cigarette butts and beer cans in walk-in closets in the kitchen. Water leaked into the basements of some houses many times. There was also water damage in some apartments. One resident was unable to shower for days because the shower head was missing. In another apartment, the refrigerator was missing.

“The tenants’ mood is bad,” says a resident of the new building. Not just because of the many flaws. But at the same time, according to residents, the administration does not respond to complaints in a timely manner. The landlord and also the owner of the property: Zurich pension fund BVK.

cause unknown

Blick confronted the pension fund with the allegations. This confirms that the water in the apartment blocks is contaminated. “Even before moving into the settlement, when the water was checked, suspicion arose that the concentration of legionella had increased,” explains BVK spokesman Christian Brütsch. In order to prevent the problem, filters were installed on all water outlets in the building. “This means that water can be used without any concerns,” Brütsch assures.

BVK also confirmed that there are occasional water leaks in the basements of buildings. “The general contractor is working to locate and resolve the problems,” says Brütsch. BVG does not wish to comment on further shortcomings.

Description under high pressure

According to BVK, the suspicion of legionella was confirmed in subsequent controls. In December 2023, two months after moving in, the legionella filters were changed for the first time. No one knows exactly how long filters will be needed.

Just as it cannot lead to increased concentration. Or how the problem can be solved in a sustainable way. According to BVK, this situation is currently being clarified. According to the pension fund, the disclosures are being carried out in close consultation with the cantonal laboratory and other experts and are “moving forward at full speed”.

Meanwhile, some tenants are running out of patience. They haven’t received a rent reduction yet. Some residents are already considering moving again. But it’s not that easy. “The lease states a minimum rental period of one year,” says the affected resident. If you want to leave in advance, you need to find a new tenant.

Source :Blick