Hundreds of apartment seekers visit the outskirts of Zurich and are extremely disappointed: “I’ve never seen anything like this!”

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The mood in Zurich’s Kolbenacker is gloomy: Hundreds of apartment seekers stand in front of a completely renovated apartment building this Wednesday evening. The official viewing appointment is just beginning. But the first people interested arrived more than an hour early. At the top, the queue is 150 meters long and extends from the access road to the next residential building.

And this is in the Seebach region, where a few years ago the administrations had the problem that tours were often only attended by the unemployed and people on benefits. Some apartments were advertised several times. But this happened once. In Zurich, long queues have now reached the suburbs. The apartment in Kolbenacker is half an hour away from the main train station by public transport.

“Like a Justin Bieber concert”

The managing director of the Zurich real estate company was expecting this rush. “A year ago, we were looking for tenants for an apartment in the area and the turnout was overwhelming. Since then the situation has gotten worse,” he tells Blick. However, the man is impressed by this image. “There are queues here like at a Justin Bieber concert.” He wishes to remain anonymous. His name and the name of the company have nothing to do with it. You are not responsible for the housing shortage in Zurich.

More people arrive every minute, see the queue and shake their heads in resignation. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says one of those waiting to speak. Very little is talked about. Many are lost in thought. Maybe you’re thinking about how you can stand out among hundreds of interested parties. Or they mentally calculate the probability of getting one of the apartments. It may seem like a lottery win.

Thousands of email inquiries

In front of the entrance, the manager divides the waiting people into three rows. Depending on whether you are here to view a 1-room, 2.5-room or 3.5-room apartment. There are 24 apartments available. The cost of a 1-room apartment of 29.3 square meters is 1,290 francs. 2.5 rooms of 51 square meters are sold for 1,700 francs, and 3.5 rooms of 60.7 square meters are sold for 2,000 francs. This makes them extremely cheap by Zurich city standards.

A young man is turned away at the entrance. Although the administration stated it in its announcements, he forgot the application documents including the registration form, debt collection book summary and identity document. The hapless company boss says management has received thousands of email inquiries about the development. It is absolutely not possible for applications to be evaluated via e-mail.

Social assistance recipients also have a chance

Those waiting are allowed to enter the house in groups. A young woman is talking to the manager, asking a few questions and smiling. While submitting the application documents, a man said that his salary was variable and that he had set the salary quite low. no stone is left unturned. The company boss then explains, “Some people bring gifts like chocolates to our office,” and emphasizes that fairness is important when choosing.

The company owns and manages more than 1,000 apartments in Zurich and the surrounding area. “We pay attention to the social mix in our developments,” says the boss. Young, old, men, women, different nationalities, families; The mixture of these is important. Social assistance recipients also have a chance. “For every development in Seebach, we consider one or two developments,” he says. If the number increases, the risk of rental loss will be very high.

Gut feeling makes the difference

Salary is a decisive criterion in selection. “For many applicants, rent accounts for more than a third of their salary. “It doesn’t work,” he says. But anyone who wins, especially high amounts, also has worse cards in Kolbenacker. There would be applications with a monthly salary of, for example, 14,000 francs. With a salary like this you have many more alternatives than low-income earners in Zurich.

The viewing on January 24 was followed by a second viewing. A total of 1,488 applications were made. “You’re almost going crazy with the election. “After all, I trust my instincts,” says the company boss. The allocation of 24 flats has been completed. Disappointment will have been replaced by smiles on some faces in the queue. The lucky ones can move in in March.

Source :Blick