Should she lie to find a home?

For those looking for flats, space in Switzerland is getting less and less. The shortage of flats is widening and has long ceased to affect only low-income earners. The situation is particularly dire in Zurich, where even small and medium-sized businesses struggle to find a roof over their heads. This includes Sally N* (55). “I never thought I’d be in a situation like this,” says N. Blick, who wishes to remain anonymous, so Blick doesn’t use his real name.

N. still lives in the condominium Zurich-Oerlikon, where she once lived with her husband and daughter. When the marriage broke up, N. was given a period of time by the court. At the end of March 2023, he must leave the apartment.

“Pets not accepted”

The 55-year-old clerk is helpless. He has been looking for a new flat for several years. But no matter how many applications, questions and motivation letters he writes, the answer is always the same. “Pets are not allowed”, “Cats are not allowed”, “Cat fins are not allowed”. The wording is different, the reason is the same: Ns 14 year old tomcat Quito.

Your inbox is full of rejections. Property management companies that do not tolerate pets in their development. N. has collected them all and shows Blick a small selection of them when he visits.

Hamster yes, cat no

“I’m looking at a wide range from the Zurich region to Lenzburg AG and Rapperswil-Jona SG,” says N. The problem is not the budget. N. It is rented around 1700 francs. At least enough money to finance a 2.5 bedroom flat outside of Zurich.

N. recently saw an advertisement that reads: “Neutered cats are allowed in the apartment.” Another ad read, “Pets welcome.” When asked, he informed the administration that hamsters were meant.

“My cat Quito means a lot to me. I don’t want to miss him,” says N. Cat, like a family member. “I wish I could take care of him in the last years of his life,” said the 55-year-old.

Owners make the rules

He encounters little understanding from property managers. The pet question has long been treated in a restrictive way, she says. Switzerland Real Estate Industrialists Association (Svit) at Blick’s request. “The issue is primarily dominated by cities with large numbers of flats or superstructures,” says CEO Pascal Stutz (55). In agglomeration or rural areas, the rules are sometimes less stringent.

According to Stutz, the owners, not the administration, decide whether or not tenants are allowed to have pets. It is about the coexistence of different residential communities under one roof. “Contamination by pets in communal areas has a high potential for conflict among residents,” says Stutz.

Housing supply continues to shrink

Also, it is very difficult to find a cat-free home in many parts of Switzerland right now. According to figures from Raiffeisen, at the end of December last year there were 42 percent fewer listings of flats for rent on online portals than a year ago. “The number of apartments advertised has literally exploded,” says Martin Neff, 62, chief economist at Raiffeisen Switzerland.

Anyone needing a new place to live in the foreseeable future should be prepared for a challenging search for an apartment, even outside of well-known hotspots. At the same time, fewer and fewer new apartments are being completed. “Vacations are melting at a record pace,” says Neff. And he adds: “It’s five past twelve and it’s long before politics becomes active.”

keep pets?

N. has recently lied out of necessity to improve his chances. “I applied for an apartment without specifying my cat,” says the 55-year-old. “Fear of not getting the flat and running out of time.”

Fabian advises keeping the cat or dog a secret famous (37) head of the legal advice line for the tenants’ association, but urgently. If tenants oppose a contractual ban on pets, it is legally a breach of contract. This could be grounds for dismissal.

“In times of housing shortages, landlords have more coercive power and can choose their residents according to their own will,” says the tenancy law expert. That is why pet owners find it increasingly difficult to find an apartment. N. is angry about this. She wants property owners to be less narrow-minded and more tolerant of their fluffy four-legged friends.

* Editor’s name known

Source :Blick