Because apartments are gradually becoming holiday accommodation

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Martin Hug (53), mayor of Flims GR, is clear: “The housing shortage in our municipality can be felt everywhere! There is a lack of affordable housing for local families and individuals, as well as housing for staff.” The tourist service providers could no longer find apartments for their staff. The shortage of skilled workers in combination with the lack of housing is poison for the services in the holiday regions.

The rationale for Hug’s lawsuit is a legal loophole – and this one is tough. In principle, the law is clear: each municipality may only have 20 percent holiday homes. The only thing is that the law does not restrict the conversion of a first home into a second home.

Suddenly there are no apartments

As a result, approximately 32,000 of the 80,000 first homes in tourist locations could be converted and sold at a profit as second homes. This is the conclusion of the University of Graubünden (FHGR). On behalf of the canton, she investigated from 2017 to 2021 how many apartments will be converted into holiday homes. These are apartments that are missing in tourist resorts like Flims.

Valuable living space is thus lost. This poses a huge problem for communities. Because these apartments are often sold to foreigners.

If locals live in it for the time being, the apartment will remain a first home on paper. In the long term, however, it can be assumed that these apartments will be rented to holidaymakers. They can be rented out more expensively.

Only seven apartments empty

The change of use from such a first home to a second home usually goes smoothly. In Flims, for example, there are 22 such “silent conversions” into second homes every year, as shown by the FHGR study.

The problem is clear from the Flims figures: in 2022 only seven of the 5,200 apartments were empty. And seven out of ten homes in the municipality are used as second homes. With this percentage, Flims also ranks nationally among the municipalities with the highest share of second homes.

The research not only confirms Hug’s claims: there is a “massive housing shortage”. Instead, she even warns that if no new apartments are built, the housing shortage in Flims will increase dramatically.

No apartments for employees

Markus Wolf (50) also realizes this. The CEO of the Weisse Arena Group not only confirms that finding rental housing for employees is becoming an increasing problem for his group. But he already notes: “Last winter there were phases when there was no free apartment.” You won’t find anything on the free market anymore.

Wolf mentions another reason why the housing shortage in holiday homes has increased: “Second homeowners are renting out their apartments less because they have been using them more and more since Corona.” The research also shows that the pandemic has led to increased demand for second homes in the Alpine region.

Solutions in the pipeline – but that will take time

Flims now wants to become active in housing. Several projects are in the pipeline. According to Martin Hug, there will be apartments for families and individuals, as well as housing for staff.

And Markus Wolf also explains that the Weisse Arena rented several apartments over a longer period of time and also built them themselves. In addition, there are various initiatives in the municipalities of Flims and Laax to build homes for local residents and staff.

However, one thing is clear: it will take time before new apartments are ready for occupancy.

Source:Blick