Accommodations

The housing market in Zurich is tight, and finding a place that meets your needs might take some time, thus it is best to begin the search for a suited apartment as early as possible. We recommend that you organize temporary housing for the first days or weeks already before you leave your current country of residence. This will give you the time to look for a permanent place once you're here and get an impression of a place in person.

Housing offers and prices vary greatly, depending on size, comfort and especially location. If you're thinking of living in the city of Zurich, it might be helpful to first get familiar with the city districts ("Kreise"). It is difficult to generalize, but the city center and districts along the lake (1, 2, and 8) as well as the area close to the universities (6 and some parts of 7) tend to be comparatively expensive. If you decide to live outside of Zurich and to profit from the reliable public transport for the commute, prices are usually lower. A room in a shared apartment near the university will cost around CHF 500-1'000, a one-room-apartment CHF 900-1'400, and a two-room-apartment CHF 1'600-2'200. A furnished apartment usually costs a bit more than a place without furniture. 

It is advisable to have a temporary place to stay during your first days or weeks in Zurich. TheHousing Office has an extensive list of possibilities, ranging from affordable hostels and hotels to furnished apartments, and offers links to the best websites for temporary housing.

The University of Zurich also has a limited number of furnished apartments which can be rented temporarily. The rental period usually is three to six months. The offer is available for visiting scholars, professors from abroad who are going to teach at UZH, and research assistants. For more information visit the website of the President's Services. 

Spacious, affordable, centrally located, comfortable – everyone seems to be looking for the same apartment. If you’re on a tight budget and have some flexibility, consider a place slightly further away from the city center, or look for a place in the surrounding areas. Using several resources at the same time – online search, personal contacts, and advertisements at UZH – will increase your chances of success. 

Again, the Housing Office  is the best resource to find useful addresses and opportunities to find accommodations. It also has an extensive list of links on its website.

The City of Zurich also has useful information, tips, and addresses for those looking for housing. Some of their documents are available in several languages, others only in German.

Housing tips and addresses from the city of Zurich

Finding a Room in a Shared Apartment

The Housing Office has compiled a list with the best search options on shared apartments. It is worth trying the different search options, working your way down the list. 

Alternatively, you can look for a bigger apartment and offer the remaining rooms to other interested people.

The rooms reserved for exchange students from our partner universities are administered by the Housing Office. The Global Student Experience office provides exchange students with the necessary information about registering online for a room.

The Housing Office has a limited number of studios apartments that it allocates to international PhD candidates. Please note that your supervisor has to send the application in addition to a confirmation of doctoral study.

Application process

How does the application process for an apartment work? Usually there is a showing (or several). When a place is particularly attractive, it is common to open the apartment to many visitors at the same time rather than having a showing by individual appointment. Make sure you’re on time and have a close look at the place (is it as advertised?) and ask whatever is important to you. For example, if you have pets or play an instrument regularly, make sure this is allowed. If you’re interested in the apartment, don’t forget to take an application form with you – these are often only handed out at showings. 

Application form

It is important to fill in the application form carefully and completely. If additional documents are requested, send them in as well. If you’re not in possession of the adequate documents, make sure you explain why you can’t hand them in. Don’t leave blanks in the form – especially not on account of language problems – because you most likely won’t even be considered if your application is incomplete. Sending a short letter explaining your interest in the place in question is a nice touch and generally appreciated by homeowners or agents. Applications are often treated in the order of arrival, so send yours as soon as possible.

Excerpt from the debt-enforcement registry (“Betreibungsauszug”)

It is often required that applicants send a copy of an excerpt from the debt-enforcement registry (the “Betreibungsauszug”) along with their application. If you haven’t lived in Switzerland before, it is not possible to acquire the document. In this case, it is important to give a short explanation in the accompanying letter why you can’t enclose this document. If Germany was your country of residence, you can hand in a SCHUFA credit report. It may be helpful to state that your references – for instance your supervisor or HR – can confirm your employment at UZH. Be sure to ask your references in advance if you can mention them.

Please note that further documents may be requested, a copy of your passport or your contract of employment, for instance.