Easier to find rental housing in Switzerland
According to a recent survey, people looking to move have been able to find new rental accommodation faster than in the last three years. The majority land a new place within two months.
The survey, commissioned by price comparison website Comparis.ch, shows that 28% of house-hunters succeed in their quest in a month’s time compared to 21% three years ago. A total of 1,028 people were surveyed in December.
The ease of finding a new place depends on which part of Switzerland is targeted. The German-speaking part of the country entails the least effort with 31% managing to move in four weeks, compared to 21% and 17% in Italian- and French-speaking parts respectively. Those looking to move to the French-speaking part had to search the longest, with the majority finding accommodation only after four months of effort.
Prospective tenants had to visit six places on average before finding a suitable dwelling. In terms of competition, the average house-hunter had to submit an average of 3.5 applications before being accepted as a tenant. However, a third of those surveyed only needed to send in one application to nab a place.
According to the Federal Housing Office, around 60% of accommodation in Switzerland are rental properties.
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