I've always chosen apartments where there are no pre-designated washing times and no issues with toilet, shower, hoover etc...
...and risk getting a letter of termination of your rental contract , they are very strict about these rules here.
I am so glad that I live in a building have showered all different times early morning late night no one has ever complained. I guess they are not as strict where we live. I would not make excessive noise by any means, but the normal living in ones space noises. We also own so it is not like they can kick us out or anything. Their are just people who like to complain is all. Not happy etc..
Good advice. If you sign a contract you need to be sure you are ok with the rules stated therein. If you don't understand it because of language issues, get someone fluent to read it and explain it to you. It is a legally binding thing and you can be expected to adhere to it. We are fortunate to have tolerant neighbours and everyone overlooks occasional deviations from the stated rules but if they wanted to, they'd be perfectly in their rights to complain about violations (like the times we've had baths after 10 PM).
Another point: don't trust verbal assurances from agents - I know someone who got stung by that. The Relo agent said XYZ would be fine and it turns out it was prohibted in the lease that the people (trustingly) signed. This related to a pet issue and they have now had the hassle of moving at their own expense just a few months after arriving.
Bottom line is, if you sign it, you can be expected to abide by it, no matter how ridiculous you think the rules are. If you think they are absurd, rent somewhere else. If you don't you have only yourself to blame for what situations may ensue.
Unbelievable.... More and more I read from you guys and more i'm thinking: it's a joke, come on....
Seriously, you can not do your laundry on Sunday, or flush the loo or whatever who's making kind of normal noise? Ok.... For the laundry, why??????? why not on sunday?
When I left Canada to come to Turkey, I was so surprise how our life is under soooo many rules, but it's look like it is much more worse in Switzerland....
In Turkey, the problem is more the opposit... the lack of rules... Or more like; we suggest you to stop want the light is red.
How is it to deal with so many kind of rules?
I had a shower yesterday at midnight...
I think it depends on the neighbors...
Is this thread serious?! I've been here 3 months, and was assuming it was all a joke/urban myths. I've never had any complaints about noise and can't remember seeing anything in the contract. Noise from the shower? Laundry on Sunday? WTF?! I live in Zug, and I can tell you that there is nothing that could be more disturbing than the 6am-10pm church bells. Tell me this is not actually the law.
I guess it's different everywhere. I just noticed a few minutes ago that my neighbor was playing his piano (it's around 9:30PM). He's quite good, so I was thinking of wandering over and asking if he could play a bit louder so I could hear it better.
I've heard of this too. I've lived in a lot of countries and never heard of any such rules but apparently it's true. A mate of mine cannot use the toilet or shower after 10 PM. Crazy innit? If it's not in your tenancy agreement then do as you please, in your apartment you should be lord and master.
There are two layers of rules at work here. The higher one is regulated at the commune level. The commune can define times of rest and sundays, and disturbances are then unlawful.
The lower level is the lease contract. These contracts can include a rules of the house list. Even in tolerant neighborhoods there's often such a list. Ours is pinned at the stairway wall.
So the police may show up if somebody turns his patio into a private disco, but they usually won't because you cleared the washhouse 15 minutes late.
I'm in a leniant building now, and they take the no laundry on Sunday's seriously. That's one I'm willing to accept thought because laundry is generally in common areas, I would find it a bit harder to justify if the laundry were actually in the apartment.
Rebel.
Just stop showering altogether.
In a few months, the neighbors should be more flexible with the rules.
Your work and relationships might be in the can, but hey, A CAUSE IS A CAUSE.
On the honest side, I recommend that if you have a problem with a neighbors noise, you talk to them before you get annoyed. We moved to our apartment in Zurich and our family is unaccustomed to living in an apartment with someone beneath us. My kids have always had a big yard, driveway and lots of space with the nearest neighbors not being able to hear us sing or play music, let alone run the blender.
Our downstairs neighbor waited until we pushed her over the edge and then she freaked on us. We had no idea the floors conducted noise, we thought our apartment might have just been fantastic construction (it is Swiss, right?)
We're learning, but it has taken months to regain "Cornelia's" smile in the common areas...
this seems like a valid and extremely important observation about the variation in swiss land. in lugano people are uber chilled - the manager for our building (5 floors - 14 units) just keeps saying we work things out here. when we signed the lease, i asked about our dog (pets are not allowed according to the lease) and the property management guy said "we know you have a dog and that is not a problem", the building manager loves our dog and plays with her and is teaching her italian. zurich sounds really harsh - i had no idea.
Yeah man, it's real tough here. Them self-appointed caretaker ladies is mean.
We had a new complaint the day before yesterday. The woman who lives two floors about us asked me to stop smoking on my balcony. I did say that as I didn't smoke in the flat due to six year old (and husband doesn't like it) it would be tricky. In the end we compromised and I am now 'banned' from sparking up between the hours of 6.30-7 am . Not too bad I suppose. I really wanted to get cross and argue that it was a violation of my civil liberties but it wouldn't have served any purpose.
i think the smoking on balconies thing is a huge problem, smokers smoke on their balcony for reasons like you say because of your child/partner not liking it or keeping your apartment fresh but then the people above you get your smoke into their apartment if they have their window open, which isn't nice for them - I can understand your neighbour not wanting your smoke in her apartment, can understand a smoker wanting to smoke on the balcony, I often wonder how these situations are solved, seems like you have come off lightly only being asked not to smoke for half hour a day.
My neighbours below smoke happy cigarettes all day I find myself strangely drawn to my open windows
Just came across this thread as the conversation been re-ignited. I frankly freaked out of my chair about 10pm and in some case 9pm sound curfew. MoK, i totally agree on 'what you signed' thing, integrity is still a virtue, eh? But the rest - huh... where's freedom in all that?
Not only i believe we're all temp visitors on this earth and any attachment to a particular land plot, which has changed hands thru wars and so much 'injustice', is rather short-sighted and a step towards digging urself a grave.
Then have you noticed, from the age of 30/35 onwards (their kids, juveniles and young adults are still alive) many Swiss are on the road to perdition, becoming bitter, aloof, even more closed, consumed in themselves, already living dead, wasting so much time just upholding their rules as if their lives and sanity depend on them. There's next to no joie-de-vivre, Spass, fun, whateva you name it, left in their lives. We had one Swiss neighbor in his sunset years coming out every 30 mins last w/end asking if our meat was ready coz he didn't like too much our slight BBQ smoke. I briefly thought, what should a person have in his brain/heart to say and do what he did.
And then what's this stuff about guests. Haven't you seen that most really key projects are not swiss-run. Haven't you understood that without Europe/Asia/America, Suisse is just a lovely picturesque farming community abundant in cow dung and blokes blowing alphorns at the foot of Pilatus with no money of their own. So if Suisse chose to be closed i'd understand and respect it. But they INVITE us coz often they lack intellectual muscle themselves and want to entice the multinationals to have their HQs here.
And i still take dumps/leaks way past 10pm and do laundry sometimes at night living in Zug. No complaints, maybe coz most in our block are internationals. Neighbors are Yanks and we, Canadians, are used to have them all the time around, hehe. No funny contracts either.
And what concerns smoking, my little way to protest the smoke in public places is to release a juicy fart next to the smoker and smile if he/she senses extra chemical substances. People actually understand the context and why i do that and am glad that we're on the same page on that at least.
Either ignore him, or explain to him that he can cry and stamp his feet but you are still gonna do it. Tell him to buy earplugs.
My neighbour used to knock on my door at midnight for the same reason, but if you answer the door in your birthday suit looking stressed they tend to get the picture.
I also called the police on my mobile before answering the door once and then opened the door and handed my neighbour the phone before he had a chance to talk ...
ok, I'm gonna get in trouble for this post, especially among you smokers but why...why do smokers think it is within their civil liberty to pollute the air of those around them?
.
In this case the smoker is concerned enough for her own family to smoke out on the balcony but bugger the upstairs neighbour who also has to deal with second hand smoke.
.
Open question for you smokers out there... would YOU complain if someone nearby you was frequently creating a polluting discharge that you found disagreeable?
"excuse me , do you mind if I fart? , yes it is a foul smelly habit and it pollutes the air of those around me but it really helps me to relax, and there is nothing like lighting up that first one right after dinner.............ahhhhhhhhhhh"
I take that to mean you would never fart on your balcony?
p.s... I used to live in an apartment block in Geneva and we also had the no showering / no flushing rule after 10.pm
however on my last night there I actually did take a shower at 10.30pm, yes you can call me a rebel.