Recently moved to Swiss and planning to bring my family. How many rooms needed for family of four 2 adults + 2 kids (11 yr old boy and 7 yr old girl).
I was told living room is also considered as room 2.5 would be enough - is it true?
Regards
Soban
Hi
In my opinion a 2.5 is too small for a family of 4. You would need a minimum of 3/3.5 but a 4 or 4.5 would be better with kids of that age and different sex.
You'd need a minimum of 2 bedrooms, one for the parents, one for the kids..... so a 3.5 room place. 4.5 and the kids get their own rooms.
Is there a housing law? I know in the USA it's usually max 3 people in a 1 bedroom and max 5 in a 2 bedroom and they count the sofabed as a sleeping option. I know some owners will allow more but legally those are typically the rules.
Kids sharing can be a touchy subject to some. I am sure if there is swiss law someone here will know.
I had in the UK once where I was told I had to have a 3bedroom because of 2 kids, no where in that area had 3 bedrooms for rent even but that was only 1 agency thankfully
I don't think there is a specific law in Switzerland about kids sharing but I'm sure somebody who is better informed than me will be along to correct me if I'm wrong.
There are guidelines as to the maximum number of people for a certain size apartment though.
In the UK I think the rules only apply to council housing and applies once the kids have reached a certain age ( between 8 and 10 but can't remember exact age). My husband is the eldest of four, three boys then a girl, and they were given a bigger house when his sister was born or very young. ( he was 6 when she was born).
In the UK the owners can do as they wish, if they only want to rent to a 40 year old white male named Zulu it's their right to have that requirement. Hard when you try to rent with kids. I know the rules in the USA are rooms vs sq foot based which is also odd if you have a 500 sq foot 3 bedroom they legally allow 7 people but a 1800 sq foot 1 bedroom would only allow 3 people. (kids being counted of course even a baby in that)
I know some are very against kids sharing and some are OK with it, I have a boy and a girl so I hear both sides of it. I have also known families where the kids get the bedrooms and they have the sofa bed or the other way around. Increasing housing costs have most people going backwards as far as size/rooms. 100 years ago people may have had 4 kids in a room, then it because 1 room per kid, if housing costs don't slow down it will be back to 4 kids per room!
Of course private landlords in the UK can do as they please and the same applies here to a certain extent. Many landlords prioritise families over single people in larger apartments and there is of course the aversion to pets by some of them too.
I think the commune/gemeinde may question a large family in a small space when they go to register here.
To clarify for the OP (although all the info is on EF if you search for it), housing is advertised here by the number of rooms. All rooms in the apartment or house are counted except the kitchen, bathrooms and storage areas (generally, all rooms in the basement do NOT count). Conservatories ("Wintergarten" in German) do not count either, if they are not heated. Combined lounge/dining rooms count as 1.5 rooms.
Note that due to the exclusions noted above, a house may have 12 or more rooms (e.g. three bedrooms, an L-shaped living/dining room with a sliding divider between them, two bathrooms, a guest toilet, a kitchen, a cellar, a hobby room, a utility room/laundry and a conservatory) and still count as only a 4.5-room dwelling.
That means that in most apartments, bedrooms, office/study rooms and living and dining rooms all count. So if you want three bedrooms -- one for the parents and one each for the children -- you need a 4- or 4.5-room apartment. (Combined living-dining rooms counting as 1.5 rooms are more common here than separate living and dining rooms.)
What exactly are you asking - how many rooms you need or how many would be reasonable?
Simple rule is subtract 1.5 to get the number of bedrooms, with the caveat that there can always be exceptions so check.
In terms of need - I don't think there's a legal rule, but if you find a building where they'll let four of you live in a studio I suggest you don't choose that one!
In terms of what is reasonable, that's up to you based on what you're used to, cultural expectations, etc etc. I think in Switzerland different sex siblings sharing at that age would be relatively unusual, which you have to consider if they're making local friends.
I am planning to stay here for not more than a year... used to kids sleeping with us even though we had separate room in my country. Want to know is there any law or legally minimum # of rooms. Also my family may stay here permanently but they will be travelling regularly, I want them part of the contract but not expecting to pay an higher rental.
I've a feeling there are local laws governing the number of people who can live in an accomodation. A letting agency certainly won't let a 1 bedroom flat (ie 2.5 pce) to a family of 4.
how about a furnished holiday type rental? I think if you say you're not going to be in the apt for more than a year it may already be a turn off to the agency/owner
If you're applying for permits to bring them here (family reunification, "Familiennachzug" in German) then you have to prove you have a big enough apartment for the whole family to live in. The usual rule for determining what constitutes "big enough" is # of people - 1 = minimum # of rooms. So a 4-person family would need at least a 3-room apartment.
However, the rules might very well be different in different cantons, so please check with the Migrationsamt of the canton you plan to live in!
I have seen 3 rooms advertised that are 1 bedrooms. I do know the one agency said they were unsure about me renting a 2 bedroom with 2 kids but should be my choice? I guess it's good to know what the laws are so you know if you can complain or not with personal viewpoints.
On holiday apts I have seen max 2 people in a 3 bed house and max 4 people in a 20 meter studio, so it is vastly different between what owners will accept
I assume, as you are Indian so is the rest of your family. If so then they simply won’t be able to stay here permanently if you don’t. They will only have permission to live here via the dependents’ permits they get from you having a permit. If you leave after a year, they’ll have to as well.
I don’t know what permit you have, but for your information if you have an L permit you can’t be out of the country for more than 3 months before it becomes invalid, if you have a B or C permit the maximum time is 6 months.
I have never seen a law related to number of people in a residence. That of course does not mean they don't exist.
However, as MathNut has pointed out to be approved for a family reunification permit you need to fullfull all the requirements. One of those is "adequate housing". That usually means number of people minus 1 room.
Sure. You can have housing that doesn't fit the mold. They will usually specify in that case.
Holiday homes are different as they are temporary. You would be hard pressed to have the migration authorities allow permits to be issue to a family of 4 to living full time in a 20m2 studio.
What do you mean? That they can demand you only rent a 3 bedroom?
yes of course, just was to show how varied owners are on the subject of how many is allowed
I was replying to your statement that you saw a 3 piece apartment that only had one bedroom.
ETA: There I fixed it so it's more clear.
ahhh sorry, long day
Yeah some of the adverts get confusing with their "pieces"
Hi
I am renting a 3.5 rooms (2 bedrooms) flat and there are 2 people, me and my wife living. Do you think it is ok if I have my relative (2 adults, 2 kids) to visit and stay for 1 month period ? Thanks