Finding a flat to rent with an L permit

Accomodation, House and Garden
1
I just received my L permit and I am disappointed as I was expecting a B type.

Does an L permit make finding a flat for rent more difficult in areas near to Zurich? I speak German on an almost native level, is this an advantage for the landlords?

Also are there any sites offering flats for rent other than homegate.ch?

For example a site which is only available in the official languages of Switzerland.

Thanks in advance for the help.

2
Sorry, I forgot to add that I have an open ended contract with my employer and I am working for an IT company outsorced for a Swiss Bank. Can this information influence my chances in a positive way?

3
Hi Ace,

My husband and I are working in Zurich on L-permits as well. He has renewed his for 1.5 years and we did try to apply for the B. We have been looking for a flat in/around Zurich. I kept a spreadsheet of how many applications we have submitted. I am up to 27 now and all coming back negative. We are both on good salaries for CS and have very strong references. The only thing we can think is hurting us is the L-permit and maybe the fact we have a dog as well. We are near taking the route of hiring an agent at 75% of first months rent. Its almost worth it now. We have lost so much time running around the city. On the upside, I am discovering many new neighborhoods I wouldnt have even known about.

Good luck to you!

4
Hi, we had the same issue - landlords or property management companies are lesser inclined towards for L Permit holders. In our case we had to follow up with the landlord for reason for rejection and when he finally said that as L permit holder you wont stay here long term we provided him with a letter from the HR and an email from the supervisor indicating the length of the contract and how long we were expected to stay.

www.immoscout24.ch - a site that was helpful.

Also look around for inhouse company emails. Generally people moving out of their rental agreements try to find other people to move in.

Best of luck.

5
Hi, i will be moving in april with a L permit, is it really that difficult to find a rented apartment with a L permit, is it only the agents who can help out in finding it.

6
Good idea! We might begin following up as well, although we do include a HR letter stating our long term duration as part of our "package" with the application. Just keep trying!!

7
PipiTraveler - Always a good idea to follow up- we finally managed to get an apartment. Eventhough you attach a letter it is better to mention it repeatedly and that you are here for a long long time. Best of luck- getting those rejections feels really bad in more ways than one.

vikrant_malik - Agencies are a good option but not the only one. We did not use one. A good idea would be to get in touch with colleagues already here and check if somebody is moving away. Best of luck.

8
Hi Jain, can we hold an apartment till the time, we reach zurich or may be book one without visiting it, can there be a possibility that the apartment looks different than what it is in the pics shared.

9
You can rent an apartment without seeing it, but be careful. Scams exist where the person tells you to wire the money and they will mail you the keys, and then you never see the keys nor the flat. So just be aware.

10
Thanks for the suggestions, looking in to some deals around orelikon, will keep it in mind

11
As 3Wishes mentioned please never ever wire money in advance and especially for "too good to be true" apartments listed on craiglist.

Typically all apartment advertisements will have an available from date. I don't think you can really book or hold an apartment. I have never really found a lot of difference in the pictures vis a vis the actual flat however in the pictures you cannot really estimate the size, sunlight etc. etc. that may be important to you. There is always a possibility someone may want to cheat you. Try and check if money can be provided after you come, always ask for the contract - generally take steps to safeguard yourself. If you have a friend here who could help you put by visiting the flat it would be better. Also understand that the agency/tenant/landlord is as keen to see you as you are to see the apartment. In most cases this may not be as the previous tenants may be showing the apartment.

12
Is there any catch in the contract.that one has to be aware.

13
Perhaps it is worth looking for places which are outside Zurich city, but still allowing for an easy commute. And if you can, apply for places where the current tenants are looking for a nachmieter. With a bit of luck you may not have fierce competition.

We got successful by going outside of Zurich city and viewing a lovely property which was advertised here on EF (thanks ever so much M&M ;o)). I think we were the only family who showed interest, and we got the place immediately. The difference from your situation is we were already told by my OH's employer that we were going to have a B permit, but at the time of acceptance, our permits were still under process! So, there may have been a small chance that we ended up with an L permit (with this Masseneinwanderungsinitiative business).

Wish you all three all the best of luck

CM

14
We are renting from a np. In the application form there was no option to choose L. B was min.

A question to the OP: I am surprised you got a B given you have an open-ended contract. Are you from one of the countries with their own quota (like Romania, Poland, Hungary, etc.)?

15
We are moving to Zurich in end April as well and being non-EU (albeit with an open-ended contract) I have gathered that most probably we shall also have L permits for the first couple of years. My company is providing the services of a relocation agent with our relocation package, do you think that will make acceptance a bit easier ?

16
I've lived in CH for 4 years on an L permit and have not experienced any difficult securing housing. Moreover, I've switched flats three different times across two cantons. In my case, I played the expat card - explaining that my company was backing my rent payment and that I was prepared to sign a multi-year agreement. Also, when asked about timing, I tried to appear flexible - explaining that I would be able to accommodate their dates. It's critical that you are seen as a on easy solution - not another mover. Lastly, and it may go without saying, is to be over-joyed and excited about any flat you are presented. In many cases the owners are showing their units. They want others to love their flats too. Good luck.

17
Let's start with what is important for the landlord:

- a long-term contract

- a stable employment

- possibly "a match" with other tenants

Those 2 are priorities. Some may have other requirements: no pets, max. X people etc.

The landlord will probably prefer a local if he or she fulfils the long-term / stable employment requirement. And there will always be many swiss applying for a well-located apartments.

Most of the locals don't know a lot about the kind of permits. So if you have L, what could help is a copy of your contract and a letter of reference from your boss saying that they're happy with you and your position in the company is stable.

Other hint: try to apply for an apartment in a building, where there are more apartments available (new one oder recently "saniert" (refreshed?)). At last, look for a place in not-so-popular area. For example: if you're commuting by car, the public transport does not matter so much; if you're not earning a lot, the cantonal/local tax does not matter so much etc.

Good luck!

18
How much do these agents charge, for eg immoscout and homegate.

If we are taking a 6 month contract

19
I also wonder the service fees of agents for short term contract. Answers would be very helpful.

20
Hi Vikrant,

As you are planning to move in April. I would suggest you to take a serviced apartment initially. Once you are here you can search for better place and move there.