Frustrations with Recent Apartment Rental - Seeking Advice

Accomodation, House and Garden
1
Hello EnglishForum community,

I hope this message finds you all well. I wanted to share my recent experience with renting an apartment in a renovated old house, hoping to find some advice or insights from those who might have faced similar situations.

A month ago, I moved into a newly renovated apartment in a charming old house. We were excited about the prospect of living in a beautifully restored space, especially since we had the opportunity to view the apartment when it was nearly complete, although some finishing touches were pending. We were provided with a detailed dossier outlining what we could expect from the apartment, which, at that point, seemed to match our needs and preferences.

However, since moving in, we've encountered a series of discrepancies between the promised features in the dossier and the actual amenities provided. For instance, the dossier mentioned an induction hob in the kitchen, which was particularly exciting for us since we were accustomed to using one in our previous home. To our surprise, we found a ceramic hob instead. While this might seem like a minor detail, it was an important convenience we were looking forward to.

Additionally, the dossier mentioned the inclusion of old-style wooden shutters for the windows, which we expected to provide much-needed darkness during the night. However, it now appears that there will be no blinds or shutters, leaving us struggling to manage light intrusion during nighttime hours.

The most recent frustration came when I went to use the laundry facilities in the basement. To my surprise, there was a timetable affixed, dictating when the laundry could be used. This came as a shock since the dossier clearly stated that the washing machine in the basement was for our exclusive use, and there was no prior consultation regarding these restrictions. The days allocated for laundry are inconvenient for me, and I am puzzled by the inclusion of apartments on the upper floors in this timetable, as they have their own laundry facilities.

Adding to my frustration is the response from the administrator. When we raised concerns about the induction hob, we were told that we had no grounds for complaint. For the blinds, they claimed to be seeking clarification from the owners. As for the laundry situation, I recently sent an email seeking a resolution, but I am unsure about my rights in this situation.

The dossier is labeled as non-binding in the contract, but it's disheartening to feel like we're renting the apartment under false pretenses, especially after seeing the apartment before completion and relying on the provided information.

I'm reaching out to the EnglishForum community to see if anyone has faced similar situations or might be able to provide guidance on what steps I could take. I truly believed that the Swiss rental process would uphold high standards of transparency and fairness, and I'm struggling with the current situation.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.

2
This is normal.

While we have had our own facilities for 15 years, we are still on the schedule in the case we need to use the communal machines.

Tom

3
A lesson to never trust a non-binding ad. It seems they made a last minute cost cuts.

For the wash schedule I would first make sure no-one from the upper floors is using it as you wrote, and use it at any time. Schedules are normal here. They are set to avoid any arguments now or in the future. Of course you can also negotiate change of the schedule, just to be on the safe side when some of your neighbors decides to use the facilities.

For the light problem, OBI sells nice 100% light blocking curtains.

4
Strange. Induction is so much better than glass ceramic.

It would be like being offered a Porsche and then been given a Opel instead.

Not sure what you can do though. Hopefully others can help.

5
Also, even if they don't use it, they still pay for it (we do, as do the others who have their own machines), which is why they are on the schedule.

Tom

6
I appreciate your response. So is it common for apartments with private washing machines and dryers to still have access to the shared laundry schedule? It seems counterintuitive and only adds inconvenience for those of us without in-unit laundry facilities.

7

Organise it between yourselves in the building !

8
I read it the other way around because the OP writes also...

I think the "concerns" are about not having induction rather than having it.

9
Is there any recourse for addressing the inconsistencies? I understand the answer might be evident, but the situation is quite absurd. I had placed significant reliance on the Swiss code of conduct, and I feel greatly deceived. What baffles me is why the other units have access to the basement laundry despite having their own in-unit washing machines and dryers.

10
didn't you visit the property before renting?

11
Thanks for the suggestion! I appreciate your input. However, I'm a bit unsure about how to proceed with organizing things within the building. I don't really know the people who live here, and I rarely have a chance to interact with anyone. I would have thought that the building administrator would be responsible for handling these types of matters, so I'm quite surprised that the timetable was scheduled without any prior consultation. Do you have any advice on how I could approach this situation and start coordinating with others in the building?

12
Yes, we did visit the property before renting it. However, during our visit, the renovation work wasn't complete yet.

13
Exactly, our anticipation was for an induction hob, but what was actually installed was a ceramic hob.

14
Because they pay for it!

Machines break, ours hav a few times.

Tom

15

If the schedule is printed/fixed by the administration I'd pick the time slots suitable for me, ask the neighbor(s) who's listed there if they agree to swap, then write to the administration.

16
I understand that machines can malfunction. However, I question the rationale behind incorporating them into the schedule if they won't be utilized unless their washing machine and dryer are inoperable. Those days could be utilized for my laundry needs instead. Nonetheless, that's not the primary concern. The crux of the matter is that the laundry facilities in the basement were intended for our sole use as outlined in the dossier, rather than being communal.

17
Ah. I see. Then, yes, you need to specify the final specifications in the contract to avoid this problem.

18
Surely, there must have been an inventory attached to the contract, detailing the amenities and the restrictions, such as non-exclusive use of the washing machine.... If there was no such inventory, and the dossier was non-binding, and you did not even see the apartment in its completed state before signing the contract, then you essentially wrote a blank check and then signed it. No one to blame but yourself, sorry.

19
*Knock on neighbour's door*

"Hi, I'm from downstairs, nice to meet you. (smalltalk...smalltalk...smalltalk). Hey, I've been put on the washing schedule for (insert day) but I'm (insert reason why you can't do washing that day). Would you be up for a swap?"

Rinse and repeat with other neighbours until you find someone willing to swap.

20
Shouldn't the responsibility for this lie with the administrator? I've already reached out to them, expressing my dissatisfaction with the assigned days. Wouldn't it be appropriate for the administrator to handle communication with the neighbors on my behalf? Nonetheless, that's not the primary issue. The crux of the matter is that we entered into the rental agreement based on misleading information, believing that the basement laundry facility was designated exclusively for our use. Is there a relevant authority I can contact to address my rights in this situation?