It would be a big deal for me. Cooking with glass ceramic is terrible.
Tom
What is in the contract? Does it state your exclusive use of the laundry facilities or not? It is a very simple question.
don't be silly, you can write a simple story, polite but direct, mentioning upfront that your German is not good yet. Translate it and learn it by heart. If by any chance the conversation derail most likely your neighbor will switch to English, if not just take out Google Translate from your pocket and continue the conversation. That's the way I manage in German speaking part. Believe me, people like to talk
We were quite happy for them recently when our machine broke and we had just had a newborn. Luckily there's no schedule in our building and 95 % of the time they're not used.
It is a big deal but to be honest i think that people who dont really cook or have never cooked something more complicated that warming up water for pasta with an induction stove dont really understand the big difference compared to glass ceramic. I mean I am looking for a new apartment and I see so many descriptions of renovated apartments writing that they have glass ceramic stove as if this is supposed to be the super-modern device.. meanwhile i have an induction stove and i love it.
Write a letter and put it in every letter box, it really isn't difficult !
No
I understand that you may have problems adjusting to how things are done in Switzerland. It is a learning curve for all Expats and it never stops.
Talking to your neighbours is very important here, even in the cities.
Listen but be careful when told something is forbidden. Many Swiss people like to think the things they dislike are forbidden. It is often not the case, and the various rules can be contradictory and/or vaguely worded.
The Mieterverband is always your friend when you rent.
Join the Mieterverband https://www.mieterverband.ch/mv/mitg…iedschaft.html
In case of difficulty with German: Deepl.com.
The Mieterverband (at least in Zurich) has people that speak English.
We also use copper and aluminum, so again no-go.
Tom
Hello and welcome to the Forum and to Switzerland.
You sound unhappy and I can understand that, because things aren’t working out as you had expected. The best advice I was given, when immigrating, is to accept that “here” is not like “there” and that some aspects of life are better, some worse and some neither better nor worse but simply different from the country/countries in which you’ve lived previously.
One aspect which comes up, over and over again, is the concept of “consumer rights” vs “caveat emptor”. Switzerland definitely leans to the latter. You get what you signed up for, and very seldom will you get less and occasionally you’ll get more. The onus is on both parties to read and understand the contract before signing it, and then to stick to it.
Yes, I get this, too. But it is as it is. The laundry schedule is there and all parties are bound by it. The whole idea of how the laundry is shared (and how absurd it can become) is, well, let’s say, a significant part of Swiss culture. There’s even a short piece by a famous Swiss auther, Hugo Lötscher, called Der Waschküchenschlüssel, oder, was wenn Gott Schweizer wäre. https://www.diogenes.ch/leser/titel/…257216332.html
As for wanting to complain to the building administrators about the laundry room: my advice is, in general, not to do this. You need to save up your “complaints credit”, as well as your reputation for being a good tenant, for issues that are really serious, like a water-leak, or neighbours who hold wild, noisy parties every second night.
You’ve already received the best advice: go and speak to your neighbours. It is not for them to introduce themselves to you, but for you to go to them. They won’t pop round with a welcome gift (as they might in some other countries), but would probably appreciate knowing who has moved in. A tip: don’t start by complaing to them, either, and don’t even tell them the whole story of your having understood one thing but the contract is different, etc., etc. Don’t make demands. Instead, simply tell them briefly when you arrived, where you come from, and which languages you speak. Ask them how the use of the laundry works in the building and whether, indeed, everyone sticks to the schedule, whether there are people willing to swap.
I hope you know that you’ll need to learn the local language. This is a perfect example illustrating how much easier everyday life would be for you, if you could already speak it. But the suggestion others have given you, of using translators until you’ve had a change to build up your language skills, is very good.
When we arrived we were schocked at this schedule and thought we’d never cope. But we learnt how to plan to fit in just one load between things, and we found that the neighbours were often glad, too, of the chance to swap. Take courage! It gets better!
Google translate is sub-optimal. I use an app on my phone called Say Hi. I’ve had German and Portuguese friends (who are fluent in English) listen to the translations of those languages, which they say are very good. You can actually hold a halting conversation.
Around my Quartier, ringing the bell to introduce yourself would be a huge faux pas. It would be seen as not respecting the privacy of your neighbor's home, not respecting their time as you interrupt their day. Seriously - showing up uninvited, even if you are not asking to come in, could start a relationship off on the wrong foot.
Rather the done thing when one moves into the neighborhood is to write an introductory letter to leave in all the building/ Quartier/ direct neighbor's houses mailboxes.
Of course, in other places the opposite will be true. As always in Switzerland, YMMV. Is there someone local-ish you can ask about local sensibilities?
Switzerland is the first country where I've learned about shared laundry facilities, instead of having a private wash machine in each apartment.
After 30 years, there are a few neighbors that we talk to, just like it was back in New England.
Tom