How to find apartment in Basel from Canada

I'm attending ETH Zurich starting in the fall, and need to find accommodations in Basel, preferably a small/cheap unshared flat.

Does anyone have advice? I've been looking through comparis.ch, but a lot of landlords seem to ask for visas, references, etc (which I don't have yet).

To complicate this further, I also don't speak German.

Thanks in advance.

Hi there,

Try these web sites. I used them when I was looking for a shared room for my training in Neuchatel (French Canton). They where really useful.

http://www.alle-immobilien.ch/rooms-...023448?tr=ql_t

http://www.anibis.ch/fr/immobilier-l...dvertlist.aspx

http://www.expat-blog.com/en/housing...erland/zurich/

Good luck,

In my opinion and experience, this is not possible. Even going into WG (shared flat) would usually require that you introduce yourself personally.

Read other topics about renting a flat here and you will get better picture about problems. But maybe you will be lucky.

I agree that this will be quite tough. From my research it appears that getting a flat can be hard enough even when you are here. Is there not a housing service at ETH who can help?

I'm guessing for a student the cost of a relocation agent is out of the question....

By the way... why a flat in Basel when you will be studying in Zurich?

You will find lots of student accommodation in Basel here:

https://markt.unibas.ch/nc/inserate/...ohnen-angebot/

Also, email the secretary of the group you are joining for help. People are joining and leaving groups all the time, so they will know about flats coming free that will not be advertised.

I would strongly consider finding a temporary furnished accommodation here that you can live in for your first month or two, whilst you look around for something permanent in person.

Thanks for the links! - are those all shared apartments? WG is shared, what does "Dachzimmer" mean?

I need an apartment in Basel because I'm actually studying at a [the only] dept. of ETH that is outside of Zurich...

Does anyone have any advice for cheap rooms that can be rented on a week-by-week basis, so that if I don't find anything I can go there while I search?

Thanks!!

https://www.airbnb.com/

is usually best bet

I'm sorry, but cheap, unshared and September just don't go together in Basel. While I don't know why you would preferably avoid shared accommodation, I will mention that average Swiss flatmates will hold your privacy in very high regard (and expect you to do the same).

I would recommend that you check out the WGs at Unibas Marktplatz (link above) and email any prospective shared flats. Try and introduce yourself with a few words of German before moving to English, then be proactive and suggest a Skype interview to get the party started. Any other form of temporary accommodation is likely to quickly ruin your finances.

(Dachzimmer = an attic room. Very European, very romantic, quite well insulated since it's Switzerland; most foreigners love it.)

No, they are not all shared.

Attic room.

Have a look on the link I published earlier, and here:

http://www.homegate.ch/mieten/moebli...=6402472&tid=1

Again, talk to the department you're joining - nearly every new person has gone through the same process at some point, and so they will be a great source of tips.

Any furnished apartment can be cancelled with just two weeks' notice, unless otherwise stated in the contract.

This is a bit of an exaggeration. Anyway, it's cheaper in the long run to take a more expensive place for one/two months and take time to make the right longer term decision.

I've seen too many people rush into a WG, buy furniture and delivery, have problems with flatmates/location/room/rental agreements, and then have to give notice, wait at least three more months in a flat they hate and then pay to move all the furniture...

It's only cheap when it works well, and it's much more likely to work well if you can really meet the people and see the flat in person.

I stayed at this place for a month when I moved here. I don't know if they also accommodate non-Uni Basel guests, but might be worth a try. The rooms are fully-furnished so it is really nice for newcomers.

http://www.unibas.ch/index.cfm?uuid=...CER_AUTOLINK&&

Goodluck!

Go for shared mate, your chances will grow exponentially to find a flat, especially since the amount of documents required for the Gemeinde are much lower and WG beaurocracy is also much lower. Sign Sub-rental agreement, get copy of original agreement and your done. No proof of funds, no silly other documents. You can meet your new flatmates with Skype, I did it many times.

To give you a heads up, it can be done. I did it from Canada to Bern over a few months. Look for places that only have limited termed contracts, 4-6 months. Once your here, it's much easier to find a place.