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When there is an apartment to view in Zurich, there is usually a lot of interest - as the example from 2016 in the Kronenwiese housing estate in the Unterstrass district shows.
Archivbild: Keystone
On average, foreigners pay a quarter more rent in Switzerland than Swiss people. Is this discrimination or are there other reasons?
According to theSonntagsZeitung, foreigners pay more rent for their homes than Swiss nationals - regardless of how long someone with a foreign passport has lived in Switzerland.
According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, foreign households pay an average of 10.5 percent more rent than Swiss households.
These differences can be observed in all regions of Switzerland, although there are differences: in Ticino the difference is smaller at 5 percent, in the canton of Zurich and in the Lake Geneva region it is particularly high at 15.2 and 15.7 percent respectively. The gap has widened in recent years, particularly in urban areas. In Zurich, the difference has risen from 16% in 2012 to almost 24% in 2023.
But why is this actually the case?
One possible explanation for the higher rental costs is the smaller average living space occupied by foreigners, according to the newspaper. While Swiss households have an average of 48.2 square meters at their disposal, foreign households only have 35.8 square meters. Smaller apartments often cost more per square meter.
In addition, foreigners are more likely to live in urban areas, where rents are generally higher. Cities such as Zurich and Geneva are arrival points for many foreigners who find work or make their first contacts there. According to Marie Glaser from the Federal Office for Housing, foreigners in cities are often affected by displacement due to rising rents, which increases the pressure to accept higher rents.
Foreigners are less likely to own their own home and are therefore more reliant on the rental market. Only 12% of foreign households own property, compared to 44% of Swiss households.
According to the SonntagsZeitung, time pressure when looking for a home and the lack of a network in Switzerland are also reasons why foreigners often accept higher rents.
Although there are no exact figures, the higher level of education of many foreigners suggests that they have the financial means to pay higher rents. In Zurich, foreigners have already overtaken the Swiss in terms of university degrees.
Discrimination could also play a role, the newspaper continues. A study by the Federal Office for Housing from 2019 shows that people can be disadvantaged in the allocation of housing due to their name or appearance.
