Moving out by the end of September Wave of vacancies hits 30 tenants in Zurich hard
30 tenants in Zurich's Sihlhallenstrasse will have to move out by the end of September. The buildings are to be completely renovated. This is a serious problem for long-time residents.
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- In Zurich's Langstrasse district, 30 long-term tenants have to move out by the end of September.
- The owners justify the terminations with renovations, after which the apartments will probably be rented out at a higher price.
- Many of those affected will not find an affordable alternative and will be forced out of the neighborhood.
The people in Zurich's Sihlhallenstrasse 5 and 7 have until the end of September to vacate their apartments, reports "Tsüri.ch", referring to a wave of vacancies that is now also affecting the Langstrasse quarter in district 4.
In fact, there are reports every week that entire apartment buildings are being completely emptied of tenants and that tenants, some of whom have been there for many years, are having to move out of their apartments. The reason given by the owners is that they need to renovate the buildings.
Vacancy notices throughout Switzerland (a selection)
The apartments are often redesigned at the same time and re-let for a significantly higher rent. Apartments in the Sugus buildings, some of which have been emptied, are now on the market for seven times the rent.
The previous residents are often no longer able to afford the increases. As a result, people are being forced out of their familiar homes, often even out of the neighborhood.
New apartment will probably be almost twice as expensive
In Zurich's Sihlhallenstrasse, 30 tenants are now affected, some of whom have lived in the two gray buildings from the 1960s for decades. One of those affected tells "Tsüri.ch" that they have so far paid CHF 1,400 for a 65 square meter apartment.
Her family is unlikely to find a comparable apartment at this price in Zurich. According to a market report, the average price is 2600 francs. Even municipal emergency accommodation for hardship cases, which the family has already enquired about, would cost between 2,000 and 2,500 francs.
Family under pressure
In order to avert the dismissal, the family had successfully argued various hardship cases before the arbitration authority. However, the lawyer for the Taxalis Treuhand AG management company, described as "unpleasant and intimidating", took the case to the rental court.
In the end, she said, she had no choice but to agree to a settlement. The owners pay compensation and the family agrees to move out by the end of September.
