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HOUSING

‘Half-room’ sublet in Geneva sparks protest

A room with just five square metres (54 square feet) of floor space is being sublet in Geneva for 550 francs ($585) a month, raising concerns from both tenants' advocates and property owners.

Published: 17 July 2013 11:51 CEST
‘Half-room’ sublet in Geneva sparks protest
Apartments can be even smaller: this one in Paris is allegedly 1.5 square metres. Photo: Fondation Abbé Pierre

The room in the city’s Malagnou neighbourhood was advertised through the Immoscout real estate website, raising concerns about the need to combat abusive rents, the Tribune de Genève reported online.

The space advertised for rent is not legally large enough to qualify as a room in the canton of Geneva, according to regulations that stipulate a room must be at least nine square metres in size.

Any space smaller than that qualifies as a “half-room”.

The Tribune de Genève telephoned the subletter who said the space had already been let to a “young girl . . .who agrees with the rent and is happy with the situation”.

The sub-letter added that the woman “has the right to use the the bathroom and the kitchen”.

Asloca, the tenants’ rights association, said the rent is clearly abusive.

“In this type of case, it is necessary to contest it,” Asloca lawyer Damien Chervaz told the Tribune.

“This is equally applicable in the case of a sublet and at any time,” Chervaz said.

“Often (tenants who sublet) are unaware of this.”

The Geneva real estate chamber was equally appalled by the rent charged for the closet-like space.

“To sub-let at abusive prices is inadmissable,” the chamber’s secretary-general Anne Hitpold, also a lawyer, told the Tribune.

She also indicated that such rental rates should be contested.

Geneva law forbids sub-letting apartments for personal profit.

And a person subletting an apartment is legally required to notify the landlord.

The penalties can be heavy for those caught violating the regulations.

In April, a tenant in Geneva was ordered by Switzerland’s top court to reimburse the owner of an apartment 275,000 francs ($293,000) after he sublet it at an abusive rate.

The apartment was sublet for several years to India’s permanent mission to the United Nations. 

To get an idea of how small the Geneva "half-room" apartment is, check out this YouTube video, which shows a shoebox apartment in Manhattan almost 50 percent bigger:

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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Checklist: What you need to do if you move house in Switzerland

Moving from one house or apartment in Switzerland to another is not as simple as just packing up your furniture. Instead, the process involves quite a few administrative tasks.

Published: 25 January 2024 12:10 CET
Checklist: What you need to do if you move house in Switzerland

Anyone who has ever moved, whether in Switzerland or elsewhere, knows it is not just a matter of simple logistics.

In fact, whether you are relocating to another town or canton, or just to another neighbourhood, moving is a big, expensive, time-consuming, and stressful experience.

These are various tasks you will have to cross off your list, one by one.

Getting your old apartment in order

It goes without saying that before you move out, you must make sure to leave the place clean and in order. Most people hire a cleaning company to do so, though you can, of course, do this yourself.

If, for instance, you broke or damaged anything while living in the apartment, you must repair it before you leave.

The condition of the apartment will be assessed during the final inspection process, when the landlord or the management company will write down all damages which you are responsible for either repairing yourself or paying someone else to do it for you.

You are not officially off the hook with your previous landlord until this process is completed.

De-register your old address and register the new one

Whether you are moving across the country or just across the street, this is an obligatory step.

You must let your ‘old’ commune’s population office (Einwohnerkontrolle / Contrôle des habitants/ Controllo abitanti) know you are leaving, and from which date.

You can do so either in person or (if available) online.

Then, when you settle in a new home, you have 14 days to announce your arrival in your new municipality, though in some places the deadline may be longer.

You will need the following documents:

  • A passport or ID card for each member of the family, in addition to a passport-sized photo for everyone
  • Documents relating to your family status — whether you are single, married, and with children
  • Your work or residency permit 
  • Your lease contract or proof of home ownership
  • Your health insurance card or proof of your current health insurance policy.

The rules are the same regardless of where you arrive from, that is, if you are Swiss, an EU citizen or from a third country, however the supporting documentation may vary. 

Some cantons may require other or additional documents, which you can find out ahead of time on your commune or canton’s website.

READ ALSO: Why you need to tell Swiss authorities where you live 

Inform the post office about your change of address

To ensure that your mail arrives at your new home, fill out the ‘change of address’ form online at least four days before your move. 

Four days is a minimum required time for the post office to process the address change and register it in the electronic database.

If you wait longer, your mail will continue to be delivered to  the old address.

You also should notify these companies of your move and new address:

  • Your mobile telephone / internet provider (if you still have a fixed phone, you should have it switched off at the old address and re-activated at the new one)
  • Your bank
  • Your insurance companies (health, car, and any other ones you have, both mandatory and optional)
  • Your doctor / dentist

If you forget to inform anyone of your new address, no worries — the post office will automatically forward the letters to you, provided your notified them of the change (see above).

What about the tax office?

You don’t have to do a thing.

Your local commune will automatically inform tax authorities of your move, so there is no chance whatsoever that they won’t find you.

Rental versus owned property

If you move into a rental property, you don’t need to, in most cases, notify utility providers like the electric company of your move.

But if you are going to live in your own house, then you must let the local power company know to switch on your electricity supply.
 

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