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Swiss castle for rent: a ‘bargain’ at 8,540 francs a month

If you've ever dreamed of living in a castle, this could be your chance.

Published: 19 December 2018 20:52 CET

Swiss castle for rent: a 'bargain' at 8,540 francs a month

The castle's grounds are maintained by a full-time gardener. Photo: Immoscout

From summer 2019, a 12-bedroom private apartment will be available for rent in the central section of Switzerland's 16th-century Allmendingen Castle.

Just eight kilometres from Bern’s main station, the unusual residence is priced at “only” 8,450 Swiss francs (€7,450) a month.

And while this means the property is not exactly a budget choice, it is still comparatively cheap given the current high rents in notoriously expensive Switzerland.

Set in elegant baroque gardens, the castle apartment, which is currently listed on Swiss real estate portal Immoscout, boasts 495 square metres of living space.

Completely renovated in 2007 at a cost of 950,000 francs, it has unusual attractions including a smoking lounge, a boudoir and a peristyle (or covered walkway bordered by columns), together with more practical features such as three bathrooms and a laundry room.

The castle is also near a bus stop, as the property listing notes in typically practical Swiss fashion.

Parking – you’ll be pleased to hear – is free (in the form of a double garage). And in further good news, the grounds are maintained by a full-time gardener.

Photo: Feissli Gerber Liebendörfer Architekten

There is even a delightful piece of historical trivia attached to the castle: in 1946, two-time British prime minister Winston Churchill met there with the Swiss Federal Council.

During an after-dinner speech, he reportedly praised the “charming surroundings”. But Churchill's speech that day was overshadowed by his famous address at the University of Zurich just two days later when he first spoke for the very first time of the need to build “a kind of United States of Europe.”

However, if the price tag for the castle residence is still proving a turn-off, you might want to consider joining forces with other people and putting in a bid. After all, Allmendingen Castle could be the best share house ever.

Whether castle owner Bernard Steck – who lives in the east wing of the building – would go for the idea is another matter.

Read also: Hundreds jump at chance to live in castle for next to nothing

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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