mehr als wohnen: available apartments

Yes. Apartments advertised externally are on the website and on Homegate. You can only apply online via the link in the listing.

Yes, the rental contract requires you to join. Every adult subscribes to at least CHF 1’000, and before move-in a total of CHF 250 per m² of the rented space.

Yes. For non-subsidised (freitragend) apartments with 1.5 to 7.5 rooms, the rule is number of rooms minus one. A 4.5-room apartment needs at least 3 people.

Subsidised apartments are subject to additional requirements from the authorities. For the others we did not find a fixed limit; affordability and income mix are allocation criteria.

No, not for external applicants. There is an internal waiting list only for current residents who have to move.

Apartments are let only to households that do without a car and sign a car-free declaration (Autoverzichtserklärung). Anyone who demonstrably needs a car of their own for health or work reasons can apply for an exemption permit and must provide the proof again every year.

mehr als wohnen advertises available apartments on its own website and on Homegate. You can apply online via the link in the listing; unsolicited applications are not possible. Applications without a car are preferred.

When allocating, the office considers, among other things, the social mix in the building and neighbourhood, the affordability of the rent, the willingness to get involved in the neighbourhood and the cooperative, and roots in the neighbourhood. The aim is a mix by life stage, income, professional and educational background and nationality.

An apartment is advertised externally if no successor is found via the internal waiting list or the letting criteria are not met. After two internal changes it is, as a rule, advertised externally.

For non-subsidised (freitragend) apartments with 1.5 to 7.5 rooms, the occupancy must equal the number of rooms minus one. For large apartments and studio apartments (Wohnateliers), a separate minimum occupancy is defined.

Adult tenants are members; to become a member, each person subscribes to at least CHF 1’000. Before move-in, further share capital is due: CHF 250 per m² of the rented space. Member share capital already paid in is counted towards it.

A rental contract requires membership of the cooperative or joining it. Your main residence must be on the site concerned.

Individuals can also become members, with at least two cooperative shares of CHF 500 each. This does not create any entitlement to an apartment.

mehr als wohnen does not keep an external waiting list. The internal waiting list is only for current residents who have to move because of under- or over-occupancy or for financial reasons.

Publicly subsidised apartments are subject to additional requirements from the authorities.

Dogs are not allowed. The only exceptions are trained guide dogs for the blind, police dogs, therapy dogs and assistance dogs, and they too need written permission in advance.

According to the Parkierungsreglement (parking regulations, valid from 1 June 2026), apartments are let only to households that do without a car and sign a car-free declaration. There are exceptions for proven health or work reasons; anyone who receives an exemption permit must rent a space in the underground car park. The «Freie Objekte» (available properties) page puts it more cautiously: applications without a car are preferred.

Dogs are not allowed, except trained guide dogs for the blind, police dogs, therapy dogs and assistance dogs. At most two domestic cats per apartment are allowed, and they must stay strictly indoors; this requires written permission from the office, to which there is no entitlement. Small animals such as hamsters or guinea pigs do not need permission.

According to the Reglement Anteilkapital (share capital regulations), at most 70 % of the rental share can be financed from pension benefits, but then without payment in instalments. Otherwise, payment in instalments is possible on a justified request: at least one third immediately (at least three months' rent), the rest within ten years at most, with interest on the outstanding amount.

You must report the under-occupancy to the office and submit a request to change apartments. For as long as the under-occupancy lasts, a surcharge of CHF 100 per under-occupied room per month applies. mehr als wohnen offers at least two replacement apartments on the same site; in cases of hardship the solidarity committee (Solidaritätskommission) can grant exceptions.

According to the Vermietungsreglement, mehr als wohnen lets large apartments with more than 7.5 rooms to associations, which sublet the rooms to their members. The associations decide on the subtenancies themselves. Adult subtenants must be members of the cooperative; mehr als wohnen can grant exceptions (student housing, institutions).