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The family-friendly Albisrieden neighborhood stands out, among other things, for its proximity to the Uetliberg, the great outdoor pool, and plenty of green space. By fall 2025, the new «Langgrüt» development of the Gemeinnützigen Baugenossenschaft Limmattal (GBL) will be completed here. It comprises several buildings with a total of 155 apartments. The offering is dominated primarily by 3.5- and 4.5-room apartments. On 15 July, the rental of these highly sought-after units took place. We were there live (online).
Brief background
The Langgrüt project in Albisrieden had been known to us for a long time, and we had listed it for months on our website under the “new-build projects” section, visible to everyone free of charge. We had also promoted it on Instagram for all to see. In June 2024, the internal leasing took place. In other words: cooperative members who were living in over- or under-occupied GBL apartments were able to apply for apartments. From then on, we were on standby. The external leasing could be announced at any time. Soon enough, it happened: on the GBL website you could read that the initial leasing to external applicants would start on 15 July.
As always: heads-up email
Of course, on 7 July we sent an early heads-up email with a link to the initial leasing webpage to our subscribers. This gave them time to prepare their application documents (e.g., the current debt enforcement register extract). We also have a handy Checklist freely available on our website that lists the commonly requested documents. Many of our subscribers greatly appreciate the early emails, because that way they know they still have time and definitely won’t miss the start of leasing.
15 July 2024: The rush for the apartments
Some of the apartments had been let internally, but even before 15 July it was clear: about 129 apartments would be open for applications on 15 July. The time at which the portal would go online was not known. Unfortunately, we often see that the cooperatives do not behave particularly transparently: they hide their initial lettings on separate websites, they are not published on common portals like Homegate, etc., the exact date is often not known at all, and the time is often kept secret as well. The whole thing is very difficult for prospective tenants. Especially if you have children and jobs, you can’t constantly check all these pages. That’s where we help. The day before, we set a very early alarm for the next morning. Despite a rough night with a sick child, we got up and checked the leasing portal non-stop. Then, at 7:30, a shock: suddenly the entire initial leasing page was offline; anyone who tried to access it only got an error message. We immediately received desperate messages from subscribers asking whether we (and thus they as well) had missed the start of leasing. But it was clear to us: something was happening in the cooperative’s office; the page would probably go live soon. And indeed, at 8:01 it happened: the portal was online. Applications, go! We immediately informed our subscribers by email. It’s interesting that most initial lettings start at 8:00 or shortly thereafter. We suspect that someone in the secretariat watches the clock and then, with a click, activates the portal. For those who have to bring children to daycare, etc., 8:00 in the morning is a particularly difficult time… That could be reconsidered.
All apartments gone after a single (working) day
We monitored the portal all day. For a very long time, it showed that almost all apartments (except those reserved internally) were still available. Then, at some point in the late afternoon, they were suddenly all gone. As we were at the pediatrician’s, we missed the exact moment. What is certain is that after less than 11 hours, it was all over. We don’t know how many applications the GBL received or whether there was a maximum per apartment. It’s also possible that there was no limit, but that they simply took the portal offline at 17:00 or 18:00 or so without paying attention to the exact number per apartment. Unfortunately, very little is often communicated by the cooperatives, and so we can only guess.
The benefits for our subscribers
Once again, an initial letting by a cooperative moved very quickly. And once again, our subscribers were in a strong position! They had known for a long time, could also set an alarm and monitor the website because we had warned them in advance. By the way, our email also went out a full two hours before the GBL’s own newsletter! Without prior knowledge like the kind we provide, it is almost impossible to land an apartment in most initial lettings of this kind, because you have to be online at exactly the right time and apply. We hope that thanks to this project we will soon receive many happy cancellation emails with the subject line ‘Apartment found’!
Albisrieden
Langgrüt