Cooperatives in Zurich Wollishofen: How to find an apartment here

Right on the lake, well-connected and family-friendly: This is how many people know and love Quartier Wollishofen in District 2 of the city of Zurich. A great bonus: Many non-profit housing organisations own properties here. We know of more than 20 cooperatives here.

In this blog post, we introduce you to the most important cooperatives in Wollishofen and explain how you can find an affordable apartment here.

Allgemeine Baugenossenschaft Zürich

Zurich's largest cooperative naturally also owns apartments in family-friendly Wollishofen. Here, it manages a variety of apartments in various developments — from developments from the 1940s to modern new buildings, you will find a wide selection of affordable housing here. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find an apartment at ABZ. Although it manages over 5,000 rental properties, almost nothing is ever vacant. Why this is the case is a mystery to us. In fact, something should be advertised every week. One thing is certain: If there is a vacant apartment, you will find it on the ABZ website. In addition, there is a free newsletter (without filter). All vacant ABZ apartments are included in our subscription.

BAGESTRA

In Wollishofen in District 2, this larger cooperative owns the Entlisberg development with a total of 121 apartments (2-5.5 rooms). It is a mixed development with older properties from the 1930s which were supplemented by new buildings in 2007. Very close to the development is the Entlisberg city forest, which offers excellent opportunities for relaxation and jogging (Vitaporcours). BAGESTRA advertises vacant apartments on its website. Something is regularly freed up. The apartments are also included in our subscription.

Baugenossenschaft Brunnenrain

It is very difficult to find concrete information about this cooperative on the internet. What is certain is that it has just completed a replacement building, which was advertised on August 4, 2025. We were there live, of course, and many of our subscribers were able to apply because we gave them a heads up (here you can find a blog post about renting). The allocation of apartments has been going on for a long time now and many are still waiting for an approval or rejection. There will probably be no further projects at the Brunnenrain building cooperative in the near future. In principle, the apartments of the Brunnenrain building cooperative appear to be managed by GHP GmbH, but we've never found a vacant apartment. These are presumably awarded internally and only large projects are publicly tendered.

Baugenossenschaft des Eidgenössischen Personals

With over 1800 apartments, BEP is a large cooperative in Zurich. You can find a particularly large number of BEP apartments in the Letten-Quartier. But it is also represented in Wollishofen, with the modern Manegg development with 101 apartments (1.5 — 5.5 rooms), which was completed in 2022. The development also has 300m² of commercial space, which further enhances the district. BEP advertises vacant apartments on its web page, and something does become available from time to time. The chances of finding an apartment in this cooperative are therefore intact. Of course, we closely monitor the BEP website and send all new advertisements to our subscribers. In the last 365 days, we have sent 14 apartments from BEP - i.e. around one per month.

Baugenossenschaft Entlisberg

This is the oldest cooperative in Zurich-Wollishofen. In this district, it manages the over 100-year-old development “Im Bergdörfli”, about which a book has even been published. Unfortunately, we were able to find very little information about this cooperative on the Internet. According to the Zurich commercial register, the cooperative is still active. How, when and to whom apartments are rented is unfortunately completely unclear, as we could not find a website. If you know anything, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Baugenossenschaft St. Jakob

The over 100-year-old St. Jakob building cooperative manages over 500 apartments in districts 2, 3, 4 and 9 of the city of Zurich. In Wollishofen, it owns several apartment buildings, for example on Mutschellenstraße. According to its own information, St. Jakob only lets apartments internally. This is of course very frustrating for apartment seekers. The question is who these internal people are and whether this practice is fair. We would prefer a more transparent rental practice, where everyone has a chance and you don't need vitamin B.

Baugenossenschaft Waidberg

This large cooperative is represented in Wollishofen three times, with the developments of Butzen, Kalchbühl and Tannenrauch. The Butzen development consists of three apartment buildings with a total of 18 apartments (3 & 4 rooms). The Kalchbühl development comprises a total of 105 apartments (2-5 rooms) and was recently extensively renovated. The large development of Tannenrauch comprises 25 apartment buildings with a total of 165 apartments. Something is also freed up here from time to time. Just recently (March 2026), there was a great 4-room apartment here for 1,554 francs per month — a really low rental price! It is quite realistic to find an apartment with the Waidberg Cooperative. Something is available from time to time and the ads can be found on the website of the cooperative. We will of course monitor them and send out all apartments in our subscription. In the last 365 days we have sent 6 advertisements from Baugenossenschaft Waidberg in Wollishofen.

Baugenossenschaft Zürich 2

For over 100 years, this rather small cooperative has been offering affordable housing in Wollishofen in District 2 of Zurich. The properties are primarily located on Mutschellenstraße. BGZ2 advertises its vacant apartments on its website. Of course, we constantly monitor these and send out all advertisements in our subscription. Unfortunately, anything is advertised publicly only very rarely: In the last 365 days, not a single apartment has become vacant.

Baugenossenschaft Zurlinden

In Wollishofen, this cooperative owns three modern properties on Albisstraße (near GBRZ) with a total of 31 apartments. It takes a lot of luck to get an apartment here. The Zurlinden building cooperative has a waiting list, which you can join here. You can also send a specific application for a development (for example in Wollishofen). Please note, however, that this significantly reduces your chances of getting an apartment. Because of the current situation on the Zurich housing market, we recommend that you do not restrict your radius too much and be open to different quarters. It is rather unlikely that you will find an affordable apartment in exactly your favorite location. If you're ready to move out of the city, you might be interested in the new Tödi construction project by the Zurlinden building cooperative in Horgen. The list of interested parties is open now.

Gemeinnützige Baugenossenschaft Heimelig

This small cooperative with a total of 115 apartments owns two colonies in Wollishofen: Frohalp and Butzen. Unfortunately, there is no more to read on the website. It also says that you shouldn't send applications. It is therefore clear that all apartments are internally allocated (e.g. to children, friends, etc.). We think that's a great shame, of course, because it means outsiders have no chance of getting one of these inexpensive apartments. We would think it would be fairer if everyone could apply. In the event of an excess of applications, we recommend a random number generator for the closer selection. This means that there is at least a small chance for everyone to get hold of an apartment.

Gemeinnützige Baugenossenschaft Röntgenhof Zürich

This large cooperative owns a development on Albisstraße in Wollishofen with 33 apartments (1.5 — 4.5 rooms). It scores points with an attractive layout and a great location near the lake. Getting an apartment with the GBRZ requires a bit of patience and luck. The cooperative runs a waiting list, which you can sign up for here. Then it's a matter of waiting. If you haven't heard anything after 6 months, you'll need to sign in again. We do not know how often someone comes to an apartment like this, but we can see from the 2024 annual report that new (external) tenants were able to move into just under 80 apartments last year. There are therefore realistic chances of finding an apartment, and we recommend that you regularly sign up to the waiting list. It's best to also mark the expiration date after 6 months in your calendar so that you can apply again right away.

Gemeinnützige Baugenossenschaft Zürich 2

This rather small cooperative has been present in Wollishofen for over 100 years. Here it owns the cute “Raindörfli” - a fantastic development of rose-colored single-family houses, which we really like. GBZ2 is also represented on Tannenrauchstraße and Morgentalstraße. If you are interested in an apartment with GBZ2, you can register online for the waiting list. However, since GBZ2 manages fewer than 200 rental properties, anything is very rarely vacant. You must expect waiting times of several years. But if you're not in a hurry and, for example, children are only planned in a few years, we would definitely recommend signing up. Watch out though: The registration must be renewed every year.

Gemeinnützige Bau- und Mietergenossenschaft Zürich

With over 1000 apartments, the GBMZ is one of the larger cooperatives in Zurich. In Wollishofen in district 2, it is represented by its modern Manegg development with 85 apartments (1.5 — 5.5 rooms). The development is located on the border with Quartier Leimbach and is part of the new “Greencity” district. It is not easy to get hold of an apartment with GBMZ. Although it is a larger cooperative, there is currently a registration freeze, with no new people being added to the list of interested parties. Unfortunately, no reasons for the stop are communicated on the website. As soon as the situation changes, we will inform our subscribers.

Genossenschaft Hofgarten (geho)

This is a medium-sized cooperative with five locations in districts 2 and 6 of the city of Zurich. In Wollishofen, the Hofgarten Cooperative built its latest Stadtgarten development in the new Greencity district not far from Manegg station in 2017. The development comprises two houses with a total of 70 apartments (1.5 — 5.5 rooms). If you are interested in an apartment with the Hofgarten Cooperative, you can click here to join the digital waiting list. According to the company, around 10 apartments become vacant per year. So the chances aren't great, but anyone who doesn't try it has definitely lost.

Genossenschaft Neubühl

This small cooperative owns two developments in Wollishofen: the Werkbundsiedlung and the Erligatter development. The former is historically very interesting and architecturally so significant that it is a listed building. Three houses even serve as a kind of “inhabited museum” and can be visited on certain dates. The Neubühl cooperative runs a waiting list, which is unfortunately closed at the moment. Should this change, we will of course inform our subscribers.

Logis Suisse AG

This is not a cooperative but a real estate company. However, it is committed to fair living space, which is why we also list it here. In Wollishofen, the Logis Suisse AG owns 111 apartments in the Manegg area on the border with Quartier Leimbach. The modern development was completed in 2023 and is managed by Gfeller-Treuhand. If you are interested in an apartment in this development, you can regularly check the administration's website.

Mieter-Baugenossenschaft Zürich (MBGZ)

This cooperative owns a development with 12 single-family houses in 3 lines in Wollishofen in the Entlisberg district. It is particularly great that all 5-room single-family houses have their own outdoor area. Of course, this makes the properties highly sought after. Unfortunately, the chances of getting an apartment at MBGZ are not good, as most apartments are distributed internally. What this means exactly is not entirely clear to us. Vacant apartments are advertised on Flatfox, posted between 16:00 — 16:30. We monitor the site, of course, and send all ads to our subscribers. In the last 365 days, we have sent 13 MBGZ apartments, i.e. approximately one per month.

PWG

PWG is not a cooperative but a foundation, but it rents out inexpensive housing in Zurich and advertises vacant apartments very regularly. In Wollishofen, it manages 13 properties with a total of over 100 apartments. In principle, you can find all available PWG apartments directly on the website. Something is available approximately every 2-3 days and the ads stay online for a few days. Of course, we send all of these apartments in our subscription. So if you don't want to miss out on anything, this is the best method. Another fun fact about PWG: All of the Foundation's buildings are marked with small house-shaped signs designed by artists. Pay attention when you're out and about in Zurich: They can be found everywhere!

Stiftung Familienwohnungen

This is not a cooperative but a municipal foundation, but we are happy to list it because it offers affordable housing. In Wollishofen, right on the border with Leimbach, the foundation manages its modern Manegg development, which was completed in 2017. The development comprises a total of 20 family apartments (4.5 — 5.5 rooms) and is within walking distance of the “Manegg” SZU bus stop. The Family Apartments Foundation only rents out affordable apartments to families with three or more children and a modest income. If you meet this criterion, you can add yourself to the list of interested parties here. Unfortunately, properties only rarely become available.

Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft Zürich

The WSGZ can be found in 15 municipalities, where it rents out a total of over 1,100 apartments. It is currently building a replacement building in Wollishofen, but the registration period for which has already expired. In principle, the WSGZ advertises its vacant apartments on its website. Of course, we send out all of these great offers in our subscription. There are also often apartments in new-builds at WSGZ. Of course, we also inform our subscribers about such projects. For example, not too long ago, we informed subscribers about the new building in Uster.

Conclusion: There are an enormous number of cooperatives in Wollishofen

If you've read this far, you're pretty persistent! This is probably our longest blog post ever. With so many cooperatives, the chances of finding an affordable apartment in Wollishofen are definitely better than in other districts. You have particularly good chances with Baugenossenschaft Waidberg, BAGESTRA, GBRZ and BEP. It is also worthwhile to join all listed waiting lists. Please note that in most cases, your entry must be renewed after 6-12 months. If you don't want to miss out on a publicly advertised apartment, we recommend our subscription. This not only gives you all normal advertisements, but also early information about the new construction projects of the cooperatives. For the Brunnenrain project in Wollishofen, our information about the start of the rental was decisive, as the apartments were gone again after 31 minutes.

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