Special cooperatives for students, large families and elderly people

Most cooperatives in Zurich are accessible to anyone. In fact, they make sure their tenants form a diverse group of people. There are, however, three exceptions: Special cooperatives for students, large families and elderly people. These rent out flats or rooms exclusively to people belonging to those categories. If you are looking for such a room or flat then you've come to the right place. Due to the very specific nature of these cooperatives they are not sent out by our subscription service. Instead, you can use this list of links to look for flats.

Cooperatives for students

These institutions rent out individual rooms, not flats. Rents are very low and it's of course fun for students to live together. Use these links to find student cooperatives in Zurich:

JUWO – Jugendwohnnetz

Rents our just over 1'500 rooms

SSWZ – Stiftung für Studentisches Wohnen

Owns around 2'000 rooms

WOKO – Studentische Wohngenossenschaft

Rents out about 4'000 rooms

Cooperatives for large families

The definition of what a 'large family' is, depends on whom you ask. In any case, only apply if you actually fulfil the criteria!

Heimgenossenschaft Schweighof

They have 69 flats for families with at least two children. You can put your name on a list of interested parties and then hope for the best.

Stiftung Familienwohnungen

They rent out their 541 flats to families with at least three children (below the age of 18). To be eligible you need to have lived in the city of Zurich for at least 2 years or be a citizen of the city. On top of that there are rules regarding the income and assets. If you fulfil their criteria you can put your name on the waitlist.

Cooperatives for elderly people with or without care requirements

Zurich offers a number of cooperatives that rent out flats to elderly citizens. Some of these cater to specific needs, for example they may offer dementia care.

SAW – Stiftung Alterswohnungen der Stadt Zürich

They even have a few flats in the old town!

Verein Alterskollektiv

They are still looking to acquire a building but the vision is to offer 60-90 rental units for people above the age of 60.

Rohn-Salvisberg-Stiftung

High quality apartments suitable for older people in Bülach, Küsnacht and Zürich-Witikon

Stiftung Alterssiedlung Witikon

Affordable flats for elderly peopleV in Zurich-Witikon. Priority is given to those with a connection to this district.

Wohnsch

3 care homes in Schwamendingen. Each caters to different needs (for example dementia).

Stiftung Alterssiedlung Hadlaub

Founded by the protestant church community Zurich-Oberstrass. Rents out 1-, 2-, and 2.5-room apartments to senior citizens. Fantastic location with great views.

Conclusions

If you belong to one of the special categories (student, large family or senior citizen), then you might be able to find an affordable room or flat in one of the cooperatives listed in this blog post. Of course, some luck is needed to be successful. But it's definitely worth giving it a shot. Make sure you use our guides for successful applications.

If you aren't looking for any of these special cooperatives, then we recommend our GenossenSchaffen subscription service. It's only 5 CHF a month and ensures you see all cooperative apartment ads in Zurich as soon as they go online.