More space and less rent - these, in a nutshell, are the main advantages of shared accommodation. &Through a succession of figures, we will try to understand the importance of this form of renting in Switzerland and the reasons for it.
Young women and men are becoming parents later and later. In 1980, the average age was 26. Today, it is 31. What's more, young people are entering working life later and later. In short, youth is being prolonged, meaning that the period between leaving the family cocoon and setting up a new home is becoming longer and longer. Young people are also subject to a number of other factors. Between the ages of 25 and 39, young adults are more attracted to large cities. Over 25% of this population live in large urban centres. For the rest of the population, less than a quarter live in this type of conurbation. However, rents in Switzerland’s major city centres are higher than in medium-sized towns or in the countryside. These different factors mean that many young Swiss people are turning to shared accommodation. The aim is to take advantage of the shared spaces offered by a 3-room flat, for example, with rent divided by the number of flatmates.
Almost 10% of young Swiss people aged 26 are in shared accommodation, up from less than 7% in 2011. This growth can be seen in all categories and shows the importance that this type of tenancy is now regaining. More and more young people are taking the decision to look for a 3-bedroom flat with a shared tenancy agreement rather than a studio to rent. The ratio of rent to floor space is a major factor in this new lifestyle choice. Some people are looking to avoid living alone, but others have no choice but to share a flat in Genève when they leave home, as rent levels in major cities are sometimes unaffordable for students.
For several years now, a new type of flat-sharing has emerged and become increasingly popular in the wake of the Covid crisis. It's called co-living. These are a multitude of private flats of one or two rooms that tenants occupy in addition to shared spaces. It’s coworking H24, community living&e;. And City Pop, which offers several structures of this type, realises that only 10% of its tenants are students. They include single people and young couples, workers and highly mobile workers, older people and the self-employed. All are attracted by lower rents for the space available in a large city.
If you're not ready to live in a shared apartment, but would like to try your hand at sharing, you can check out the listings for shared flats in Genève and other major Swiss cities on SherlockHomes. In addition, you will also find many studio apartments for rent with affordable rents.
This article is not exhaustive and does not engage the responsibility of its author.
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