Hi all, My partner and I are in a tricky situation with our apartment in Zürich, and we’d really appreciate some advice or to hear if anyone’s been through something similar. We’re currently subtenants. When we moved in, the main tenant told us he didn’t plan to return to the apartment. The deal was that after one year, he’d terminate his main lease and propose us as the new main tenants. Fast forward to now, it’s been well over a year and a half, and despite originally agreeing to move forward about 4 months ago, he’s suddenly refusing to end his lease unless we buy all the items he left behind (which aren’t all in good shape or even part of the contract inventory) for an unrealistic price. We’ve also realized, after speaking with neighbors, that we’re probably paying him 20%+ more than what he pays for rent, even though the place is only partially furnished. That means he’s making a profit off us, which I’ve heard isn’t allowed for subleases unless justified. Other issues: He hasn’t adjusted our rent despite the recent Referenzzinssatz reduction (neighbors’ rents were already updated), which increases even more the percentage we pay him. He never provided Nebenkosten statements or electricity bills, so we don’t know what we actually owe or if we’re entitled to some money back. Communication with him is terrible, only via whatsapp and he takes days/weeks to reply (our latest message has been pending for ~2 weeks now). We keep all our conversations documented, and we’re considering contacting a Mieterverband or another counseling office to check if what he’s doing is even legal. In the long run, we’d love to take over the main tenancy directly from the Verwaltung. We really feel at home here, know the neighbors, and want long-term stability, but we are ready to move out if we don’t soon solve the situation. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation with a sublease in Switzerland/Zürich? Can a main tenant legally charge that much over the base rent or demand we buy his things to transfer the lease? Should we first talk to the Verwaltung, or go directly to the Mieterverband or legal aid? Any advice, insights, or experiences would mean a lot. Thanks! submitted by /u/Arr2-D2
Originally posted by u/Arr2-D2 on r/Switzerland