Guides

Well-researched articles on cooperatives, applying and flat hunting in Switzerland.

The housing market in numbers

02.11.2026 · 3 min read

Vacancy rate Switzerland 2026: how scarce are flats?

Switzerland 2026: 45'493 vacant flats, vacancy rate 0.93 percent, below one percent for the first time. With figures for Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and St. Gallen.

Finding and applying

28.10.2026 · 7 min read

Finding a cooperative flat: how it works in Switzerland

How do you get a cooperative flat? Waiting list, listings, share capital and application: the key steps, with sources.

31.10.2026 · 3 min read

Waiting list at cooperatives: register, renew and what else helps

Do cooperatives keep a waiting list, and what does it bring? Registration, renewal and alternatives when there is no list. With the umbrella association as source.

Costs and rules

28.10.2026 · 6 min read

Share certificates, occupancy rules, income limits: what you need to know

How much share capital do you pay, how many people have to live in the flat, are there income limits? The rules, with the ABZ example and sources.

In your city

28.10.2026 · 6 min read

Cooperative flats in Zurich: cooperatives, waiting lists, tips

How the search for a cooperative flat in Zurich works: market situation, allocation using the ABZ as an example, directories and practical tips.

28.10.2026 · 5 min read

Cooperative flats in Bern: overview and registration

Finding a cooperative flat in Bern: market situation, the cooperatives' member list, municipal flats and how to proceed.

04.11.2026 · 3 min read

ABZ Zurich: how the largest Zurich cooperative allocates its flats

How ABZ Zurich advertises available flats: online only, a draw of 15 applications, share capital by flat size. With the ABZ's own source.

14.11.2026 · 5 min read

Finding a cooperative flat in Zurich, step by step

Finding a cooperative flat in Zurich: how listings work, what goes in your application file, what share capital is and what WBG Zurich advises. With sources.