Student cooperatives, flatshare or studio: how to find a home near ETH Zurich, what the neighbourhoods cost and when to start looking.
Finding a place to live near ETH Zurich (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, or ETH) means starting early. There are three routes: a room in a student housing cooperative or foundation, a shared flat (WG) room found through the housing office common to ETH and the University of Zurich, or a studio on the open market, which is much more expensive. For neighbourhood life, look first at Oberstrass and Unterstrass (Kreis 6), around the main building, and at Höngg, Wipkingen or Oerlikon for the Hönggerberg campus.
The market is one of the tightest in Switzerland. On 1 June 2026, the city of Zurich had only 0.11% vacant homes, according to the canton's statistical office. And rents keep rising: by about 3% per square metre between 2024 and 2026, according to the City of Zurich rent survey.
Here is how student housing offers work, what housing costs in each area, the application file to prepare and the timetable to keep to.
This is the cheapest option, and the most in demand. WOKO, a student housing cooperative, rents rooms only to students and doctoral candidates enrolled at a Zurich university, including ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. Its conditions: a lease of at least six months, a maximum duration of eight years for a full-time student and two years for a doctoral candidate, and in some buildings an age limit of 30. The Jugendwohnnetz (Juwo) also houses young people in training: a room there cost an average of CHF 620 per month, utilities included, in early 2026, against CHF 520 five years earlier. Its offer is aimed at young people whose income does not exceed CHF 30,000 gross per year.
Places go fast: register as soon as you are admitted and follow the postings of available rooms, without waiting for the summer.
The Housing Office shared by the two institutions connects private individuals and university members through a search portal, and publishes practical information about life in Zurich. Future students can register before they arrive. The rooms in its own allocation are often full: that was the case in autumn 2026. The portal remains useful for rooms in private homes and shared flats offered by individuals.
Sharing an apartment of three or more rooms is the most common way to cut the bill outside the student offer. In a shared flat, check who signs the main lease, and have your share of the rent, utilities and deposit specified in writing.
A studio or a 1.5-room flat rents from CHF 1,500 per month on the outskirts, and from CHF 1,900 to 2,500 in central areas, utilities extra. It is a realistic option mainly for doctoral candidates and salaried researchers.
The City of Zurich's 2026 survey measures the net rents of all rented homes, including older leases. The median rent there is CHF 1,497 per month for a two-room flat, CHF 1,628 for a three-room flat and CHF 1,955 for a four-room flat. These medians underestimate what a new arrival pays: for a typical 75 m² home, a new lease in an existing building comes to CHF 2,287 per month, and CHF 2,907 in a new building. Advertised rents are generally much higher than those of existing leases.
The differences between neighbourhoods are large. Oberstrass, the area of the ETH main building, is among the most expensive neighbourhoods per square metre, along with the old town, Riesbach, Fluntern, Enge and Hottingen. Conversely, Höngg, Seebach and Schwamendingen are about CHF 3 per square metre below the city median, and Affoltern and Leimbach are the cheapest.
On top of the net rent, add utilities (heating, water), generally between CHF 150 and 300 per month, as well as a rent deposit of up to three months' net rent, paid into a blocked account. Worth knowing: in Switzerland, the reference interest rate published by the Federal Office for Housing is the basis for rent adjustments. It stayed at 1.25% in September 2026.
The Swiss application file generally includes a recent extract from the debt enforcement register, proof of income (payslips, scholarship certificate or parental guarantee) and a copy of the residence permit or ID. International students add their enrolment certificate. When you arrive, you must register with the Einwohnerkontrolle of your municipality within 14 days.
The canton's vacancy rate went from 0.48% to 0.52% in one year, but remains below 1% in every region: do not count on a quick easing.
If you are preparing your arrival from France, it is hard to view and react fast enough in such a tight market. A Remoters home finder based in Zurich can search for you according to your campus and budget, view properties, prepare your application file and review the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.
Short answers to the questions our readers ask, written to stand on their own.
Sources cited in this article
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