Shared flat or student housing in Zurich: how to choose

Studying in Zurich almost always starts with one question: where to sleep? There are three options. A room offered by a student housing organisation, a room in a shared flat (a "WG", for Wohngemeinschaft) on the private market, or a studio all to yourself. For most students, a shared flat remains the only option within budget: a room from the Jugendwohnnetz (Juwo) organisation costs an average of 620 francs per month including charges, whereas a studio rents from 1,500 CHF per month on the outskirts.

The Zurich 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 statistics office. More than 70,000 people are enrolled in a university in the city, and a good share are searching at the same time, before the September start of term.

This guide compares the three options, indicates the neighbourhoods to look at according to your institution, lists the documents to gather for your application and gives a few simple rules for signing without nasty surprises.

Student organisation, shared flat or studio: comparing the three options

Rooms from student housing organisations

WOKO, a public-interest student housing cooperative, rents about 4,000 rooms in Zurich, Winterthur and Wädenswil. It is the largest provider of student housing in Switzerland. Its rules are strict:

• Who can rent: full-time students (bachelor's or master's) and doctoral students enrolled at the University of Zurich (UZH), ETH Zurich, ZHAW, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), the University of Teacher Education (PHZH), HfH or KME.
• Duration: six months minimum, eight years maximum for a full-time student, two years for a doctoral student.
• Age: in some of the buildings, financed with city support, the limit is set at 30.
• No waiting list: available rooms are published on the WOKO website. Most often, you apply to the shared flat, which chooses its new member. You then bring the flat's offer to the WOKO office, with your admission certificate.

If you are arriving from abroad on an exchange or to start a master's, the universities have a separate quota of rooms: contact your institution's housing service directly. For UZH and ETH students and staff, the joint room and housing placement service (wohnen.ethz.ch) connects you with private landlords.

The Jugendwohnnetz (Juwo) rents rooms to young people in training whose gross income does not exceed 30,000 francs per year. Its average rent has gone from 520 francs five years ago to 620 francs today, charges included, a 20% increase. These places remain in high demand: in March 2026, the Zurich city council voted to double the municipal credit for youth housing, raising it to 40 million francs until 2033 in the form of interest-free loans, with voters having the final say.

Sharing on the private market

Sharing an apartment is the most common option among students. A 3.5-room flat (two bedrooms) rents for between CHF 2,200 and CHF 2,800 per month in mid-range neighbourhoods, or CHF 1,100 to CHF 1,400 each between two people, with CHF 150 to CHF 300 of charges for the whole home on top. With three or four people in a larger apartment, each person's share falls further.

To find a room, WOKO itself recommends several specialised sites, including wgzimmer.ch, students.ch, roomino.ch and the UZH alumni marketplace. The big portals (Homegate, Immoscout24, Comparis, Flatfox) are more for finding a whole apartment. Expect an interview with the existing flatmates: they are often the ones who choose.

Also think about subletting. During semester breaks, WOKO tenants sublet their room, for up to 12 months in total. It is a useful transitional solution for arriving, viewing and searching on the spot.

The studio on your own

A studio or 1.5-room flat rents from CHF 1,500 per month on the outskirts (Oerlikon, Altstetten, Schwamendingen) and between CHF 1,900 and CHF 2,500 in central neighbourhoods. The city's figures show the gap between old and new leases: for a typical 75 m² home, the median rent of a new lease in an existing building reaches CHF 2,287 per month excluding charges, against CHF 1,657 for a lease signed more than ten years ago. On arrival, you pay the price of a new lease.