Finding affordable housing in Geneva is notoriously difficult. However, I’m here to tell you that its not impossible and its even possible to find an acceptable room, close to town for well under 1,000 CHF per month.
Demand for housing in Geneva is high and the supply scarce, therefore it can be hard to find affordable accommodation in the city. You can expect to pay between 800 to 1200 CHF for a room in a shared apartment in Geneva. But it is possible to find a room for less! Of course, the further out from Geneva, you live, the cheaper rent gets but there are also options especially made for students and interns.
Although many people will tell you that the words affordable housing and Geneva simply don’t go together, during my time in Geneva, I paid 450 CHF per month for an admittably tiny, but cheap, room in the city centre. A friend lived 30 minutes away from the city centre in a large flat and only paid 500 CHF per month. This just goes to show that with some flexibility, and a decent dose of luck, it is possible to find something within your budget.
Here are the tips that I have gathered to make the best out of the Geneva housing market.
1. Start your search early! And be the first to respond to housing offers.
Luck plays a big role in finding your Geneva accommodation. The best way to increase your odds of getting lucky is to maximise your chances by starting your search early. Starting early means 3-6 months before you need to be in Geneva.
Start by signing-up to the Facebook groups mentioned below and register for the numerous housing websites that exist. Enable email alerts so that you are notified as soon as a potential home comes on the market.
At the same time, reach out to your personal network and let people know you are moving to Geneva. Let word of mouth help you in your search. The more people who know you are looking, the higher your chances are of finding a nice flat.
If your move to Geneva is spontaneous or your internship short notice, you need to do the same but at a higher intensity. Make sure everyone knows you are looking and reach out to all your contacts and contacts of contacts. Try and avoid Airbnb, it’s incredibly overpriced in Geneva and really not worth it unless you absolutely have no other option.
2. Be the first to apply and reply quickly
Remember how I said housing in Geneva is scarce and demand is high? That means there are a lot of people applying to the same place. So you need to be fast.
For my room in Geneva, there were over a hundred other applicants who wanted it. Why did I get it? Well, one reason was that I was the first to apply.
Within minutes of seeing the post (and the price!) I sent a short and friendly message expressing my interest. Then, as soon as I received a reply from the owner I set up a phone call to discuss details and by the next day, I had secured my room in Geneva.
It quickly gets overwhelming for anyone when hundreds of people apply for a room and even the most well-meaning person will only look at the first few applications. Regardless of how great a potential flatmate you may be, if your application is at the bottom of the pile your chances of getting it are low.
Therefore, be fast to apply and quick to respond to housing offers.
3. Have your application ready
To ensure that you also get the room when you first apply, prepare your application in advance.
Write a short description of yourself and what brings you to Geneva. Make sure to include your University matriculation or internship confirmation as many places require you to be an intern or student to apply.
Most housing posts are in English, or English and French. If you notice that someone is clearly French-speaking, it will greatly increase your odds of getting a reply if you write to them in French.
Therefore, have your application available in both English and in French. That way, as soon as you find the perfect apartment you can apply as quickly as possible and have the best chance of getting that affordable apartment.
4. Where to live, in Geneva and beyond
Your accommodation options are not just restricted to the competitive central Geneva market. Lucky for you, Switzerland is small and well connected. Moreover, France is just across the border from Geneva and has a great supply of affordable housing.
Therefore, you can choose from a range of areas to live in, from central city suburbs such as Pâquis, to towns in neighbouring cantons such as Vaud, or nearby French villages.
Geneva City
Carouge is further removed from the city centre but it has a distinctive charm and more of a hipster vibe compared to the fancy neighbourhoods in Eaux-Vives.
Nations or Petit Sacconex are perfect if you are working at the United Nations or at one of the international organisations or embassies nearby.
Pâquis and the area close to the train station, despite being home to the red light district, are ideally located for students and interns with plenty of restaurants and bars close by.
Plainpalais is right next to the main bar street the ‘Rue de l’ecole de medicine’ and is a central place from which to explore Geneva. It can, however, get quite loud and when it rains prepare for a mad dash to reach the tram.
Nearby Swiss cities
Nyon is a great little city with much more affordable housing options than Geneva and plenty of cute cafes. The primary disadvantage of Nyon is the distance to Geneva for your social life, however, the train connections are good.
Gland, also located in the neighbouring canton of Vaud, is really a small town and not a city, but for those looking from a break from Geneva’s overheated housing market, it’s a great little option albeit a bit dull.
Lausanne is a decent 40 minutes away from Geneva, however, the train connections are frequent and fast. Moreover, it arguably has the superior nightlife to Geneva, with many students preferring to go to Lausanne for their night out rather than Geneva.
France
Annemasse is so close to Geneva, its practically part of the canton and with the new Leman Express service, commuting has become even more convenient. Despite not being the most charming town, the affordable housing here compared to Geneva makes this quite an attractive option.
Ferney-Voltaire is a gorgeous French village right at the edge of the border with Switzerland. The market on Saturday is well worth a visit during your stay in Geneva. The main disadvantage of Ferney is the annoyingly slow bus that you need to take to reach Geneva.
Other options in France are St. Julien-en-Genvois, or St. Genis. Some people also recommend French towns such as Annecy, however, while Annecy is beautiful and you definitely should visit, in my opinion its a bit too far from Geneva to commute daily.
5. Where to look for your Geneva home
The types of accomodation on offer in Geneva range from small studio apartments and flat sharing to affordable foyers and residences designed for students and interns.
Foyers and Residences
These student residences often only provide a room with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities, but they are incredibly budget-friendly and often even include laundry and internet services.
Some residences are provided by religious organisations and many have rather strict house rules regarding guests and other behaviour. They are, however, among the most affordable housing option available in Geneva.
Foyer L’Accueil is a residence for young women located near the Geneva University Hospital. A bed in a shared room is 435 CHF per month and an individual room is 570 CHF per month. The accommodation includes breakfast which is served every day except for Sundays and public holidays.
St. Boniface is a residence located in Plainpalais with the cheapest room costing just 440 CHF. If you do not manage to land one of the rooms through the application procedure you can also try and sublet from a current resident who is going on exchange or doing an internship abroad.
Foyer St. Justin is ideally located in Pâquis close by the lake. For students prices start at 560 CHF for a basic room with up to 1,190 CHF for a studio room.
The Carlton and Rothschild Residence are slightly more expensive options with rooms at Rothschild from 650 CHF and rooms at Carlton from 900 CHF per month. They are both located close to one another in the Pâquis neighbourhood.
Facebook is a great option to find a room in a shared flat or to sublet from someone else.
Popular Facebook groups are Geneva Expats and Geneva Interns Association. However, there are many others, so join a few and keep an eye out!
Websites
GLocals is a website where expats can meet each other, ask questions and also find accommodation. Join the conversation in the forum and check out the housing offers.
La Cigue is a website which aims to help solve the housing problem in Geneva for students and interns. Sign-up on the website and you should receive affordable housing offers fro Geneva from time to time.
Ensemble Avec Toit is an alternative option for people who don’t mind pitching in for a cheap place to live. This is a solidarity project founded on the basis of mutual aid. In return for providing housework, childcare, or other support, the helper receives free or heavily subsidized accommodation.
Personal contacts
Its mentioned above, but it is worth repeating. The most valuable aid in the Geneva housing market is having personal contacts with knowledge of the situation on the ground. Reach out to your acquaintances and future work colleagues to discover hidden gems not advertised online.
My final piece of advice is to not despair, just because everyone likes to talk about how expensive Geneva is, doesn’t mean that you have to resign yourself to that fact. There are always options available and with enough foresight and a bit of luck, you will find your home in Geneva.
