A woman in Zurich has raised eyebrows after posting an advert online in which she offers to sublet a tent on her Zurich balcony as a shared room for GBP 400 per month.
The 27-year-old woman, who lives in the Swiss city of Zurich, is looking for a flatmate in a bid to reduce her rental costs.
But far from offering an actual room in the flat, she is actually offering to rent out a tent on her balcony “with a view of the starry sky” to the tune of CHF 500 (GBP 402) per month.
According to the online advertisement, the tent is a two-person tent that can be rented out with no additional fees.
(Newsflash)
The tent is reportedly waterproof and is set up on an insulating mat, and mattresses and pillows are also available.
The rental agreement also reportedly includes the shared use of the kitchen, the living room and the bathroom.
The woman, who has only been identified as Sandra, 27, said that she “would like to live with someone else and reduce my rent bit”.
She added: “That’s why I came up with the idea of the tent.”
She also said that she wants to offer somebody the opportunity to live in Zurich on the cheap, adding: “In this city, the situation for those looking for a flat is very difficult. Finding an affordable room to rent is almost impossible.”
Sandra says that she has already received interest from various parties, saying: “It’s mostly students who think the idea is cool. Many have written that it is something different.”
Sandra, however, added: “I realise that it might be a bit difficult to find a tenant in the middle of winter. Especially since the balcony is not covered. If someone doesn’t want to move in until spring, that’s fine with me too.”
(Newsflash)
Lawyer Beat Rohrer, however, is quoted in local media as saying that it is not possible to simply offer a tent on the balcony as a living space, although in principle, it is not strictly forbidden. But first, some basic conditions that are regulated by Swiss law need to be met.
There is a right to lighting as well as a right to protection from noise and fire, and if the tent remains in place for a longer period of time, approval from the local building permit authority would also be required.
The lawyer also stated that the landlord’s consent is also required. It is currently unclear if Sandra has taken all of these measures into consideration. It is also unclear if the advert is being investigated by the local authorities.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: William McGee, Agency: Newsflash
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