Why Your Swiss Neighbors Are Quietly Judging You

Switzerland is one of the most livable countries in the world, but there's a saying here: Switzerland doesn't need police, because the citizens police each other. And nowhere is that more true than in the unwritten apartment rules of your Swiss building. There's always someone watching or listening. Not in a sinister way. Imagine it more like a civil duty.

Maybe the most stereotypical (but also true) example is the elderly lady on the ground floor who hears you vacuuming your apartment during lunchtime, and she's ready to remind you that it's not allowed in Switzerland. She will politely explain that things are done a bit differently here. And by that, she also means to say things are done a bit better than what you're used to (no shade, of course, she's just trying to help).

Quiet hours in Switzerland are sacred

This is the rule that catches most new expats off guard. In Switzerland, there are rules about when it's allowed to make noise. In most rental properties, quiet hours apply at night between 10 pm and 6 am, during the lunchtime break from 12 and 1 pm, as well as all day on Sundays and public holidays. This includes a general ban on: vacuuming, using laundry machines (depending on your house rules or where the machines are located), drilling, playing loud music, or moving furniture around. However, it is not quite clear when exactly a noise becomes a nuisance. You can get some guidance on the official government page.

PRO tip: Initiate a WhatsApp/Signal chat group in your building so you can inform your neighbors upfront when you host a party. (Just make sure it's not on a Sunday).

We experienced that some neighbors leave anonymous letters instead of directly addressing feedback they might have. It opened with "Dear neighbour, I'm sure you are unaware..." followed by an explanation of whatever rule you've apparently been breaking for weeks. It is still written politely, but it might leave you feeling ashamed for not knowing (or just annoyed that your neighbor is so inflexible). I'd suggest talking to your neighbor directly if something disturbs you. Many Swiss seem to generally like discussing how things could be better and explaining to others how they should be done. We informally call this Swissplaining, but we will get more to that in a different article.

Laundry room rules

There are probably fewer things that cause more tension within apartment buildings than using the shared laundry room. While apartments in most other European countries each have their own washing machine and dryer, Switzerland has a long tradition of installing shared machines in a common laundry room for all tenants. Every house arranges the rules for using them a bit differently. We currently live in a building with no clear schedule; it's just first-come, first-served. While this works most of the time, it has its pain points if another person has a lot of laundry and uses the machine for the entire Saturday when we were hoping to wash.

I used to live in a building where each apartment was assigned a randomly fixed 48-hour wash period every two weeks. For me, that meant always on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. It eventually felt so inconvenient and unnecessarily stressful that I bought my own washing machine and got permission from the landlord to install it in my apartment. For some people, having a fixed building wash plan is perfectly fine. It's maybe a matter of personal preference.

PRO tip: Well, this is the same tip: get to know your neighbors and setup a digital group chat in your building. It's the easiest way to prevent and solve washroom conflicts.

Even if your building management sets out a specific wash plan, you actually have to follow it if everyone in the building agrees to a different approach. The building management just appreciates not being bothered with complaints from building tenants about the washing machines. If the tenants are happy (and don't break anything), then the building management is happy, too. Discuss, agree on, and follow a wash plan directly with all your neighbors. That's the secret for a washroom happily ever after.

Introduce yourself right when you move in

Following the Swiss preference to respect privacy, many apartment buildings can feel completely anonymous. Some people live many years in the same place without ever really talking to their neighbors. It doesn't have to be this way, but you have to personally make the effort to change it.

Whenever I move into a new building, I create and print copies of a short and friendly letter with a picture to introduce myself. I mention where I'm from, what I do, and provide my phone number, inviting people to get in touch to join a new building group chat. I put it directly in the mailboxes of everyone else in the building. This has always worked and led to creating great relationships with most people in the building.

Getting to personally know your neighbors and having a direct channel of communication with them is the best way to prevent judgment and create a comfortable place to live.