Where can you park your bike at a Swiss building?
Where the house rules say. They may decide where bikes go in shared areas, but nobody may simply remove your bike: the landlord must first warn you in writing, and only truly abandoned bikes may be taken away.
Ep. 30 · This is Ueli · 49 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
In Swiss buildings the bike, the Velo, has its place: usually a bike room or a marked spot, set by the house rules. A bike leaning in the wrong corner can bring a letter, but not a missing bike. As a newcomer, ask where bikes go when you move in, and you will not get the letter.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. Rules, yes. Removal, no. House rules can say where bikes go. Nobody may simply remove your bike.
Be like Ueli. Read the house rules. Park where they say.
Learn more: How to get an apartment in Switzerland
The rule, explained
SRF Kassensturz looked at this in 2014: house rules may regulate where bikes are parked in the shared areas of a building. But, in the words of the programme, nobody may simply dispose of someone else's property. If a tenant ignores the rule, the landlord must warn in writing and demand compliance; if it goes on, the landlord may give notice. Only bikes that are truly abandoned may be removed. So the rule is real, the letter is normal, and your bike stays yours.
Questions people ask
Can my landlord remove my bike in Switzerland?
Not just like that. The landlord must warn in writing; only truly abandoned bikes may be removed (SRF Kassensturz).
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