Can you use the communal garden in Switzerland?

The real rule

Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.

In many Swiss apartment buildings the garden belongs to everyone and to no one, so the property management, the Verwaltung, keeps an eye on it. A grill or a garden box that drifts into the shared grass can bring a polite letter. As a newcomer, read the house rules before you claim a corner, and ask before you plant.

How to get an apartment in Switzerland

The rule, explained

The Swiss tenants' association, the Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband, explains it in its tenant tips: the green areas of a rental property usually do not belong to one tenant but may be used by all residents. If you want to plant something, you need the landlord's permission. The house rules may restrict how the garden is used, but such restrictions must have a factual reason and be proportionate. In daily life the property management, the Verwaltung, enforces the house rules, usually by letter. So a hammock is fine for an afternoon; a garden box that stays is a question for the Verwaltung.

Sources: Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband, tips on neighbours and house rules

Questions people ask

Can I plant flowers in the shared garden in Switzerland?

Only with the landlord's permission (Mieterverband).

Can the house rules restrict the garden?

Yes, if the restriction has a factual reason and is proportionate (Mieterverband).

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