Instead of using a relocation agent, a man hoping to rent a house or apartment in Switzerland has offered a 3.000-franc reward to anyone who can find him a place to live. Thomas Perret has also printed out 10.000 flyers asking people to help him find his ideal home in Zurich.

3.000 Swiss franc reward offered to apartment hunters in Zurich

From mid-December, anyone who is able to find Thomas Perret an apartment in Zurich is entitled to a 3.000 Swiss franc reward, according to a report by 20 Minuten. The money will be transferred once he has signed the rental contract and started to move in.

His requirements, according to his specially created website, is for an apartment of at least 80 square metres with a large balcony or terrace in districts 1, 4 or 5 in Zurich - the most expensive places to rent in the city. Ideally, the pad will have 3,5 rooms with modern equipment, a washing machine and a view, all for around 3.500 Swiss francs a month.

Housing shortages continues to grip centre of Zurich

Perret's hunt for his dream house reflects the experience of many tenants in the city - although not everyone is lucky enough to be able to cough up reward money. An all-time shortage of housing in Zurich, coupled with sky-high costs for apartments in the city centre has made it really difficult to find a home. Speaking to 20 Minuten, Perret said he has spent months looking for an apartment, but he has always been too late to apply.

"Initially, the reward was supposed to be 1.000 francs, but my colleagues in Zurich said that no one would lift a finger for that amount," Perret joked. He added that along with the website and the reward, he would hand out and stick up 10.000 flyers across the city in an attempt to attract prospective house hunters.

Responding to Perret’s website, Zurich Tenants’ Association spokesperson Walter Angst told 20 Minuten that if the local council (Gemeinde) does nothing to reduce rents, apartments in the city will only become harder to find. He concluded that Perret “buys an apartment like a good wine”, noting most families and individuals cannot afford to pay someone to find a home.