Lofts for rent in Switzerland

Lofts to rent turn old industrial buildings into open, light-filled living, mostly in the bigger Swiss cities where former factories and warehouses have been converted over the past two decades. Search by canton and city, filter by rent and size, then get in touch with the lister directly through the listing.

Who a loft suits

A loft usually means one big open volume rather than separate rooms: high ceilings, large windows, exposed brick or concrete, and often a mezzanine instead of a second floor. That works well for people who want to divide the space themselves, for a couple who both work from home and need room to spread out, or for anyone who'd rather have one flexible hall than a corridor of small rooms. Zurich's Kreis 4 and Kreis 5, Basel's old industrial quarters near the Rhine, and parts of Geneva's Les Charmilles have the highest concentration of loft conversions, since that's where the factories were. Smaller cities like Winterthur and Biel have their own share, often at a noticeably lower rent than a comparable space in Zurich.

A few things are worth checking before viewing:

• Heating: many older industrial buildings rely on radiant or overhead systems that heat a large volume differently from a standard flat
• Soundproofing between units, since open floors and concrete can carry noise more than plasterboard walls
• Whether the mezzanine or gallery level counts toward the living space and rent
• Parking and bike storage, often more limited in a converted building than in newer construction

Browse current loft listings across Switzerland, or post one free of charge with up to eight photos.