"Nobody takes you at my age" Landlord evicts 77-year-old from apartment that used to belong to her
A senior citizen from the canton of Zurich has been forced to vacate the apartment that once belonged to her. Experts warn against the mistake of not agreeing a lifelong right of residence in such a case.
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- A senior citizen sells the apartment she shares with her husband in 2014 after his death.
- A dispute quickly arises over the lack of repairs and the amount of rent.
- Between 2016 and 2022, the 77-year-old receives several notices of termination. A settlement extends the term until March 31, 2024.
- When the pensioner continued to defend herself, the district court ruled that the woman had accepted the termination with the settlement and had to leave by June 17.
- Experts warn that a lifelong right of residence should be negotiated in such a case - also because over 64-year-olds hardly stand a chance on the housing market.
A 77-year-old woman from the canton of Zurich is threatened with eviction from the apartment she and her husband once bought. The problem: after the death of her husband, the woman resold their home. The couple had invested their pension money - and the widow was facing a tight financial situation, reports the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.
In July 2014, the apartment was sold to the owner of a roofing and real estate company from the canton of Graubünden, it continues. According to the new rental agreement, the seller pays CHF 3300 net per month for her rent. However, the ancillary costs are not clearly listed in the document, as required.
"This purchase was a mistake on my part"
A dispute quickly arises between the two parties: The landlord is not carrying out repairs properly, according to the accusation. The senior citizen wants to reduce the rent - partly because a neighboring apartment is being rented out at a lower price. "This purchase was a mistake on my part," the landlord writes to her after just a few months.
The rent she wants to pay is "a joke": Even before the minimum rental period expires, the landlord presents the pensioner with a termination agreement in March 2016, which the lady ignores. A year later, the landlord tries again with a termination notice - just one day after the 77-year-old reports that the dishwasher is broken.
The tenant defends herself against the termination notice, which is initially withdrawn until the tenancy is terminated again in writing in November 2022 without a reason. It turns out that the apartment is to be sold on - without a tenant in it. Her lawyer reaches a settlement that allows the woman to stay there for another year.
"Nobody takes you at my age"
But the woman is unable to find a new place to live until the final termination date of March 31, 2024. "At my age, no one will take you anymore," she tells the Tages-Anzeiger. Now the settlement that allowed her to stay where she is for another year is her undoing: the district court ruled that she had accepted the termination - and ordered her to move out by 17 June.
The senior citizen is now trying to be brave: "I just have to let go now." She won't end up on the street, the Tages-Anzeiger knows: the municipality will provide her with a room in emergency accommodation. Finding a new apartment will be difficult, says Walter Angst from the Zurich Tenants' Association: "Anyone over 64 usually finds their application rejected straight away."
Experts warn senior citizens against selling their apartment or house without an agreement: "I would advise against selling your own apartment and staying in it as a tenant without any further security," explains real estate expert Donato Scognamiglio to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. Although this would reduce the income from the sale, it would provide security.