Confusion after real estate scandal Sugus residents receive new notice of termination

The mass dismissal of residents of three Sugus buildings in Zurich caused great outrage. Now the apartment seekers are receiving another notice of termination - with a later deadline.

The residents of three Sugus houses received another registered letter of termination on Monday: Instead of at the end of March, they are now to vacate their apartments at the end of September 2025.

The owner of the three buildings on the railroad line between Zurich main station and Hardbrücke station justifies the new termination date with the arrest of the head of the commissioned property management company: she now needs more lead time for the planned comprehensive and fundamental core renovation, according to the letter, which was first reported on Monday by the online portal Watson.

The owner now manages her properties through her own company. She has therefore signed the termination letter twice - once in her own name and once in the name of her company.

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New floor plans, higher fit-out standard

She is sticking to her plans for a core renovation of the three Sugus apartment buildings. This will be fundamental and comprehensive, she announces in the letter. Apartment layouts would be changed and a significantly higher standard of fit-out would be sought.

Tenants are therefore not happy about the postponement of the termination notice by six months: "Nothing has changed in the initial situation that they will lose their home," one resident told the Keystone-SDA news agency. On the contrary, the new termination letter has led to "maximum confusion".

This is because, among other things, it also refers to the pending "Lex Koller". This restricts the purchase of properties by foreigners. "We don't know what that means now," says the resident. The tenants affected are still in contact with the tenants' association.

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Vacancy notices cause outrage

The vacancy notices in the three Sugus buildings, which were announced at the beginning of December for the end of March 2025, caused a stir in politics and the media. In Zurich's city parliament, there was talk of "pure profit maximization", "derailment", "cruel Christmas present" and "impudence", among other things.

The city council announced that it would examine the purchase of the properties. Over 1,000 people took part in a spontaneous solidarity rally on December 8. And an online petition against the "cold-blooded mass termination" has so far been signed by over 27,4000 people.

So-called "rent reductions" are nothing unusual in themselves: over 250 apartment buildings and over 2,000 people are affected every year in the city of Zurich, according to a study published by Zürcher Kantonalbank at the end of November.

A symbol of the housing shortage

The fact that the Sugus terminations made such a big splash is not only due to the short announcement period and the timing just before Christmas. The colorful houses, which are located directly on the railroad line between Hardbrücke and Zurich main station, have become a symbol of the housing shortage.

This is because real estate entrepreneur Leopold Bachmann, who died at Christmas 2021, had built them to create affordable apartments for families. Following the total renovation planned by the current owner, an heir of the entrepreneur, rents are likely to rise significantly.

The affected tenants and various parties are therefore talking about "greed" and "speculation with living space". Especially as the six other identical Sugus buildings, which belong to two other heirs, are apparently not due for refurbishment.