Hi everyone,

I’m renting in Switzerland and recently received this message from the person managing the place (see description below). I’m looking for an objective take, especially from people familiar with Swiss rental culture.

Context:
Shared/common area, main tenant, another one and me,
A very small mark was left on a sanitary surface (easily cleanable, no damage),
I cleaned it immediately once notified,

The messages I received included things like:
– “Don’t lie to me” (for a balcony window)
– Calling it an “extreme mess”
– “What will the other tenants think of you?”

I fully understand the expectation to keep common areas clean. That’s not the issue. What I’m questioning is the tone and escalation, which felt moralizing and disproportionate compared to the situation.

In Switzerland, I’m used to communication being rather factual, calm and proportional, especially in rental contexts. This felt more like pressure or shaming than a practical reminder.

So my questions:
– Is this kind of communication considered normal here?
– Would you see this as acceptable landlord/manager behavior?
– How would you typically respond in a Swiss context: short acknowledgment, or push back on tone?

I’m not looking to escalate, just to understand whether my perception is off or if this is objectively excessive.

Thanks for your insights.



—
WishGroundbreaking25

19 comments

  1. It’s excessive and patronizing, not normal at all.

    Normally here the landlords would send neutral messages.

    If you don’t feel comfortable, you can either tell them to get lost, if you like facing people, or you should move somewhere else, you can’t change a person.

  5. I leave notes to my neighbors when they take my laundry day, but I always add a smiley;)

  6. But you haven’t answered. What will the other tenants think of you? 🤣

  7. oh hell nah. runn, this is a case for a professional…

  8. i wish this question didn’t matter in Switzerland, but … what’s your ethnic background?

  9. Why would other tenants be seeing your bathtub?

    This is wild..why were they in your flat…fucking report them.

  10. Hi, I’d like to say otherwise, not least as I’m now Swiss, but this is pretty close to something we’ve experienced including the unfounded and weirdly escalated accusations about lying.
    Even when it became clear that the owner was mistaken there was no apology.
    That said and although it was weirdly “anal retentive” and the accusations were definitely disappointing, we have are now neighbors in our own house and have maintained a pretty decent relationship.
    In short pretty normal but I wouldn’t worry about it too much – otherwise you might just be as Swiss as the rest of us 🙄

  12. clear case for r/bünzli
    appropriate answer for copy/paste:
    entspann di du vogel sus kriegsch no en herzinfarkt. obwohl… 🤷‍♂️

  13. Crazy? I was crazy once they stuck me in a room, a room with a little dry soap and soap makes me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once they stuck me in a room, a room with a little dry soap and soap makes me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once they stuck me in a room, a room with a little dry soap and soap makes me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once they stuck me in a room, a room with a little dry soap and soap makes me crazy.

  15. In Very much swiss landlord fashion he is insane, patronazing and over reacting.

  16. That’s not ok. I wish you could answer them to fck off

  17. It is excessive and unhinged. Sadly, It is “normal” in how common that is in Switzerland. There are many older people that are absolutely uptight and unhinged. Often your typical +60 years men , that had a career, some financial success, a housewife and basically treat anyone below them like shit.

    They’ll smile to everyone in the street but will go absolutely apeshit for anything outside of their box-shaped mind. There’s even the “bünzli” meme due to them.

  18. You gotta kill em with niceness. It throws folks like this for a loop. Thank them sincerely for showing you how you erred. Apologize profusely for your shortcomings. Take control by playing their game better than they do.
    Top it off. Ask them to demonstrate the correct way to clean it up, thereby having them perform the task for you.
    Have fun with it.
    Always look at the bright side of life.

  19. Sounds like the witch I have lived with at the beginn of my Switzerland journey

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