Housing St. Gallen

Flat search for HSG & OST students and HSG executive education

Your eyes in St. Gallen.

Finding a flat here from abroad is hard. Landlords want to meet you, good flats go in days, and every listing is in German. I search for you, visit the flats in person, send you photos and an honest report, and put together your application in German. You sign the lease yourself, from wherever you are.

Tell me what you need See packages
  • I work only for tenants
  • No fees from landlords
  • Application ready before the viewing
St. Gallen at night, seen from above the city

Based in St. Gallen

I live here. I know these streets.

Which areas are quiet, how long the walk to campus really is, and which buildings are worth a second look. That's what I bring to every viewing.

City street at night with a bus
Good bus connections to HSG and the station
Residential building with a garden at night
Calm residential areas close to the centre

Photos: Andreas Hollenstein

How it works

Three steps, and you don't need to travel

  1. Tell me what you need

    Fill in the form below: budget, move-in date, rooms, area, shared flat or your own. It takes about ten minutes. I reply within one working day and we agree on a package.

  2. I search and visit

    I go through Flatfox, Homegate, ImmoScout24, Comparis and wgzimmer.ch, send you a shortlist with my reasons, contact landlords in German and visit the flats you pick. After each viewing you get photos, a short video and a written report.

  3. Your application is ready before the viewing

    Good flats are often gone after the first viewing. That's why you send me your documents online before I go, and I prepare your application dossier in German in advance. As soon as you say yes, I hand it in right away, before most other applicants. I explain the lease to you in English, you sign it yourself, and I can be there for the handover when you move in.

Packages

Pick the help you need

Launch prices for the spring semester 2027, in Swiss francs. No commission, no fees from landlords, no extra charge if it takes a little longer.

Single visit

Viewing

CHF60

  • You found a flat, I visit it for you
  • Photos, short video, written report
  • Optional live video call during the visit
  • Honest recommendation: apply or skip
Book a viewing

Shortlist

Search

CHF240

  • Search on all major Swiss platforms
  • Shortlist with reasons for each flat
  • Enquiries to landlords in German
  • Up to 3 viewings with reports
Start a search

Recommended

Until move-in

CHF490

  • Everything in Search
  • Up to 6 viewings with reports
  • Application dossier in German, handed in for you
  • Lease explained in English
  • Handover at move-in with protocol
Get full support

Everything

Premium

CHF890

  • Everything in Until move-in
  • Up to 10 viewings with reports
  • Priority on student sublets reported to me, when available
  • Help with residence registration, internet and electricity
  • Help with questions in your first month: defects list, letters in German, house rules
Go premium

Prices include all my time in St. Gallen. Your rent, rent deposit and any landlord costs are not included and are paid by you directly to the landlord or bank. For every viewing and application you sign a short power of attorney first.

Sample report

What you get after each viewing

A real viewing tells you what listing photos don't: noise, smell, light, the state of the bathroom, and how many other people want the flat. This is what a report looks like.

Viewing report · 2.5-room flat

Musterstrasse 12, 9000 St. Gallen

Example · fictional flat
Rent netCHF 1'350
Utilities (Nebenkosten)CHF 190 advance
Size · floor58 m² · 3rd, no lift
Available1 Feb 2027
CheckedRatingNote
LightGoodSouth-west, balcony gets evening sun
NoiseGoodStreet side, quiet with windows closed
Damp & mouldCheckSmall spot on bathroom ceiling, landlord will repaint before move-in. Ask for it in writing.
KitchenGoodRenovated 2015, dishwasher, ceramic hob
BathroomOKShower only, no bathtub
LaundryNoteShared laundry room in the basement, fixed rota (Waschplan): Tuesdays
StorageGoodCellar compartment, bike room
Getting to HSGGood9 min walk, bus stop 2 min
InternetGoodFibre socket in living room

My recommendation

Apply today. Fair rent for the area and the best light of the four flats this week. 14 people came to the viewing, so speed matters.
LivingKitchenBath BedroomView+18

23 photos · 2 videos · sent 19:40

About me

Hi, I'm Andreas

  • 27 years old
  • Nursing student (HF)
  • Lives in St. Gallen
  • German & English

I grew up near St. Gallen, now live in the city and study nursing. When I was looking for a flat myself, I learned how fast the market moves here. Good flats at a fair price are often gone within days, and you only get them if you're quick and on site.

That's where the idea came from. If it's hard for someone who lives here, it's much harder from abroad. So I do what I would have wanted: I go to the viewings for you, tell you honestly what I see, and help you apply before the flat is gone.

You'll often find me jogging through the city, walking past the university, at Drei Weieren, on Klosterplatz or at the Peter und Paul wildlife park. I know these places because I spend my free time here.

My promise

I always work for you, the tenant, and never take money from landlords. I tell you honestly when a flat is not right for you.

FAQ

Questions people ask before booking

How do I avoid rental scams?

Scams target people who can't visit in person. Because I see every flat myself and meet the landlord or agency, fake listings are filtered out before you pay anything. Typical warning signs:

  • The landlord is "abroad" and wants to send the keys by post
  • You are asked to pay a deposit or first rent before signing a lease
  • Payment by Western Union, crypto or to a foreign account
  • A very low rent for a central, large flat

Never send money for a flat that nobody you trust has seen.

How and when do I pay you?

You pay the package in advance by bank transfer or TWINT. From abroad, Wise or Revolut work well and are cheap. You get an invoice for every payment.

I never handle your rent or deposit. Those go directly from you to the landlord or the bank.

How does the rent deposit work in Switzerland?

Most landlords ask for a deposit (Mietkaution) of two or three months' rent. By law it can be at most three months' net rent (Art. 257e of the Swiss Code of Obligations) and must be paid into a blocked rent deposit account in your name, not to the landlord personally.

If you don't want to tie up that money, a rent deposit insurance (for example SwissCaution or Firstcaution) is an alternative many landlords accept. I'll help you choose.

Why do I need to sign a power of attorney?

The power of attorney (Vollmacht) lets me act for you towards landlords: attend viewings, ask questions and hand in your application. It is one page, you sign it digitally, and it ends when you move in or when you cancel it.

It does not let me sign a lease for you. You always sign the lease yourself.

What documents do I need for the application?

Usually a copy of your passport or ID, your letter of admission or employment contract, proof of income or a scholarship or guarantor letter, and for people already living in Switzerland a debt collection register extract (Betreibungsregisterauszug). I tell you exactly what is missing and build the dossier from it.

Your documents are stored only for your application and are deleted after you move in.

Do I need a visa to study in St. Gallen?

Citizens of EU and EFTA countries don't need a visa. Most other students need a national visa (type D) for a stay longer than three months.

You apply at the Swiss embassy or consulate in your country, which forwards it to the migration office of the canton you will live in. If you name St. Gallen as your future home, the Migration Office of the Canton of St. Gallen handles it. Ask your embassy early which documents you need, because one missing paper can delay the visa by weeks.

I don't handle visa applications. The official information is on the website of the State Secretariat for Migration (sem.admin.ch) and with your university's international office. A confirmed flat address can make the steps after arrival easier, such as registering with the city.

What if I don't find a flat?

I can't promise that a landlord will choose you, but I can make sure your application is complete, fast and convincing. If the search package ends without a lease, you can upgrade and only pay the difference.

For students going on exchange

Leaving St. Gallen? Sublet your room

Going abroad for a semester? Report your room and I'll match it with one of my clients before it is listed anywhere else. Free for you, or a small fee of CHF 20–30 if you want the full set of documents.

Report your room
  • A listing for your roomWritten for you, with your photos, shown to my clients first.
  • A sublease contractClear dates, rent and house rules, in German and English.
  • A template for your landlord's consentSwiss law (Art. 262 CO) requires your landlord's permission to sublet.
  • The rules, in shortThe sublet rent may not be higher than your own rent, apart from a small surcharge for furniture. You remain responsible towards your landlord while you are away.

Get started

Tell me what you're looking for

I reply within one working day with a first assessment and a suggestion for the right package. The form is free and does not commit you to anything.