UMS Temporary Housing Switzerland

UMS (formerly MitWohn Service Bern) was the first temporary housing brokerage to operate nationally in Switzerland and its model differs from serviced apartment providers: it mediates privately owned flats that are temporarily empty because the owner is travelling or on assignment abroad, which keeps prices lower than hotel-style serviced stock. The brokerage adds 20% to the base rent as its fee, but the starting point is often below what commercial serviced apartments charge.

With more than 30 years of operation, UMS has built relationships with landlords who prefer its personal introduction model, meaning that the quality of apartments on its books is above average for the price range. The national coverage across eight cities is particularly useful for relocations to mid-size cities like Bern, Basel or Lucerne where the international serviced apartment market is thin.