When you arrive in Switzerland and move into a block of flats, there’s an unwritten guide that nobody gives you but which everyone expects you to be familiar with. Noise is one of the first issues to cause conflict between neighbours. Not because the Swiss are particularly sensitive to noise, but because there is a collective norm regarding quiet hours that is deeply ingrained and makes no allowance for exceptions or the idea that ‘it’s Friday and we’re celebrating something’.
The general rule – although this may vary depending on the canton and the building’s internal regulations – is that between 10 pm and 7 am, you must not make any noise that disturbs others. This includes the washing machine, the dishwasher, the television at high volume, music, and loud footsteps on wooden floors. Sundays have their own set of rules: in many buildings and local authorities, restrictions apply practically all day, particularly for work involving tools or machinery. Using a drill on a Sunday morning is something that could result in a note being left in your letterbox or, in the case of repeat offences, a formal complaint to the management or the flat owner.
There is one thing that particularly surprises those of us coming from Spain or other southern countries: the Mittagsruhe, the midday break. In many Swiss buildings, there is also a quiet period between 12 noon and 2 pm, with the same restrictions as at night. Coming home, having lunch, and taking the opportunity to put a load of washing on may be enough for the neighbour downstairs to slip a note under the door. This is no exaggeration: it does happen. Quite regularly, in fact.
What strikes newcomers to Switzerland most is that these rules aren’t advertised – they’re simply taken for granted. If, when you signed your tenancy agreement, you were given a *Hausordnung* – the building’s rules and regulations – written in German or French, which you then left in a drawer, it’s worth giving it another read. That’s where you’ll usually find the exact timings that apply to your specific block. This isn’t just a minor bureaucratic formality: it’s the document that sets out the rules for the space you share with the other tenants.